Hello All!
Zora Neale Hurston was using much of this slang in her works in the
early 1930's as Black slang in common parlance. For example, solid
was the euphemism for perfect, most likely taken from the expression
"solid as a dollar" which goes back to the turn of the 20th century.
Gut bucket refers to a low dive and the music played within. Same
with barrelhouse, the Northern version.
I dream't I dwelt in marble halls is a direct reference to the
libretto for the opera The Bohemian Girl--an inside joke with Comden,
Green, and Bernstein.
"green" is the color of my true love's hair is a play on the
Applachian folk song "Black is the color of my true love's hair;"
possibly a nod to Bernstein's friend****p with Aaron Copland and his
"Appalachian Spring."
Furiyake-sake: Furiyake is an Asian seasoning that consists of sesame
seeds, dried fish, and seaweed. Sake is, of course rice wine. Most
likely refers to the selections at any of the Asian restaurants in New
York at the time. This would jibe with the other fish references in
the song.
Aside from the Ol Man Moze Biblical references and the obvious Tarzan
references, most of the rest of the nonsense lyrics would have
mimicked the works of Fats Waller and Cab Calloway (who was definitely
working in the African-American jazz clubs in New York in the early
1930's)
Hope this helps,
Vatican
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