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"Drop Me Off in Harlem" is a 1933 song composed during the Harlem Renaissance composed by Duke Ellington, with lyrics written by Nick Kenny. [1]
A.H. Lawrence writes that the song originated from an off the cuff remark from Ellington. Nick Kenny had hailed a taxi, and offered to share it with Ellington. Kenny asked "Where to, Duke?", and Ellington replied "Drop me off at Harlem". Kenny then fashioned lyrics from Ellington's remark and presented him with them a few days later at the Cotton Club. [2]
(ORIGINAL VERSION)
Drop me off in Harlem
Any place in Harlem
There's someone waiting there
Who makes it seem like Heaven up in Harlem
I don't want your Dixie
You can keep your Dixie
There's no one down in Dixie
Who can take me 'way from my hot Harlem
Harlem has those southern skies,
They're in my baby's smile,
I idolize my baby's eyes
And classy up-town style
If Harlem moved to China,
I know of nothing finer,
Than to stow away on a 'plane some day
And have them drop me off in Harlem
Harlem has those southern skies,
They're in my baby's smile
I idolize my baby's eyes
And classy up-town style
If Harlem moved to China,
I know of nothing finer,
Than to stow away on a 'plane some day
And have them drop me off in Harlem
If Harlem moved to China
I know nothing finer than to be in Harlem
(ARMSTRONG VERSION)
Drop me off in Harlem
Yea, good ol' Harlem
You have your fun under the Harlem sun
So drop me off in Harlem
There's Duke Ellington up in Harlem
He writes all his tunes in Harlem
And old Satchmo's still swingin'
Way up in Harlem
All the cats are still up there
They're beatin' out those riffs
And Apollo of Puerto Rico
Will give you a great big lisp
Yes, drop me off in Harlem
Yea ma, beautiful Harlem
It's very nice
Way up there in Harlem
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Ella Jane Fitzgerald was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, intonation, and a "horn-like" improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing.
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