American Experience

Zoot-Suits and Parachutes

Before I was a member of the AAFTD
I was a working girl in Washington, D.C.
My boss he was unkind to me, he worked me night and day
I always had the time to work but never the time to play.

(CHORUS)
Singing zootsuits and parachutes and wings of silver, too
He'll ferry airplanes as his mama used to do.

A long came a pilot, ferrying a plane,
He asked me to go fly with him down in lovers' lane
And I, like a silly fool, thinking it no harm
Cuddled in the cockpit to keep the pilot warm.

(CHORUS)
Early in the morning before the break of day
He handed me a short-snort bill and this I heard him say
Take this, my darling, for the damage I have done,
For you may have a daughter or you may have a son;
If you have a daughter, teach her how to fly,
If you have a son, put the (censored) in the sky.

(CHORUS)
The morel of this story as you can plainly see
Is never trust a pilot an inch above the knee,
He'll kiss you and caress you, and promise to be true
And have a girl at every field as all the pilots do.

Courtesy of The Woman's Collection, Texas Woman's University