Cake Walking Babies From Home

soundclip

by Chris Smith / Harold Troy / Clarence Williams
recording of
from The Complete Recordings, Vol. 2 (1924-1925) (Columbia/Legacy C2K-47471), copyright notice

Cake walkers¹ may come, cake walkers may go,
but I wanna tell you 'bout a couple I know
High steppin' pair, Debonair
When it comes for bus'ness not a soul can compare

Here they come, look at 'em, demonstratin',
goin' some, ain't they syncopatin'?
Talk of the town, teasin' brown pickin' 'em up and layin' 'em down
Dancin' fools ain't they demonstratin'?
They're a class of their own

Now the only way to win is to cheat 'em,
you may tie 'em but you'll never beat 'em
Strut your stuff, they're the cake walkin' babies from home
Strut your stuff, strut your stuff, cake walkin' babies from home

Here they come, look at 'em, syncopatin',
goin' some, ain't they demonstratin'?
Talk of the town, teasin' brown pickin' 'em up and layin' 'em down
Dancin' fools ain't they syncopatin'²?
They're a class of their own

Now the only way to win is to cheat 'em,
you may tie 'em but you'll never beat 'em
Strut your stuff, they're the cake walkin' babies form home
Strut your stuff, strut your stuff, cake walkin' babies from home

__________
Note 1: cakewalk, a black American entertainment having a cake as prize for the most accomplished steps and figures in walking. Also, a stage dance developed from walking steps and figures typically involving a high prance with backward tilt. It is also used to indicate a one-sided contest or an easy task;
Note 2: syncopatin', a rhythmical alteration which consists in welding into one tone the second half of one beat with the first half of the beat which follows.