There's a dance they call it The Roach,
It's buggin' all the kids from coast to coast.
Well now, form a big line, (Do The Roach.)
To the post. (Do The Roach.)
Everybody, now,
Squish, (woo-ooo),
Squash. (Kill that roach.)

Well, there's a roach upon my floor,
I'm gonna have to kill it can't stand it no more.
He-he-he gets in my way, (Do The Roach.)
Every day. (Do The Roach.)
But I'll (Git it, yeah.)
Squish, I'll git it, yeh!
Someday. (Kill that roach.)

(You stop, step, skip' two-three-four-five-six-seven.)
(You stop, step, skip' two-three-four-five-six-seven.)
(You stop, step, skip two-three-four-five-six-seven.)
(You stop, step, skip' two-three-four-five-six-seven.)
(Squish,) (Woo-ooo),
(Squash.) (Kill that roach.)

Yeah-hey-hey, hey now.

Instrumental break with rhythmic clapping.

Well, I was takin' a bath the other night,
I checked my hair, it was lookin' a fright.
Well, I we-ent to the store (lookin' bad),
To get some hair oil. (Do The Roach),
And that's a-where I saw the roach,
Talkin' to my girl.

Backup singers produce high-pitched, short utterances at the end of each of the following lines:

Let me at him. (Squish.)
I'm gonna kill him. (Squash.)
Oh, let me at him. (Squash.)
I'm gonna kill him. (Squash.)

Find more similar lyrics on http://mp3lyrics.com/HMe3Let me at him. (Squash.)
I'm gonna kill him. (Squash.)
Let me at him. (Squash.)
Gonna kill him. (Squash.)

Oh, let me at him. (Squash.)
I'm gonna kill him. (Squash.)
Let me at him. (Squash.)
Fade.
Gonna kill him. (Squash.)

Let me at him. (Squash.)
I'm gonna kill him. (Squash.)
Oh, let me at him. (Squash.)
I'm gonna kill him. (Squash.)

THE ROACH (DANCE)1
Written by: Unknown
Performed by: Gene & Wendell2
Appears on: The Roach Dance (45 RPM)-1962 & Hairspray (Original
Soundtrack)-1988*3.

1Probably the most exotic and most quintessential of the R&B dances
was The Roach, popular in late 1961 and early 1962. The Roach is
generally a line dance with a somewhat fast tempo, with steps similar to
the Watusi4. Its most characteristic step was a squishing motion made
with one's foot on a non-existent cockroach to the song's sharply sung
refrain, "kill that roach."

2Eugene "Gene" Washington and Wendell Jones, were a duo from Los
Angeles who recorded for an obscure label named, Ray Star.

3Transcribed from the track on this album.

4The Watusi is a dance that enjoyed popularity during the early 1960s.
(It was almost as popular as the Twist.) Its name came from the Batutsi
tribe of Rwanda. In the classic Watusi, the dancer is almost bends his
or her knees slightly and advances forward and back by one or two
rhythmic paces. The arms are held out and moved rhythmically with the
hips. The head is kept in line with the upper torso but may bob slightly
to accentuate the arm movements.