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300 NEW ORLEANS TRICENTENNIAL 171 8 ~ 201 8 MARDI GRAS MAMBO Down in New Orleans Where the blues was born It takes a cool cat to blow a horn On LaSalle and Rampart Street The combo’s there with a mambo beat The Mardi Gras mambo, mambo, mambo Party Gras mambo, mambo, mambo Mardi Gras mambo, ooh Down in New Orleans In Gert Town where the cats all meet There’s a Mardi Gras mambo with a beat Join the Chief with the Zulu gang And truck on down where the mambo’s swing GO TO THE MARDI GRAS Get your ticket in your hand If you wanna go through New Orleans Get your ticket in your hand If you wanna go through New Orleans You know when you get to New Orleans Somebody’ll show you the Zulu King IF EVER I CEASE TO LOVE (chorus) If I ever cease to love, if I ever cease to love May the moon be turned into green cheese If I ever cease to love. If I ever cease to love, if I ever cease to love May little dogs wag their tails in front If I ever cease to love. If I ever cease to love, if I ever cease to love May we all turn into cats and dogs If I ever cease to love. If I ever cease to love, if I ever cease to love May a sane man adore his mother-in-law If I ever cease to love. From “If I Ever Cease to Love” and other waltzes, music and Mardi Gras have been bound to each other. ‘If Ever I Cease to Love’ has been the royal anthem of Rex since 1872. From Bienville to Bourbon Street to bounce. 300 moments that make New Orleans unique. WHAT HAPPENED Mardi Gras probably would not ex- ist in its current form if it weren’t for the street music that accompanies pa- rades, and much of New Orleans’ mu- sic wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for Mar- di Gras. Henri Schindler, in his book Mardi Gras: New Orleans, writes “the joyous license of [New Orleans’] mu- sic owes more than a passing acquain- tance to the liberties of Mardi Gras and a population long-accustomed to dancing in the streets.” While waltzes may be popular in the ballrooms, drum-heavy bands get people moving in the street. Traditional military music, the call and response of the Mardi Gras Indians and modern funk played by brass bands all have a place in the lexicon of Mardi Gras music. CARNIVAL TIME The Green room is smokin’ And the Plaza’s burnin’ down Throw my baby out the window And let the joint burn down All because it’s Carnival Ti-i-ime Whoa, it’s Carnival Time Oh well, it’s Carnival Time And everybody’s havin’ fun
