Strip Polka (take It Off! Take It Off!)

(Johnny Mercer)

There's a burlesque theatre where the gang loves to go
To see Queenie the cutie of the burlesque show
And the thrill of the evening is when out Queenie skips
And the band plays the polka while she strips

"Take it off," "Take it off" Cries a voice from the rear
"Take it off," Take it off" Soon it's all you can hear
But she's always a lady even in pantomime
So she stops! And always just in time

She's as fresh and as wholesome as the flowers in May
And she hopes to retire to the farm someday
But you can't buy a farm until you're up in the chips
So the band plays the polka while she strips

"Take it off," "Take it off" all the customers shout,
"Down in front" "Down in front" while the band beats it out
But she's always a lady even in pantomime
So she stops! And always just in time

Queenie, Queen of them all
Queenie, someday you'll fall
Someday church bells will chime
In strip polka time

Oh! She hates corny waltzes and she hates the gavotte
And there's one big advantage if the music's hot
It's a fast moving exit just in case something rips
So the band plays the polka while she strips

Drop around, take it in, it's the best in the west
"Take it off," "Take it off" yell like the rest
Take her out when it's over, she's a peach when she's dressed
But she stops! And always just in time

Queenie, Queen of them all
Queenie, someday you'll fall
Someday the church bells will chime, the ol' church bells will chime
In strip polka time