Satin Doll
From Wikipedia: “Satin Doll” is a jazz standard written by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn with lyrics by Johnny Mercer.[1] Written in 1953, the song has been recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McRae, Billy Eckstine, Nancy Wilson, Bobby Short, and many other vocalists. As an instrumental, it has been recorded by hundreds of jazz artists. Its chord progression is well known for its unusual use of chords and opening with a ii-V-I turnaround.
Ellington wrote the main melodic themes for “Satin Doll”, then asked Strayhorn to harmonize and orchestrate the tune and write an original lyric. Hajdu wrote that Strayhorn did pen a lyric for the song that was a tribute to Strayhorn’s mother (whom Strayhorn called “Satin Doll”), but that Strayhorn’s lyric was not performed and is now lost. The Duke Ellington Orchestra recorded the piece as an instrumental in 1953, and the song charted that same year and remained popular through the 1950s. Around 1959, Johnny Mercer was asked to write a new lyric for the song.
Practice View/Music/Backing Track – Click to open
Lyrics – Click to open
Cigarette holder which wigs me over my shoulder, he digs me
Out cattin’ that satin doll
Baby, shall we go out steppin’, careful, amigo, you’re flippin’
Speaks Latin, that satin doll
He’s nobody’s fool so I’m playing it cool as can be
I’ll give it a whirl but I ain’t for no boy catching me, swich-e-rooney
Telephone numbers well you know, I’m doing my rumbas with uno
And that’n my satin doll
Telephone numbers well you know, doing my rumbas with uno
And that’n my satin doll, and that’n my satin doll
And that’n my satin doll
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iReal Chart – Click to open
