Ella Fitzgerald
Lyric guide

The Real American Folk Song

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

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Page type: lyric reference Artist: Ella Fitzgerald Canonical path: /ella-fitzgerald/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

The real American folksong, is a rag

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Who performs "The Real American Folk Song"?

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

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

Yes. The related section below points to All Through The Night and Cotton Tail with a short reason for opening each page next.

Where can I find more songs by Ella Fitzgerald?

Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Ella Fitzgerald's lyric pages.

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