When the jazz band comes to town
young girls and boys gather round
the hot-hopping spot.
The neon swing club rests on the corner of 125th
in Harlem, New York.

The endless noises of musicians blare
and the lights wink in rhythm.
Colors you never believed existed
bounce off the peeling walls.
The heat of young bodies
replaces the chill in the evening air.
They swing and jive back and forth together
like waves crashing along a busy shore.

An escape from the hardships of everyday life
exists as a must.
Overworked, exhaustion-filled faces lift.
They reveal their true age.
The young African American teenagers
all beg for a swell time.

He takes her tender, trembling hand.
He sweeps her off her feet
As the bass and the drums
kick in with their solos.
With a rat-a-tat-tat
and an underlying drive.
What a lovely night to be alive
in Harlem, New York.