When did all the music slow
And all the lights turn way down low
Where's the cat that's in the know
Where did Harlem go?

All the fancy motor cars
Pulling up to high class bars
Have faded out like morning stars
Where did Harlem go?

Flat-foot knocked-out top-stair dames
Hanging off their high zoot flames
Grand pavillions filled with millions
Dancing til the dawn

No more do those bright lights shine
And derailed is the A train line
They've traded all the cats for swine
Where did Harlem go?

I've seen the faded snapshots
Of swinging Harlem hotspots
Black-tie high-class dancers frozen
Mid-step on the floor

When did all the music slow
And all the lights turn way down low
I miss the cat that's in the know
Where did Harlem go?