(Cuma-Ti-Yi-Yi-Ay)
A song from 1941.
Words and music by Don Raye, Gene De Paul, and Benny Carter.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
Out on the plains
Down near Santa Fe
I met a cowboy
Ridin’ the range one day
And as he jogged along
I heard him singing
A most peculiar cowboy song
It was a ditty
He learned in the city
“Cum-a-ti-yi-yi-ay
Cum-a-ti-yip-it-tl-e-yi-ay”
Git along
Git hip little dogies
Git along
Better be on your way
Git along
Git hip little dogies
And he trucked ’em on down the ol’ fairway
Singin’ his cow-cow boogie in the strangest way
“Cum-a-ti-yi-yi-ay
Cum-a-ti-yip-it-tl-e-yi-ay”
Singin’ his cowboy songs
He’s just too much
He’s got a knocked out western accent
With a Harlem touch
He was raised on “loco weed”
He’s what you call a “swing half-breed”
Singin’ his cow-cow boogie in the strangest way
“Cum-a-ti-yi-yi-ay
Cum-a-ti-yip-it-tl-e-yi-ay”
Tsk Tsk Tsk Tsk Yippee e e e e e