A Kiddley Divey, Too
I saw this yesterday in the window of Incanto, an Italian restaurant on Church St. I walk by every day. My dad used to sing this song when I was a kid. I haven’t thought about it in years, but seeing the lyrics on display prompted me to look it up.
From the Wikipedia article:
“Mairzy Doats is a novelty song composed in 1943 by Milton Drake, Al Hoffman and Jerry Livingston… The song made the pop charts several times, with a version by the Merry Macs reaching No. 1 in March 1944. In addition to its success on the home front, it was also a hit with American servicemen overseas, who allegedly used its nonsensical lyrics as passwords.
“At first glance the song’s refrain, as written on the sheet music, seems to be meaningless… However, the lyrics of the bridge provide a clue:
- If the words sound queer and funny to your ear, a little bit jumbled and jivey,
- Sing “Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy.”
“With this aid, the refrain is quite easily comprehended, and the ear will detect the hidden message of the final line: ‘A kid’ll eat ivy too, wouldn’t you?’”
