Oogie-Oogie Wa-Wa
Words by Grant Clarke and Edgar Leslie
Music by Archie Gottler
Performed by Elsie Clark
Recorded on March 21, 1922
Okeh 4597
Elsie Clark (1899-1966) was a vaudeville singer who was usually accompanied by pianist/husband Nelson Story. They initially performed as \"Story and Clark\", but as her popularity grew, it was changed to Elsie Clark and Company. She made several recordings for the Okeh and Edison record labels between 1921 and 1925. Early newspaper reviews indicate that she and her husband were originally from Australia. During her stage career she was billed as \"The Okeh Phonograph Girl\", \"singing commedienne\", \"popular phonograph star\" or \"chummy chatterbox of song.\" I could find very little biographical information on her beyond 1928. She is often credited for the first recording of \"Lovesick Blues\" on May 21, 1922. In the Library of Congress copyright catalog there is an entry for one song written by Clark and Story in 1942 with the title \"As Long as I Have You.\"
Oogie-Oogie Wa-Wa
(verse 1)
Where it's zero,
All the year-o
Lives an Eskimo
He looks funny
With his honey
Sittin' in the snow.
They're a happy couple,
All dressed up in furs
Warm as an oven
While they are lovin'
Here's what occurs.
(chorus)
He sighs and whispers \"Oogie oogie wa-wa! Oogie oogie wa-wa!\"
She sighs and answers \"Oogie oogie wa-wa!\" too.
Don't that sound absurd.
Just a crazy word,
It don't mean much to you I know,
But it means a awful lot to an Eskimo.
And Oh! Boy! They love that \"Ooogie oogie wa-wa! Oogie oogie wa-wa!\"
It makes a person curious to know.
But you'll get fooled, just the way I was,
'Cause the word don't mean what you think it does.
\"Oogie oogie wa-wa!\" means \"I wanna Ma-ma\" to an Eskimo.
(verse 2)
It's all snow there,
Still men go there,
Find the Pole and then,
For some reason,
Every season,
They go back again.
Yet these same explorers,
Often lose their way,
While they are tramping,
Maybe the vamping
Leads them astray.
(Chorus)
He sighs and whispers \"Oogie oogie wa-wa! Oogie oogie wa-wa!\"
She sighs and answers \"Oogie oogie wa-wa!\" too.
Girls like simple things,
Beads and ten cent rings,
They kiss you for a chocolate drop,
Imagine if a fellow had a candy shop.
And Oh! Boy! They'll holler \"Ooogie oogie wa-wa! Oogie oogie wa-wa\"
They live the life of Riley don't you know.
Imagine women, wine and song
On a night up there that is six months long.
\"Oogie oogie wa-wa!\" nice to be the Pa-Pa, to an Eskimo.
