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Little Egypt
Words & Music:
Jerry Leiber/ Mike StollerI went and bought myself a ticket and I sat down in the very first row
They pulled the curtain but then when they turned the spotlight way down low
Little Egypt came out a-struttin' wearin' nothin' but a button and a bow
Singing, ying-ying, ying-ying, ying-ying, ying-ying
She had a ruby on her tummy and a diamond big as Texas on her toe
She let her hair down and she did the hoochie-coochie real slow
When she did her special number on the zebra skin I thought she'd stop the show
Singing, ying-ying, ying-ying, ying-ying, ying-ying
She did her triple somersault and when she hit the ground
She winked at the audience and then she turned around
She had a picture of a cowboy tatooed on her spine
Said, Phoenix, Arizona 1949
Yeh, let me tell you people Little Egypt doesn't dance there anymore
She's too busy mopping and a-takin' care of shopping at the store
'Cos we've got seven kids and all day long they crawl around the floor
Singing ying-ying, ying-ying, ying-ying, ying-ying Recorded:
1964/03/02, first released on
RoutaboutReactions
Love the funny lyrics and the tune too. Elvis did it in 1968 with his gold jacket on, which was great too. But why does the volume change at 1:37? On alternate takes this doesn't happen.
This is such a fantastic, catchy, unique and fun song and I love Elvis' 1964 and 1968 renditions of it. It's one of 24 songs that Elvis recorded that was written by the brilliant and iconic songwriting duo Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.
Very enjoyable fun novelty song that comes across well as a performance in the film. Should have been issued as a single with Big Love Big Heartache on the flip, which I think would have done pretty well in the World's charts.
Great rendition in the 68 Comeback. Nice film number. Don't apeal to me in the Album.
I give this song 3 stars. It was a novelty song which The Coasters were known for recording and to be honest, were really good at much in the same vein as "Charlie Brown". Elvis' version is acceptable but as a single? No way. It worked within the soundtrack.
Like this one a lot. There are quite a few lesser known Elvis songs which I've caught my better half really enjoying and this is one of them (others are pretty much anything from the Memphis sessions and some of the better songs from Stax). I always like it when a non Elvis fan digs a relatively hidden treasure so I'm adding an extra star to this for that reason. Five stars.
Good song, but one of this great writing team's lesser efforts. A smash single? Very doubtful. The music world was changing rapidly in late '64 and this song sounds a bit dated for the times. Heck, it wasn'teven a smash for The Coasters when originally released. Maybe a novelty top 20 hit at best.
I like it. My preference is for the alternate version. I agree that it would have been a smash single backed with "I'm A Roustabout."
"I'm a Roustabout" (discovered a few years back) would have been a true highlight of the soundtrack and the movie, if it had been used. The song has "attitude" in a fun way. "Little Egypt" is a fun song, but, not a favorite of mine.
What a smash this would have been as a single c/w I'm A Roustabout. If only.......!
I was never crazy about this one. I liked the songs "Big Love, Big Heartache" and "Wheels on my heels" much more so. What a shame the harder edged "I'm a Roustabout" which first appeared on the album "Second to None" didn't make it, onto the "Roustabout Soundtrack album and movie".
Good , cool song, & solid performance, best on the LP in my opinion.
Cool song recorded in 1964. I remember buying the Roustabout Lp and wondered which track would be used as a single.In the end Rca decided not to release any of the track. But i often wonder how Little Egypt would have done chart wise. Elvis must have liked it using it again in the '68 Tv special.
She walks, she talks, she crawls on her belly like... Little Egypt was a Syrian lady dancing in the late 19th century and you can actually find some original footage of her on YouTube, it is absolutely fascinating and very exotic. She popularized the 'hoochee-coochee' in the United States and Leiber and Stoller used this dance actually in the song Saved as some kind of a sin! Very entertaining song and other great performances exist thereof, such as from the Coasters. Four stars from me.
I am not as big of a fan of this one as most people seem to be (over four stars when this review was written), but it is good. I give it three stars, but it is really just a novelty song. On par with most of the "Roustabout" soundtrack material. A solid soundtrack LP that hit #1 and is a very easy listen (except for "Carny Town").
I'm not really sure what to think about this one. Let's leave it at that.
Available Alternate Versions