From the recording Demon Station
This song describes a journey down the Nile, encountering friendly natives and the "shadows of the dancer's movements" casting a spell over Africa. It references "dirty dancing," "jit jive," and the "pounding drum beats" of bongos in the Congo, with thunder over the Highveld. The lyrics also say ritual dances, songs to ancestors, and "primitive beliefs that will never die." The recurring chorus is "Do the Decodance, Dirty Dancing, Jit Jive, Decodance."
Lyrics
TOOK A BOAT DOWN THE RIVER NILE
YEAH THE NATIVES WEREN’T HOSTILE
THE SHADOWS OF THE DANCER’S MOVEMENTS
CAST A SPELL OVER AFRICA
DO THE DECODANCE
DIRTY DANCING
JIT JIVE, DECODANCE
HEAR THE POUNDING DRUM BEATS ECHO
THEY PLAY THE BONGOS IN THE CONGO
THUNDER ROLLS OVER THE HIGHVELD
THE RHYTHM CARRIES ON AND NEVER STOPS
DO THE DECODANCE
DIRTY DANCING
JIT JIVE, DECODANCE
THE WITCHDOCTOR DELVES IN VOODOO MAGIC
THE WARRIOR PROTECTS THE PROUD PEOPLE
OF HIS TRIBE
THE RITUAL DANCES ‘ROUND THE FIRELIGHT
THE SONGS THEY SING TO THE SPIRITS
OF THEIR ANCESTORS
WHO WATCH FROM THE SKIES
HOT BREATH ON NAKED SKIN
YEAH IT’S THE ORIGINAL SIN
PRIMITIVE BELIEFS THAT WILL NEVER DIE
TIME HAS STOOD STILL HERE FOR SO LONG
DO THE DECODANCE
DIRTY DANCING
JIT JIVE, DECODANCE
WORDS AND MUSIC BY IAN ALLEN ©