Jump in the Line (Shake, Senora)
"Jump in the Line " is a calypso song composed by Lord Kitchener and best known from a version recorded by vocalist Harry Belafonte in 1961.
Other renditions
and his Third Herd recorded Kitchener's song in 1952 for Mars Records; Herman's band recorded it live that same year with the title "Jump in Line."Lord Invader released a cover of the song on the Folkways label in 1955, titled "Labor Day ". His rendition reached mento star Lord Flea, who in turn recorded a version based on Lord Invader's interpretation. It was released on August 1, 1958, by Capitol Records.
The song was recorded by Lord Fly and Joseph Spence in 1958. Fly's version inspired Harry Belafonte, who released his own take on November 17, 1961. It was included on the album Jump Up Calypso.
The song inspired the 1962 Gary U.S. Bonds hit single "Twist, Twist Senora".
Karl Zéro & The Wailers' cover was used in Diary of a Wimpy Kid: [Rodrick Rules (2011 film)|Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules]. Rock band Ash released a cover in April 2025.
Uses in other media
- Arguably, the song's most memorable appearance is during the end of the 1988 Tim Burton comedy horror film Beetlejuice. It also appeared as the finale in the 2019 Broadway musical stage adaptation.
- The song was used in the first episode of the Adult Swim conspiracy theory/dramedy series Common Side Effects.
- The 2010 dancing video game Just Dance 2 features Belafonte's version of the song.
- Belafonte's rendition went viral on video-sharing app TikTok in August 2019, without showing a significant increase in sales.
- The Belafonte version was featured in the 2023 film Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.