[TESSIE, spoken]
Take it from me
To be a stripper all you need to have is no talent

[MAZEPPA, spoken]
You pardon me
But to have no talent is not enough
What you need to have is an idea that makes your strip special

[MAZEPPA]
You can pull all the stops out
Till they call the cops out
Grind your behind till you're banned
But you gotta get a gimmick
If you wanna get ahead

You can sacrifice your sacro
Workin' in the back row
Bump in a dump till you're dead
Kid, you've gotta get a gimmick
If you want to get ahead

You can uh, you can uh
You can uh, uh, uh
That's how burlesque was born
So I uh, and I uh
And I uh, uh, uh
But I do it with a horn
[Trumpet strip: MAZEPPA blows a bugle as she bumps and grinds]

Once I was a schlepper
Now I'm Miss Mazeppa
With my revolution in dance
You gotta have a gimmick
If you wanna have a chance

[ELECTRA]
Shе can uh, she can uh
She can uh, uh, uh
They'll nеver make her rich
Me, I uh, and I uh
And I uh, uh, uh
But I do it with a switch

[Bulb strip: ELECTRA has batteries on her costume which make strategic bulbs light up as she bumps and grinds]

I'm electrifying
And I'm not even trying
I never had to sweat to get paid
'Cause if you got a gimmick
Gypsy girl, you've got it made

[TESSIE]
All them uh and them uh
And them uh, uh, uh
Ain't gonna spell success
Me, I uh, and I uh
And I uh, uh, uh
But I do it with finesse
[Ballet strip: TESSIE does a pseudo-ballet, punctuating each classic step with a classic bump]

Dressy Tessie Tura
Is so much more demurer
Than all them other ladies because
You gotta get a gimmick
If you wanna get applause

[MAZEPPA, ELECTRA & TESSIE]
Do something special
Anything that’s fresh'll (Do something special)
Earn you a big fat cigar (Anything that's fresh'll) (Do something special)
Earn you a big fat cigar (Anything that's fresh'll)
Earn you a big fat cigar

[MAZEPPA, ELECTRA & TESSIE]
You're more than just a mimic
When you got a gimmick
Take a look how different we are

[ELECTRA]
If you wanna make it
Twinkle while you shake it

[TESSIE]
If you wanna grind it
Wait till you've refined it
[MAZEPPA]
If you wanna bump it
Bump it with a trumpet

[MAZEPPA, ELECTRA & TESSIE]
Get yourself a gimmick
And you, too
Can be a star!