Ladies Who Sing wtih the Band Lyrics — Ain't Misbehavin'

Song Overview

Review and Highlights

Quick summary

1. What it is: A Waller-world specialty from 1943, with lyrics credited to George Marion Jr., later staged inside the 1978 Broadway revue Ain't Misbehavin.
2. Where it lands: On the common reissue track order, it sits on Disc 1 as track 8, a neat pivot between instrumental flash and second-act sass.
3. What the revue version emphasizes: Showbiz patter and bandstand perspective - a number that talks about performance while performing.
4. How it plays: Two voices (often) running a friendly hustle: name-dropping, selling the room, and letting the band sound like the punchline.

Ain't Misbehavin (1978) - stage revue - non-diegetic (presented as nightclub performance). On the cast recording, the track is credited to Andre DeShields and Ken Page, and the reissue sequencing places it right after the long glide of "The Jitterbug Waltz."

This is one of those revue numbers that sneaks up on you because it looks like "just banter" until you notice the precision. The lyric is basically a spotlight operator: it tells you where to look, then it tosses the beam to the next detail. In a smart staging, the performers are not merely praising singers - they are painting the ecology of a bandstand, where charisma is currency and the microphone is a passport. I have heard it fall flat when actors play it like a novelty list. It works when they play it like a sales pitch delivered by people who love the product and know the margins.

Key takeaways:

1. Its engine is timing: tiny pauses and quick pivots matter more than vocal heft.
2. The band is a character: accompaniment should feel like a partner, not wallpaper.
3. Cabaret truth beats parody: treat the lyric as insider talk, not as a museum label.

Creation History

The song is linked to the 1943 Broadway musical Early to Bed, where it appears as a listed number and is among the songs known to have been published as sheet music. Later, the creators of Ain't Misbehavin pulled it into their Waller revue because it does what a revue needs: it tells a story about performance without needing plot. As stated in the Tony Awards archive, the 1978 production of Ain't Misbehavin became a major awards player, and part of that success was how it turned catalog material into stageable moments with clear theatrical jobs to do.

Song Meaning and Annotations

Plot

No plot, but a situation: performers act as emcees and witnesses, guiding the audience through the nightlife fantasy of a singer fronting a band. In a revue, that is dramaturgy. It sets status, tone, and the room's rules - who is admired, who is working, who is selling.

Song Meaning

On the surface it is praise - a parade of "ladies" who can ride a band with style. Underneath, it is about craft and control. Singing "with the band" implies partnership, not domination: you land on the beat, you shade the phrase, you let the players talk back. In the revue context, the meaning turns meta: the cast is doing the very thing the lyric applauds, asking the audience to hear the difference between a singer who sits on top of the music and one who lives inside it.

Annotations

The lyric credit is not a footnote: George Marion Jr. is named as the lyricist for this title in production credit documents.

That matters because it clarifies the song's personality. This is not only Waller's musical wit; it is also Marion's stage-savvy language, built to list, pivot, and land.

The song traces back to Early to Bed (1943), where it appears as a musical number and is identified as one of the songs published as sheet music.

In other words, it survived because it had a life outside the show. That is how a tune gets to Broadway again decades later: paper trail, performer curiosity, and a revue that knows what to rescue.

On the cast recording, it is presented as a duo feature (commonly credited to Andre DeShields and Ken Page) and runs about two and a half minutes.

A short runtime is a hint about its job. It is a fast feature, not a long scene: get in, charm the room, hand the night back to the ensemble.

Genre and rhythmic feel

It sits in swing-era show writing with revue delivery: speech-like phrasing, rhythmic nudges, and room for a knowing look. Audio-analysis tools often estimate the cast-recording track around the high 80s BPM and in the neighborhood of C, which tracks with how the number feels in performance: steady, not rushed, with enough space for names and punch words to read.

Key phrases and subtext

The phrase "with the band" is the whole aesthetic argument. It signals taste. Anybody can sing over an accompaniment; the lyric celebrates singers who understand the bandstand as a shared stage, a place where leadership looks like listening.

