Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar
Swinging Texas Rhythms: Big Joe Duskin's Piano Mastery
Lyrics
In a little honky-tonky village in Texas
In a small honky-tonky village in Texas
There's a guy who plays the best piano by far
There's a pianist who is the best by far
He can play piano any way that you like it
He can play the piano in any style you prefer
But the way he likes to play is eight to the bar
But he prefers playing in a syncopated rhythm known as 'eight to the bar'
When he plays, it's a ball
When he performs, it's a lively and enjoyable experience
He's the daddy of them all
He is highly skilled and considered the best
The people gather around when he gets on the stand
Crowds gather to watch him perform
Then when he plays, he gets a hand
Applause and approval follow his performance
The rhythm he beats puts the cats in a trance
His rhythmic beats captivate the audience
Nobody there bothers to dance
The crowd is so absorbed that they forget to dance
But when he plays with the bass and guitar
When he collaborates with bass and guitar players
They holler out, "Beat me Daddy, eight to the bar"
The audience enthusiastically shouts, "Beat me Daddy, eight to the bar"
A-plink, a-plank, a-plink plank, plink plank
Describes the sound of piano keys being played
A-plunkin' on the keys
Continues describing the piano playing, emphasizing the lively sound
A-riff, a-raff, a-riff raff, riff raff
Highlights the improvisational and smooth playing style
A-riffin' out with ease
Emphasizes the ease with which he plays intricate musical patterns
And when he plays with the bass and guitar
Reiteration of the crowd's enthusiasm when he collaborates with bass and guitar
They holler out, "Beat me Daddy, eight to the bar"
They continue shouting, "Beat me Daddy, eight to the bar"
He plays a boogie, he plays eight to the bar
He enjoys playing boogie-woogie, especially in the 'eight to the bar' style
A boogie-woogie, that is the way he likes to play on his piano
Further emphasis on his preferred playing style
And we all know
Confirmation of his skill and impact on the audience
That when he plays he puts them all in a trance
His playing mesmerizes the audience and puts them in a trance
The cats all holler "Hooray"
The enthusiastic audience cheers and celebrates his performance
You'll hear them say, "Beat me Daddy, eight to the bar"
They express their excitement by shouting, "Beat me Daddy, eight to the bar"
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