SQUARE DANCE "CAT"ASTROPHE
hoedown, western swing, Bob Wills, Spade Cooley, 135 BPM, G major, fiddle double-stops, clawhammer banjo, upright bass slap, pedal steel bends, boom-chuck rhythm guitar, baritone caller, male gang shout chorus, snare on 2 and 4, open hi-hat eighths, analog tape, ribbon mic, tube room ambience, barnyard chaos, comedic tempo, no digital reverb, no drum machine, no synthesizer
SQUARE DANCE "CAT"ASTROPHE
hoedown, western swing, Bob Wills, Spade Cooley, 135 BPM, G major, fiddle double-stops, clawhammer banjo, upright bass slap, pedal steel bends, boom-chuck rhythm guitar, baritone caller, male gang shout chorus, snare on 2 and 4, open hi-hat eighths, analog tape, ribbon mic, tube room ambience, barnyard chaos, comedic tempo, no digital reverb, no drum machine, no synthesizer
Lyrics
[Verse 1 — full band in, fiddle rides high, caller rapid-fire delivery] Allemande left with your left hand Uncle Bud can't tell left from right again Circle right and hope you land John just spun Manisha into the band
[Chorus — gang vocal shout, all in unison, clapping on 2 and 4] DO-SI-DO! (DO-SI-DO!) Swing your partner 'round and round Renee knocked the punchbowl down DO-SI-DO! (DO-SI-DO!) Renee lost her shoe mid-spin Whittles the cat just walked right in
[Verse 2 — minimal fiddle, caller comedic breathless tone] Star right, Uncle Bud won't let go He promenaded home three dances ago John swung his partner way too wide She's in the parking lot — still on the ride Manisha called the do-si-do wrong But she did it with such grace nobody caught on
[Chorus — gang vocal, wide, unison only, anti-harmonize, no backing harmony] DO-SI-DO! (DO-SI-DO!) Swing your partner 'round and round The caller lost his caller notes Whittles is wearing someone's coat DO-SI-DO! (DO-SI-DO!) David's standing in the wrong square again
[Fiddle break — 8 bars, screaming double-stops, drummer goes wild, call-and-response with banjo]
[Verse 3 — faster, caller barely keeping up, breathless comic delivery] Renee is barefoot, doesn't care Uncle Bud's hat is everywhere John allemande-left'd into the door Manisha kept dancing, wanted more Whittles took the corner spot David bowed to a hat rack — that's all he's got
[Final Chorus — biggest gang vocal, stamping feet, full room crowd noise, accelerando to end] DO-SI-DO! (DO-SI-DO!) Swing your partner through the wall Best square dance in the history of the hall Uncle Bud still hasn't stopped John's outside — Manisha can't be stopped Renee's leading from the back Whittles called a do-si-do — cut her some slack DO-SI-DO! PROMENADE HOME! David's left standing there alone
[Outro — fiddle winds down, caller laughs, solo upright bass, 4 bars, fade] Bow to your partner, bow to the corner (spoken: "Whittles wins. Whittles always wins.")