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Zoot Suit Riot Lyrics

Who's that whisperin' in the trees?
It's two sailors and they're on leave
Pipes and chains and swingin' hands
Who's your daddy? Yes I am
Fat cat came to play
Now he can't move fast enough
You'd best stay away
When the pushers come to shove

Zoot Suit Riot (RIOT!)
Throw back a bottle of beer
Zoot Suit Riot (RIOT!)
Pull a comb through your coal black hair

A whipped up jitterbuggin' brown-eyed man
A stray cat frontin' up an eight piece band
Cut me Sammy and you'll understand
In my veins hot music ran
You got me in a sway
And I want to swing you dove
Now you sailors know
Where your women came for love

Zoot Suit Riot (RIOT!)
Throw back a bottle of beer
Zoot Suit Riot (RIOT!)
Pull a comb through your coal black hair

You're in a Zoot Suit Riot!
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Cover art for Zoot Suit Riot lyrics by Cherry Poppin Daddies

did anyone know what the zoot suit riots were about? probably not, so ill tell you. during world war II, there was lots of dicrimination based on race. Hispanics who lived in southern cali who wore suits called "zoot suits" much like the hip harlem people. they had greased hair combed back into a ducktail and long waisted suit coats with baggy pants pegged at the ankles. youknwo what im talking about right? so then LA passed a law making it a crime to wear these outfits. people still wore them as a so called sign of rebellion. then some sailors from the local navy base invaded a hispanic neighborhood because allegedly they had attcked some servicemen. these sailors beat the zoot suiters up, tore their clothes and cut their hair. then when the hispanics fought back, they got arrested and all the newspapers lied about what happened.
so thats what the song is about. and i guess its like a funny get back because theyre saying that all the while they were screwing the sailors wives hehehe so there sailor suckers!!!!

Cover art for Zoot Suit Riot lyrics by Cherry Poppin Daddies

cherry poppin' daddies is a dirty name.... think about it ; D

Cover art for Zoot Suit Riot lyrics by Cherry Poppin Daddies

I remember I used to love this song. The music video was great. It was when everyone was listening to swing music for some reason.

Cover art for Zoot Suit Riot lyrics by Cherry Poppin Daddies

zoot suits were outlawed because, since the world was in the middle of a war, good fabric was scarce and hard to come by. zoot suits required a lot of fabric, and were therefore considered a waste of fabric. some people believed that those who continued to wear the suits were being unpatriotic and used that as an excuse to beat them up.

Cover art for Zoot Suit Riot lyrics by Cherry Poppin Daddies

Yeah, RoxyFemme84, why do you hate America?

Anyway this is just a song to dance to, that references the zoot suit riots of 1943.

(if you folk happen to be interested in another swing song that was popular when swing got popular again, that one week, have a listen to "Hey Pachuco" by Royal Crown Revue)

Cover art for Zoot Suit Riot lyrics by Cherry Poppin Daddies

Uh, actually, RoxyFemme84 is right. The zoot suit riot in California had absolutely nothing to do with supposed patriotism; it was completely about racial discrimination. I'm glad, also, that someone else caught on that Zoot Suit Riot actually references that unfortunate incident.

Zoot Suit style started before WW2 coming out of the prohibition Era. Yes, LA Zoot Suit Riot was a race riot: But it was a racially charged situation in the country and the world. ie: 'Japping' was to sneak up on someone instead of a 'fair' gang fight. Think 'West Side Story' or even MJ's 'Beat It'. My Uncle who was Mexican played in a band in CO. They wore Zoot Suits to replicate what was going on in Chicago 'Gangstas' style in the 'Speak Easy night clubs'. This was early to mid 30's.

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I agree that it was definitely racial discrimination at the heart of the Zoot Suit Riots, but it would be inaccurate to say it had nothing to do with patriotism. The reason that the zoot suits were made illegal and the white servicemen were so upset with those that wore them was because this was during the era when there were shortages of practically everything in the country and everything was going to help the servicemen defending it. Everyone was called upon to do their duty and do whatever they personally could to help the war effort, mostly...

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Cover art for Zoot Suit Riot lyrics by Cherry Poppin Daddies

So, uh. When I said "why do you hate America?" I was joking.

Cover art for Zoot Suit Riot lyrics by Cherry Poppin Daddies

So, uh, I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to mourningthebestofme. I realized you were joking.

Cover art for Zoot Suit Riot lyrics by Cherry Poppin Daddies

This song is a fun song, we always play it in pep band. We used to have a sax player and he would shout out "Riot!" in a really high pitched voice at that part of the song. It was really funny.

Cover art for Zoot Suit Riot lyrics by Cherry Poppin Daddies

if you can't imagine what a zoot suit looks like, just imagine jim carrey as "the mask", except that they were almost always black, not yellow.. lol or you could look it up