Song Lyric Sunday: Kay Kyser, “A Zoot Suit (For My Sunday Gal)”

Paula helped Jim out this week (and it looks like she’ll be helping for the next several weeks) with today’s prompt, "Suit, Pants, Dress, Shirt."

I knew I wanted to use the song "A Zoot Suit (For My Sunday Gal)" by Ray Gilbert and Bob O’Brien. Usually I use the version by Paul White and Dorothy Dandridge, but I’ve used that kind of recently, so I’ll use the version by Kay Kyser and His Orchestra, sung by Sully Mason and a quartet consisting of "Trudy, Dorothy, Jack, and Max." Here’s the link to the Wikipedia article talking about the zoot suit, which has some of the history behind them as well.

I want a zoot suit with a reet pleat
And a drape shape, and a stuff cuff
To look sharp enough to see my Sunday gal

You want a reef sleeve with a right stripe
And a rare square, so the gals will stare
When they see you struttin’ with your Sunday pal
(That’s me)

You wanta look keen so your dream will say
“You don’t look like the same beau”
So keen that she’ll scream, “Here comes my walkin’ rainbow”

So make a zoot suit with a reet pleat
And a drape shape, and a stuff cuff
To look sharp enough to see my Sunday gal

Now, what you want, baby?

I want a brown gown with a zop top
And a hip slip, and a laced waist
In the sharpest taste to see my Sunday man
(In his zoot suit)

A scat hat and a zag bag
And a slick kiss, so the other chicks
Will be jealous when I’m with my Sunday fan

I wanta look keen so my dream will say
“Ain’t I the lucky fellah”
So keen that he’ll scream, “Baby’s in Technicolor”

So make a reet pleat with a drape shape
And a stuff cuff, to look sharp enough
To see my Sunday, Sunday gal

Lyrics from SongLyrics.com

These lyrics are not a perfect match to what’s on the record, but they’re close enough for Song Lyric Sunday…