[Dixielandjazz] Yama Yama Man, / Steve Barbone / Don Ingle

[Mike Durham]

Yama Yama: Paul, where did you find the info about the lyric concerning 
'stage-door johnnies'? I'm now quite hooked on finding out all about this 
thing. I saw references (can't remember where, dammit!) to Halloween in 
regard to the song, which would fit the lyric as sung by Jimmy Stanislaus 
with Turk's band. The original sheet music, on file at the University of 
Indiana, has words like Jimmy's, and nothing to do with stage doors!

"Every little tot at night is afraid of the dark you know
Some big Yama Man he sees when up to bed he must go....etc, then the chorus:

Yama Yama, the Yama Man, terrible eyes and a face of tan
If you don't watch out he'll get you without a doubt
If he can"   etc, etc.

Did your lyrics maybe come from one of the two films that featured the song 
- it was in the 1939 RKO Rogers/Astaire "Vernon & Irene Castle Story" and 
again in Warner's "Look For The Silver Lining" in 1949.

Any help you can give much appreciated: and I too love Monk, I keep hearing 
echoes of Jelly Roll and the stride guys in his playing, also love his 
compositions....

Yours from behind the big chair,

Mike D.


>From: whadayesay at webtv.net (Paul Reid)
>To: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
>Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Yama Yama Man, / Steve Barbone / Don Ingle
>Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2004 12:09:41 -0800 (PST)
>
>Hi all. Briefly back on for about a week. VERY busy with homework etc.
>for Cornet Chop Suey. (The group, not the song.) Plus the holidays and
>physical stuff. Anyone ever dealt with Grovers Disease? Not life
>threatening, just an itchy skin problem I could do without.
>ANYWAY..............
>Yes, I go along with Yama Yama Man originating in 1908 in the show "The
>Three Twins". In the ORIGINAL lyrics. A Yama Yama Man was a stage door
>Johnny with certain questionable intentions towards the ladies of the
>chorus. A rather suggestive lyric.
>
>And Steve, I just want to say "Hi" I like your postings. Ever since you
>championed Monk and his work. I'll always feel a lot of his roots came
>from early jazz, and went into artistic extensions. He was like a
>modernistic painter who would create a puzzle that was up to the viewer
>(or listener) to un-ravel. All Monk's work, as are many modern /
>contempory (Poor choice of words.) jazz works, are still based on a
>foundational chord progression patterns. If a person can't hear, or
>understad the basics, (Pardon the following) they're not gping to hear
>anything. And that should be insight enough to re-study Monks' work.
>
>(Have fun with that, gang.)
>
>       Also to Don Ingle. Good CD's. I found them in the mail on
>returning from St. Louis.
>        Going back to St. Louis on the 15th for recording sessions with
>Cornet Chop Suey, and two Festivals, Decatur, Il. and Hannibal, Mo. Back
>on Feb 4. Meantime,
>I'll be lurking.
>
>Regards to you all,
>Paul
>
>
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