From “Animal Crackers,” 1928
Words and music by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby
The sheet music:
Lyrics
When you are invited out among the “Who is who”
You’ll hear the band begin to play a melody blue
You’ll see them do a dance
And you must learn it to be in the swim
Then everyone dances till the sun
Comes peeping through and stars grow dim
Refrain:
Follow the style and do
The Long Island lowdown, lowdown
Take off your spats and throw you high hats away
Learn how to tap hour hip
While you slap your toedown, toedown
Come from below, get into the social sway
You should see the feet start to fly
When all the high-brows get hot
That upper crust kicks up a dust and how
Follow the style and do
The Long Island lowdown, lowdown
People high up are doing the lowdown now