I’m gonna sit right down and write myself a letter,
And make believe it came from you,
I’m gonna write words oh so sweet,
They’re gonna knock me off my feet,
A lot of kisses on the bottom,
I’ll be glad I got ‘em!
I’m gonna smile and say “I hope you’re feeling better,”
And close with love the way you do;
I’m gonna sit right down and write myself a letter,
And make believe it came from you!
Gonna smile and say “I hope you’re feeling better,”
And close with love the way you do;
I’m gonna sit right down and write myself a letter,
And make believe, make believe, make believe it came from you!
I really enjoy Fats Waller‘s (my favorite jazz musician after Ella Fitzgerald!) rendition of I Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter. My friend Alain Wong posted the Youtube link on Facebook, and now it has stirred up many emotions in me. Happiness, nostalgia, sadness, dreaminess, strength…
This song reminds me of the wonderful moments I spent in New Orleans during the Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown 2010, bar hopping and listening to the amazing bands performing live jazz. I remember the Palmetto Bug Stompers were playing at the DBA during the Saturday night Pub Crawl, and they sang this song, with a little twist. It made me smile so much when the lyrics were changed to “I’m gonna sit right down and write myself an e-mail.” It gave me this warm feeling of accomplishment, to be sitting there, and witnessing this mix of the past with the present. We, lindy hoppers, are helping to keep vintage music and dance alive. We are preserving history. It makes me very happy to be part of it. I am very honored to be part of it.
Group picture in front of the Riverboat, by the Mississippi River (Photo credits: Alexandre Hétu-Rivard)
Lindy hoppers and jazz musicians parading in the streets of the French Quarter, New Orleans
I can’t give you any thing but love for lovely song