See the lyrics to “Papa’s in the Icebox” by Brian Seltzer. It was released as part of the album The Dirty Boogie on September 22, 1998.
Baby, baby, it looks like it’s gonna hail
You better come inside
Let me teach you how to jive and wailOh, you gotta jump, jive, and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive, and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive, and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive, and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive, and then you wail away
Papa’s in the icebox lookin’ for a can of ale
Papa’s in the icebox lookin’ for a can of ale
Mama’s in the backyard learning how to jive and wail
Oh, you gotta jump, jive, and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive, and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive, and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive, and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive, and then you wail away
A woman is a woman and a man ain’t nothin’ but a male
Woman is a woman and a man ain’t nothin’ but a male
One good thing about him
He knows how to jive and wail
Jack and Jill went up the hill to get a pail
Jack and Jill went up the hill to get a pail
Jill stayed up, she wants to learn how to jive and wail
Oh, you gotta jump, jive, and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive, and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive, and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive, and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive, and then you wail away (whoo)
You gotta jump, jive, and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive, and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive, and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive, and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive, and then you wail away
Oh, you gotta jump, jive, and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive, and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive, and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive, and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive, and then you wail away
You gotta jump, jive-
You gotta jump, jive-
You gotta jump, jive-
You gotta jump, jive-
About The Song “Papa’s in the Icebox”
The song encourages listeners to embrace the joy of dancing and music. The repeated phrases about jumping and jiving emphasize the fun and energetic nature of swing music.
The lyrics evoke a sense of nostalgia, reminiscent of carefree days spent with family and friends, enjoying simple pleasures like music and dance.
“Papa’s in the Icebox” conveys messages of joy, family dynamics, nostalgia, playful commentary on gender roles, community spirit, and humor, all wrapped in an energetic musical package that celebrates swing culture.