And He'd Say, "Oo-La-La! Wee-Wee!"
| "And He'd Say, 'Oo-La-La! Wee-Wee!'" | |
|---|---|
 1st edition by Albert Wilfred Barbelle  Found at Pritzker Military Museum & Library "And He'd Say, 'Oo-La-La! Wee-Wee!'" cover | |
| Song | |
| Released | 1919 |
| Recorded | August 12, 1919 |
| Genre | Jazz |
| Length | 02:52 |
| Form | Shellac, 10", 78 RPM [1] |
| Label | Waterson, Berlin & Snyder, Co.; Victor Records |
| Composer | George Jessel and Harry Ruby |
| Lyricist | George Jessel and Harry Ruby |
| Language | English |
| Recorded by | Billy Murray, Rosario Bourdon |
"And He'd Say, 'Oo-La-La! Wee-Wee!'" is a World War I era song released in 1919. Lyrics and music were written by George Jessel and Harry Ruby.[2] William Baker arranged the song.[3] It was published by Waterson, Berlin & Snyder, Inc. of New York, New York.[4] The song was written for voice and piano.[5][6]
There are two versions of the sheet music cover. The first was designed by Albert Wilfred Barbelle. It features a soldier speaking to a woman with a parasol. The later edition was designed by Weatherly. This version shows a man and woman speaking under an arched doorway.[4]
On August 12, 1919, Billy Murray recorded the song with conductor Rosario Bourdon. It was released under the Victor record label.[3][7]
The sheet music can be found at Pritzker Military Museum & Library.[8]
Analysis
The song is about Willie Earl who falls in love with a French girl. The humor of the song lies in the fact that Willie only knows two words in French, "oo-la-la" and "wee-wee," which he repeats throughout the song. Despite the fact that Willie cannot speak French, the girl continues to try to communicate with him. The two choruses are as follows:[9]
Chorus 1:
- She'd say, "Compronay voo, papa?"
- And he'd say, "Oo-la-la! wee-wee";
- She'd smile and whisper, "Mercy bacoo,"
- He'd answer, "I don't mind if I do."
- She'd say, "If you be my papa,
- Then I will be your ma cherie."
- She'd pinch his cheek and say, "You keska say,"
- He'd say, "Not now, dear, but later I may."
- Then she'd say, Compronay voo, papa,"
- And he'd say, "Oo-la-la! wee-wee."
Chorus 2:
- She'd say, "Compronay voo, papa?"
- And he'd say, "Oo-la-la! wee-wee."
- She'd say, "Come see" and then roll her eyes,
- He'd answer, "Baby, you'd be surprised."
- Each evening they would promenade
- Upon ze boulevard, you see.
- One day at lunch, she said, "Café voo la,"
- He'd say, "My dear, don't forget where you are."
- Then she'd say, "Compronay voo, papa?"
- And he'd say, "Oo-la-la! wee-wee."
References
- ↑ "Billy Murray / American Quartet – And He'd Say Oo-La-La! Wee Wee / Dixie Is Dixie Once More". Discogs. Discogs. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ↑ Vogel (1995) p. 154 World War I Songs: A History and Dictionary of Popular American Patriotic Tunes, with Over 300 Complete Lyrics (McFarland & Company, Inc.)
- 1 2 "Victor matrix B-23068. And he'd say oo-la-la! Wee-wee / Billy Murray". Discography of American Historical Recordings. Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- 1 2 Parker, Bernard S. (2007). World War I Sheet Music 1. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 37. ISBN 978-0-7864-2798-7.
- ↑ "And He'd Say "Oo-La-La-Wee-Wee."". JScholarship. JScholarship. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ↑ "And he'd say oo la la! Wee wee". Gonzaga University Digital Collections. Gonzaga University. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ↑ "And he'd say oo-la-la! Wee-wee". Library of Congress National Jukebox. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ↑ "And he'd say Oo-la-la! Wee-wee". OCLC WorldCat. OCLC WorldCat. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ↑ Vogel p. 109, 291-292 World War I Songs: A History and Dictionary of Popular American Patriotic Tunes, with Over 300 Complete Lyrics (McFarland & Company, Inc.)
Bibliography
- Vogel, Frederick G. World War I Songs: A History and Dictionary of Popular American Patriotic Tunes, with Over 300 Complete Lyrics. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc., 1995. ISBN 0-89950-952-5
External links
Listen to the MP3 and see the sheet music