From the musical revue “Call Me Mister”, 1946
words and music by Harold Rome
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
Up here in the land of the hot-dog stand
The atom bomb and the Good Humor Man
We think our South American neighbors are grand
We love them to beat the band
South America, babalou, babalou, ay yay, babalou
One favor you can do, ay yay, you can do
You beautiful lands below
Don’t know what you began
To put it plainly, I’m tired of shakin’
To that Pan American plan
Chorus
Take back your samba Ay! your rumba Ay!
Your conga Ay, yay, yay!
I can’t keep shaking Ay! my rumble Ay!
Any longer Ay, yay, yay!
Now maybe Latins Ay! in their middles Ay!
Are built stronger Ay, yay, yay!
But all this makin’ with the quakin’
And this shakin’ of the bacon
Leaves me achin’, Ho-lay!
First you shake it and you put it there
Then you shake it and you put it here
Then you shake it and you put it there
That’s enough, that’s enough, take it back
My spine’s out of whack
There’s a great big crack
In the back of my sacroiliac
Take back your conga Ay! your samba Ay!
Your rumba Ay, yay, yay!
Why can’t you send us Ay!
A less strenu- Ay! -ous number Ay, yay, yay!
It’s getting so now Ay!
That even Ay! in slumber Ay, yay, yay!
I hear the rocking of maracas
And the knocking of the knockers
In my carcass, Holay!
South America, take it away
Chorus
Take back your samba Ay! your rumba Ay!
Your conga Ay, yay, yay!
I can’t keep shaking Ay! my rumble Ay!
Any longer Ay, yay, yay!
Now maybe Latins Ay! in their middles Ay!
Are built stronger Ay, yay, yay!
But all this makin’ with the quakin’
And this shakin’ of the bacon
Leaves me achin’, Ho-lay!
First you shake it and you put it there
Then you shake it and you put it here
Then you shake it and you put it there
That’s enough, that’s enough, take it back
My spine’s out of whack
There’s a great big crack
In the back of my sacroiliac
Take back your conga Ay! your samba Ay!
Your rumba Ay, yay, yay!
Bring back the old days Ay!
Of dancing I re mamba Ay, yay, yay!
My hips are creaking Ay!
And shrieking Ay! caramba Ay, yay, yay!
I’ve got a wriggle and a diddle
And a jiggle like a fiddle in my middle, Ho-lay!
This fancy swishin’ in position
Wears out all of my transmission
Ammunition, Holay!
I know there’s danger really lurking
If my rear-end keeps on
Working at this jerking, Holay!
South America, take it away
Sung here by Samuel W. Barrett: