SIX LESSONS FROM MADAME LA ZONGA
( James V. Monaco /   Charles Newman)


Charlie Barnet & His Orch. (vocal: Mary Ann McCall) - 1940
Paula Green / Joe Loss & His Orch. - 1940
Lupe Velez (feat. in the film "Six Lessons From Madame La Zonga") - 1941
 
Also recorded by: The King Sisters,  Gene Krupa , Sydney Lipton , 
James V. Monaco ,  Sid Phillips , The Raisin Pickers, Mel Tormé.



as recorded by Jimmy Dorsey & his Orchestra
(vocal: Helen O'Connell)  
recorded April 9th 1940 
New York


Have you ever been embarrassed when you're in a small cafe,
And they play a Cuban tempo, is your dancing quite passe?
There's a studio on Maine Street over Tony's Clothing Store,
Where a very small investment pays you dividends galore!

Six lessons from Madame La Zonga,
You do the Rumba and the new La Conga.
Six lessons in Madame's cabana
And you will imagine you're down in Havana!
 
Her four Latin daughters will help you to start,
While finding the rhythm, you might lose your heart!
 
Six lessons from Madame La Zonga,
And you'll develop your hips and your knees;
And say, by the way,
If you're sure it's okay,
If Madame likes you, the lessons are free!
 
Rosita gives you lesson one!
Chiquita gives you lesson two!
Madame gives you all the rest,
And her lessons* are the best!
 
The Madame shows you how to walk,
The Madame marks it with her chalk;
When the Madame starts to squawk,
It's her Cuban double talk!
 
Six lessons from Madame La Zonga,
And you'll develop your hips and your knees;
And say, by the way,
If your sure it's okay,
If Madame likes you, the lessons are free!



(Transcribed by Bill Huntley 
with additions from Peter Akers - December 2012)



*In  the fourth verse the last line is sometimes sung as
"Madame gives you all the rest
And her methods are the best"