Mame

You coax the blues right out of the horn, Mame, You charm the husk right off of the corn, Mame, You've got the banjoes strummin' and plunkin' out a tune to beat the band, The whole plantation's hummin' since you brought Dixie back to Dixieland.

You make the cotton easy to pick, Mame. You give my old mint julep a kick, Mame. You make the old magnolia tree, blossom at the mention of your name. You've made us feel alive again, you've given us the drive again. You make the south revive again, Mame.

You've brought the cake-walk back into style, Mame. You make the weepin' willow tree smile, Mame. Your skin is Dixie satin, there's rebel in your manner and your speech. You may be from Manhattan but Georgia never had a sweeter peach. You make our black-eyed peas and our grits Mame Seem like the Sill of Fare at the Ritz, Mame. You came, you saw, you conquered and absolutely nothing is the same. Your special fascination'll, prove to be inspirational, We think you're just sensational, Mame.

======== Sure, sure, they're from memory. So sue me.

I used to dance around the house singing this song and practice kissing on the couch pillow. Herb was my father's favorite, and he had every album. I'd play the records over and over again until my mother asked me to "please turn it down."

In my mind (and even today) Mame is some broadway singer who's long-legged, beautiful, classy, and desired by all the men, but she's independent and didn't give most of them the time of day. And that was my Mame as a child. I adored her, and Herb's music.