[Verse 1: Ragtime male lead, fast over stride ragtime piano] Down on Fulton is the Golden Spoon, all-you-can-eat for nine And Big Lou's been there every day at noon, the first one in the line He does the ribs, he does the shrimp, he does the mashed and the gravy boat He does the pudding and the pie and a little roll inside his coat Mister Petrakis at the register is goin' slowly gray Says Lou, you're eatin' me alive, I'm losin' money every day So on Monday by the door there's a scale as tall as Lou Weigh in, weigh out, eight bucks a pound for whatever's new on you [Pre-Hook: Ragtime male lead, piano rising] Lou steps on, it's two-sixty-one Lou steps off, and the eatin's begun [Hook: Ragtime male lead, full band] Pay by the pound, folks, step up on the scale What you carry out the door is what you're payin' for the meal But I pound the floor and I pound the plate and I pound it till it's gone So the man who charges by the pound is payin' me by dawn [Verse 2: Ragtime male lead, faster, piano and slapping snare] Three plates of ribs, a tray of ziti, half a ham, a dozen rolls A pound of shrimp, a sheet of cornbread, and the pudding from four bowls Petrakis rubbin' both his hands, he's doin' math behind the till Lou is nine pounds heavier, at eight a pound, say, what a bill But in the corner sits old Hattie at the piano by the door And she's playin' ragtime faster than she ever played before And Lou's foot starts goin', then his knee, and then his hips are in the act And he's out there on the floor and he is spinnin' like a jack [Hook: Ragtime male lead, full band] Pay by the pound, folks, step up on the scale What you carry out the door is what you're payin' for the meal But I pound the floor and I pound the plate and I pound it till it's gone So the man who charges by the pound is payin' me by dawn [Breakdown: Ragtime male lead, piano runnin' wild] First hour, Lou is shakin' off the shrimp and the ziti Second hour, he's dancin' off the ham and gettin' skinny Third hour, Hattie's sweatin' and the pudding's long gone Fourth hour, Petrakis says, Hattie, please, but Hattie just plays on [Verse 3: Ragtime male lead, needle swing, full band lands] Now Lou steps on the scale at closin', soakin' through his shirt And the needle climbs and wobbles and comes down, and Petrakis is hurt Lou came in at two-sixty-one and he's walkin' out three light That's three pounds at eight a pound, so who owes who tonight So Petrakis counts out twenty-four in quarters, slow and sore And Big Lou tips Hattie half of it and dances out the door Now the Golden Spoon's got two new rules, one's nine bucks at the till And the other says the piano's closed, but Hattie plays it still [Hook: Ragtime male lead, full band] Pay by the pound, folks, step up on the scale What you carry out the door is what you're payin' for the meal But I pound the floor and I pound the plate and I pound it till it's gone So the man who charges by the pound is payin' me by dawn [End]
0/500