Technical Information (Quick Facts)

1. Song: The Ladies Who Sing with the Band
2. Artist: Original Broadway Cast of Ain't Misbehavin
3. Featured: Andre DeShields; Ken Page (common cast-recording credit)
4. Composer: Thomas "Fats" Waller
5. Lyricist: George Marion Jr.
6. Release Date: 1978 (original cast recording era; later CD and digital releases list 1987 dates)
7. Genre: Jazz; swing; musical theatre revue
8. Instruments: Voice; piano; ensemble band
9. Label: Masterworks Broadway (digital distributor pages); originally associated with RCA Victor in cast-recording discography
10. Mood: Brisk; playful; bandstand-forward
11. Length: About 2:33
12. Track #: Disc 1, track 8 (common reissue order)
13. Language: English
14. Album: Ain't Misbehavin - Original Broadway Cast Recording
15. Music style: Swing phrasing with emcee-style delivery
16. Poetic meter: Accentual, speech-driven stresses over swing rhythm

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this song originally from Ain't Misbehavin?

No. It traces back to the 1943 Broadway musical Early to Bed, then was adopted into the 1978 Waller revue.

Who wrote it?

Thomas "Fats" Waller is credited for the music, and George Marion Jr. is credited for the lyrics in production credit documents.

Why does the lyric feel like show business talk?

Because it is. The number praises singers by describing how they function in a live ecosystem: pacing, charm, and partnership with players.

Is it usually a solo?

Often it is staged as a duo feature in the revue tradition, and cast-album listings commonly credit Andre DeShields and Ken Page.

Where does it sit on the cast album?

On a widely circulated reissue track order, it appears on Disc 1 as track 8.

How long is it?

Common streaming metadata lists it at about 2:33, which suits a brisk cabaret-style feature.

What is the main acting objective?

Sell the room. You are not delivering poetry; you are hosting a nightlife fantasy and making the audience feel like regulars.

What is the main musical challenge?

Clarity at speed. The lyric wants crisp consonants without stiffness, and the groove wants ease.

Does the band get spotlight moments?

In strong productions, yes. Even brief fills can be staged as conversation: a singer cues, the band replies, the singer grins and keeps moving.

Is there a "best" way to stage it?

The best way is to keep it specific: a bandstand, a mic, a reason for the patter, and a sense that the next number is already waiting in the wings.

Awards and Chart Positions

This title is better tracked through theatre history than pop charts. Ain't Misbehavin won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1978, and it also produced major performance wins, including Nell Carter for Featured Actress in a Musical. Those honors help explain why numbers like this one work: the revue was rewarded for style, pacing, and variety - the exact virtues this track depends on.

How to Sing The Ladies Who Sing with the Band

Because this number is speech-driven, your first instrument is diction. Audio-analysis sites often estimate the cast-recording track around 87 BPM and in C, which is a practical rehearsal handle, not a substitute for your production's chart.

1. Tempo: Lock a steady medium swing so the text can land cleanly. If you push, the list becomes blur.
2. Diction: Lead with consonants, then release into vowel. Think "tap shoes for the tongue": crisp, not harsh.
3. Breathing: Breathe before the next thought, not after the last word. The patter should feel effortless, even when it is not.
4. Flow and rhythm: Ride the band. Do not fight the groove with rigid counting; let the rhythm section carry your phrasing.
5. Accents: Choose a few spotlight words per phrase. Too many accents and you sound frantic; too few and you sound bored.
6. Ensemble: If staged as a duo, rehearse handoffs like dialogue. Decide who "wins" each line, and who reacts.
7. Mic and style: If amplified, keep it intimate. The number reads best as insider chatter, not as proclamation.
8. Pitfalls: Avoid mugging. The lyric is already funny; your job is to make it true.

Additional Info

The song has a backstage pedigree worth savoring. It is one of the Early to Bed survivors that stayed alive through publication, which is why a later revue could grab it without inventing it. A thoughtful essay in City Journal notes that only a small slice of that 1943 score remained widely heard, and this title is among the few that kept circulating and thus became fair game for the 1978 Broadway smash.

Key Contributors

Sources

Sources: Tony Awards archive, Legacy Recordings track list, Discogs release credits, IBDB (Early to Bed) listing, Broadway Rose music-credits PDF, City Journal essay