[Dixielandjazz] Riverboat Shuffle (was 2nd Short Question...)

[Bill Haesler]

Steve Heist asked:
> Now, first question, I've been singing "Riverboat Shuffle" for years 
> and I just realized I had NO idea what I was singing when it came to 
> one small section of the lyrics!  Does anybody know what it means when 
> they wrote:
> "Come alligator that band..."

Dear Steve,
The full part, as I have it is: "So bring your freighter AND alligator 
TO that band, mister Hawkins on the tenor."
Of the 100s of recorded versions of "Riverboat Shuffle" I can only 
locate about 4 featuring a vocal and can only find two in my 
collection..
1.	The Hoagy Carmichael with Perry Botkin's Orch rendition from Oct 
1938 where Hoagy sings  "... bring your freighter, common alligator, 
that band....", with 'common' slurred.
2.	Then there is The Sons of Bix Fairmont LP version from Oct 1975 
where a bloke called Don Ingle seems to sing: "....bring your 
freighter, come 'n alligator....."
Take your pick.
Now what does it mean?
"Alligator" has several (some derogatory) meanings, but in the context 
of this song probably uses the 'swing fan' or 'jitterbug' definition.
The term "freighter" is not in any of my slang dictionaries or Cab 
Calloway's Hipster's Dictionary.
Kind regards,
Bill.