Papa's Got a Brand New Bag Lyrics

He's doing the jerk, he's doing the fly
[...]
He's doing the monkey, the mashed potatoes
Jump back jack, see you later alligator
[...]
You're doing the twist, just like this
He's doing the fly, every day and every night
The thing, like a boom-a-rang

These lyrics refer to several popular dance styles from the 1960s.

James Brown, known as "The Hardest Working Man in Show Business," put together elaborate revue-like live performances that were legendary for their sheer intensity. (He reportedly lost several pounds during each dance-heavy concert.) 

His fans were familiar with his signature moves—his high-speed shuffle, his jumps and splits, his one-footed flamingo slide step—and the night was not complete unless he performed his classic cape routine borrowed from big time wrestler Gorgeous George.

Brown also sprinkled several contemporary dance steps into his performances, and these are referenced in this song: the jerk, the fly, the monkey the mashed potato, the alligator, the twist, the boom-a-rang. Most of these were novelty dances tied to a particular performer or song. 

The jerk, for example, was inspired by the song of the same name by Don Julian. The twist was popularized by the 1960 Chubby Checker hit, although the dance had much older roots. Jelly Roll Morton referred to the "double twist" in his 1938 song "Winin' Boy Blues"—even further back, minstrel performers sang the "Grapevine Twist" before the Civil War. Some students of dance have even argued that the basic movements of the twist were brought to America from Africa during the 18th century.