YOU CAN'T SIT DOWN

Les Calamités sang...

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YOU CAN'T SIT DOWN

1984 - Produced by Lionel Herrmani - Length: 2'06"
Discography : A bride abattue - Les Calamités - C'est complet

You Can't Sit Down was first an instrumental piece recorded in 1961 by saxophonist Phil Upchurch and his combo , before becoming two years later a song by the Dovells . As its title suggests, it's an amazing dance machine that will make any atmosphere hot and electric. It has been covered so many times for 40 years, that even President bill Clinton was said to have played it at his inauguration party at the White House.
But the version definitely to be mentioned before coming to the one by Les Calamités (which then inspired the cover by the Asynchrones), is the 1965 cover by the Shangri-Las , the New York girl band who will be remembered forever for its world hit Leader of the Pack .
For although they appeared almost 20 years and 6000 kilometres away from each others, former high-school girls from Queens and their Beaune counterparts shared many similarities. Actually, the pictures on the sleeve of the first Calamités record strangely remind of the early Shangri Las (see picture).

You Can't Sit Down

Lyrics/Music: Dee Clark, Kal Mann, Cornell Muldrow, Philip Upchurch
Publisher: Conrad Music
As interpreted by Les Calamités

Pretty baby (you can't sit down)
Oh won't you hear me tell you something (you can't sit down)
You get me singing like I'm crazy (you can't sit down)
Because the band is playing something (you can't sit down)
Everybody is a jumping (you can't sit down)
You gotta flip, flop, flip, flop, keep on dancing
But you can't sit down, you can't sit down

You gotta move, move, move, around and round
But no, you can't sit down, you can't sit down
You gotta fly, fly, fly, get off the ground
Move and shout to that crazy sound
But no, you can't sit down, you can't sit down

When you're excited (you can't sit down)
And the band is really booting (you can't sit down)
You hear the hip beat with the back beat (you can't sit down)
Every teenager is grooving (you can't sit down)
You gotta get your bottom moving (you can't sit down)
You gotta make it, break it, shake it all around
You can't sit down, you can't sit down

Pretty baby (you can't sit down)
You know you really dance so fine now (you can't sit down)
You're really shakin' like a crazy (you can't sit down)
Oh don't you ever leave me right now (you can't sit down)
We're gonna do it one more time now (you can't sit down)
You gotta flip, flop, flip, flop, keep on dancing
But you can't sit down, you can't sit down
You gotta move, move, move, around and round
But no, you can't sit down, you can't sit down
You gotta fly, fly, fly, get off the ground
Move and shout to that crazy sound
But no, you can't sit down, you can't sit down

Pretty baby! (you can't sit down)
Oh won't you hear me tell you something (you can't sit down)
You got me singing like I'm crazy (you can't sit down)
Because the band is playing something (you can't sit down)
Everybody is a jumping (you can't sit down)
You gotta flip, flop, flip, flop, keep on dancing
But you can't sit down, you can't sit down