Jack, You're Dead! - Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five

When you’ve got no more assurance

Than a great big hunk of lead

If you don’t respond to romance

Jack, you’re dead!

When a chick is smiling at you

Even though there’s nothing said

If you stand there like a statue

Jack, you’re dead!

You’ve been always kicking

But you stubbed your toes

When you ups and kicks the bucket

Just like old man Mose

When you get no kicks from loving

And you blow your top instead

It’s a fact that you ain’t living

Jack, you’re dead!

If you just ain’t got nobody

Since you’ve gone and lost your head

Rigor Mortis has set in daddy

Jack, you’re dead!

What’s the use of having muscles

When your life hangs by a thread

If you ain’t got no red corpuscles

Jack, you’re dead!

You’ve been always kicking

But you stubbed your toes

When you ups and kicks the bucket

Just like old man Mose

When you get no kicks from loving

And the news begins to spread

All the cats will holler, «Murder!»

Jack, you’re dead!

All the breaths leaked out of you

When your friends gather round the bed

And look at you and say, «Um, um, um, don’t he look natural»

When that happens to you, daddy

Jack, you’re dead!