From the 1935 “Cotton Club Parade”.
Words by Ted Koehler.
Music by Rube Bloom.
Sheet music provided by Nicholas Leunissen:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
Listen, you rhythm rounders
Harlem is talkin’ now
You know the truck bug got you
But you never knew just how
That’s what I wanna tell you
I’ve got it figured out
Now, if you want the lowdown
Here’s how it came about
Chorus
We had to have somethin’ new
A dance to do up here in Harlem
So, someone started Truckin’
As soon as the news got ’round
The folks downtown came up to Harlem
Saw ev’rybody Truckin’
It didn’t take long before the Highhats
Were doin’ it, Park Avenuin’ it
All over town, you’ll see them
Scufflein’, Shufflein’, Truckin’ along
It spread like a forest blaze
Became a craze and thanks to Harlem
Now ev’rybody’s Truckin’
Sung here by Fred Feild: