Downstairs at Danny's all-star joint They got a juke box that goes doyt-doyt The vice is nice, they stay in the back all day But when the nighttime comes, hey-hey There's this cat down there that makes a bad kinda soup I come around struttin' my luck in my shoop coupe Cecil gives me coffee And he won't never take my coin I say, " I got thirty dollars in my pocket! Whatchoo doin'? "
I holler, " Come on, Cecil, take a dollar! Come on, Cecil, take a ten! I've finally geared up into a whole buncha big ones And you're actin' like I'm down-shiftin' "
He knows all the under-riders on the boulevard They got to barefoot cruise when it's forty-weight hard They look particularly dead-beat Permanently pale Cecil picks up his butcher knife Waves it at the jail The kid say, " I ain't got no dough, Joe, I just want some OJ " I said, " Don't look at me " ( Cuz he was lookin' my way ) Cecil wink upon him some juice and some green And the kid walks over and puts the quarter in the pinball machine And he says, " Come on, Cec, gimme a dollar Come on Cecil gimme five I'm in a halfway house on a one-way street And I'm a quarter past left alive " He can talk about your people in a wonderful way He can talk about your people 'til your hair turns gray
Your sister's into mustard She loves to walk the pub She likes the pickles and the relish she never gets enough A Hershey milkshake steamin' on a stick For a Card Blanché sandwich Oh, lettuce get thick
It's not because I'm dirty It's not because I'm clean It's not because I kiss the boys behind the magazine Hey boys? How 'bout a fight? Cuz here comes Rickie with the girdle on tight
And if she don't know your name She knows what you got From Your matzo balls To the chicken-in-the-pot chicken-in-the-pot chicken-in-the-pot
Downstairs at Danny's All Star Joint They got a juke box that goes doyt-doyt A finger-snappin' deluxe Make your be-bop bap And your R&B hep-scat
You can't break the rules until you know how to play the game But if you just want to have a little fun You can mention my name Keep your feet in the street Your toes in the lawn But keep your business in your pocket This is it were it belongs
Come on Cecil, take a dollar Come on Cecil, take a tip Do yourself a favor If she offers it - take it But honey, don't give it away if he don't appreciate it