Ella Fitzgerald & Count Basie
Lyric guide

The Real American Folk Song

Read The Real American Folk Song lyrics by Ella Fitzgerald & Count Basie on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.

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Page type: lyric reference Artist: Ella Fitzgerald & Count Basie Canonical path: /ella-fitzgerald-e-count-basie/the-real-american-folk-song Related lyric paths: 6 Video embedded: yes
Lyrics

The Real American Folk Song

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Near Barcelona, the peasant crooned

The old traditional Spanish tunes

The Neapolitan street song sighs

You think of Italian skys

Each nation has a creative vein

Originating a native strain

With folk songs plaintive and others gay

In their own peculiar way

American folk songs, I feel

Have a much stronger appeal

The real American folksong is a rag

A mental jag

A rhythmic tonic for the chronic blues

The critics called it a "joke song" but now

They've changed their tune, and they like it, somehow

For it's innoculated with a syncopated sort of meter, sweeter

Than a classic strain, boy you can't remain, still or quiet, for it's a riot

The real American folksong

Is like a fountain of youth

You taste, and it elates you, and then, invigorates you

The real American folksong, the masses coaxed on, is a rag

(instrumental break)

The real American folksong is a rag

A mental jag

A rhythmic tonic for the chronic blues

The critics called it a "joke song" but now

They've changed their tune, and they like it, somehow

For it's innoculated with a syncopated sort of meter, sweeter

Than a classic strain, boy you can't remain, still or quiet, for it's a riot

The real American folksong

Is like a fountain of youth

You taste, and it elates you, and then, invigorates you

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Who performs "The Real American Folk Song"?

Ella Fitzgerald & Count Basie performs "The Real American Folk Song", and this lyric page sits inside the Ella Fitzgerald & Count Basie catalog on LyroVerse.

Are there related songs to explore after "The Real American Folk Song"?

Yes. The related section below points to A Fine Romance and All That Jazz with a short reason for opening each page next.

Where can I find more songs by Ella Fitzgerald & Count Basie?

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