20 Fans - The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas/1978 Original Broadway Cast/Remastered

It was the nicest little whorehouse you ever saw
It lay about a mile down this old dirt road
And if you just happened to stumble on it
You couldn't help but notice that the barns were painted
The fences were up
And you might think to yourself, Why
Folks that live there might just do to run the river with

Oh the little house lay in a green Texas glade where the
Trees were as cooling as fresh lemonade
Soft summer wind had a trace of perfume
And a fan was turning in every room

Twenty fans were turning
They were turning
Twenty fans were turning
In every room

Fevers were-a burning
They were burning
And they had to have a
Way to cool down

Since the 1890s this had been one of the better pleasure palaces in all Texas
In fact, they say some of our Lanville County boys
Celebrated here before going off to fight with Teddy Roosevelt
At San Juan Hill
It was during the Hoover Depression that Miss Wulla Jean come along
She put in a set of rules that made the place sorta special
She liked her ladies, as she called them, to
Treat a customer real nice

It had nice watermelons all covered in vines
And a vegetable garden, a few slender pines
White painted fence with the roses in bloom
And a fan was turning in every room

Twenty fans were turning
They were turning (She put a jukebox in the parlor)
Twenty fans were turning (To sorta help break the ice)
In every room

Fevers were a-burnin' (A guest could ask a girl to dance)
They were burning (Or if he held back a little)
And they had to have a (Why, she'd ask him)
Way to cool down (And pretty soon, they'd get a little business on)
Three dollars' worth

When the sun would go down in a
Wild blaze of light
And the little house lay in the stillness of night
Fireflies would flicker
And float in the gloom
While a fan was turning
In every room

Twenty fans were turning
They were turning
Twenty fans were turning
In every room

Fevers were-a burning
They were burning
And they had to have a
Way to cool down

Now I told you, honey, I have to have my three dollars first!
Miss Wulla Jean don't allow nothin' till I pay my rent
Well, it wasn't always easy to come up with three dollars
Especially during the hard times
Oh, you just keep the chicken in the bag and I'll take him out back
Soon as you're finished
So the girls began accepting poultry in trade
That's how the place got its name
The Chicken Ranch
And if you grew up anywhere in Texas
You knew at an early age
They were sellin' something out there other than pullets

Twenty fans were turning
They were turning
Twenty fans were turning
In every room

Fevers were a-burnin'
They were burning
And they had to have a
Way to cool down

Twenty fans were humming
They were humming
Twenty fans were humming
In every room

Customers were coming
They were coming
And they had to have a
Way to cool down

I'm coming
I'm coming
Thank you, thank you, Jesus

Twenty fans were turnin'
They were turning
Twenty fans were turnin'
In every room

Fevers were a-burnin'
They were burning
And they had to have a way to cool down

Twenty fans were humming
They were humming
Twenty fans were humming
In every room

Customers were coming
They were coming
And they had to have a
Way to cool down

Y'all come back now, y' hear?