viper

Tämä jazz-pianisti Fats Wallerin vuonna 1943 äänittämä biisi on itse asiassa Stuff Smithin ”You’se a Viper” hieman muunnelluilla sanoilla. Reefer viittaa marihuanaan ja 30-luvulla sana viper viittasi pilven polttelijaan. Viper on suomennettuna myrkkykäärme ja sana viittaa jointin imemisestä kuuluvaan hieman suhisevaan ääneen.

”Say cats! It’s four o’clock in the mornin’
I just left the V-Disc studio… here we are in Harlem!
Everybody’s here but the police,
and they’ll be here any minute!
It’s high time so catch this song, here it ’tis.

Say, I dreamed about a reefer 5 feet long,
a mighty mezz but not too strong.
You’ll be high, but not for long,
If you’re a viper

I’m the king of everything,
I got to gagotta gagotta gagot to be high before I swing
let the bells ring ding dong ding
If you’re a viper!

say you know you’re high when your throat gets dry
mmmmmm everything’s dandy!
ah yes you run down to the candy store,
bust your conk on peppermint candy!
then you’ll know your little brown body’s sent
You don’t give a darn if you don’t pay rent
cause the sky is high, so am I, yes yes
yes I vipe a bit, well I’m a vipe a bit on the 88 now…

say you know you’re high, yes I know I’m high
cause everything is dandy!
yes going down to the candy store,
Get me wrigglies on some peppermint candy!
I love it I love it I love it yes baby but my body’s sent
I ain’t worried about no rent get away from me you hussy! yeah, sky’s high n so am I, n I’m gonna lay down and relax… oh yeah, oh yeah… viper.”