Stumbling is a 1922 fox trot novelty song composed by Zez Confrey. It was published in New York by Leo Feist, Inc. and is described as A Fox Trot Oddity with an Original Rhythm. The lyrics tell a humorous dance story set at an Armory dance where the singer cannot dance, keeps stumbling, and ends up stepping on toes and bumping noses, to the amusement of the crowd. The tune is a voice and piano piece in G major and captures the playful energy of early 20th century dance music. Numerous 78 rpm recordings followed in the 1920s by artists such as Bennie Krueger’s Orchestra, Billy Murray, Bonnie Campbell, and Paul Whiteman helped popularize it, and several recordings are archived online. The sheet music and recordings appear in historic collections such as the Conn College Historic Sheet Music Collection.
