[Dixielandjazz] Yama Yama Man mystery revealed

[Paul Reid]

Mike Durham wrote;
<<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.>>

Well Mike, 
The more I researched, the more that was revealed. Don't know where to
start. OK, I'll just start. 
              The song was published by M.
Witmark & Sons in 1908. So it sez on the sheet music. The Lyrics that
you know were written by Colin Davis, with Music by Karll Hoschna. Davis
is credited right under the title in the middle of the page. But above
the title (YYM) in big bold letters is the name of the production;
"Three Twins". And under that it says Chas. Dickson's Musical adaptation
of Mrs. R Pacheco's comedy "Incog". The word doesn't make sense to me.
The last letter looks like a G, Whoops!! It makes sense, now. It's short
for incognito. It all ties together. All this print is in a middle panel
box. On the left side of the box there is a female dressed up in a clown
outfit, complete with the pointed clown cap and fluffy white ball at the
top. And three big round fluffy balls going down the front of the
outfit. (Get it? a clown disgise.) She is facing right, (towards the
panel on the right side of the middle) containing a dapper gentleman
holding and looking at a picture of himself. 
                Now the plot thickens.
Down at the very bottom of the cover in even bigger lettering, Hoschena
is credited with the music, BUT Lyrics are credited to O. (Otto) A.
Harbach. I suspect that it is he who wrote the two extra verses below.
They are on the Ada Jones / Victor Light Opera Company recording, Victor
16326-B. But he is not credited on the label. But Davis and Hoschna are.
Also the 2nd verse which you know as;  
"Great big Starry eyes you see, so you cover up your head.....", is not
included on the record. It is verse one, only;
"Ev-ry - little tot at night........"

Folowed by these next two verses. Of course with chorus's in between.

Verse two;
The Johnny's - they - go to see the play
but they don't care for the plot

They - want - to see if all the girls
are wearing much or not

(Pretty risque for 1908)

Verse 3;
A man - sold - some powder goods for bugs
But the man he must have lied

It - wasn't - good for bugs at all
The poor little bugs all died

       So, it seems more and more that this song was focused more
towards a con man type with ulterier motives, and performed with an
innocent or naive delivery. I'd assume that the song was sung by the
character in the clown outfit. who in the drawing on the cover is
wearing something like cotton gloves, but without the extended long
fingers, as in later copies of the sheet music. Or as in the version
that Ginger Rogers did in "The Story Of Vernon and Irene Castle. Maybe,
as a whole number, she (The character in the 1908 show) was imitating
the gestures of an innocent little girl. Partially like Ginger did it in
the "Castle" flick.It actually is starting to sound like a pretty 'hip'
plot. Boy meets girl, girl finds out what boy is all about, girl nails
boy, and he "honey do's" her for the rest of his life. Or straigtens up
his act. Does sound a little like a Fred and Ginger scenario, but it was
before their time.

     I'd love to find that book "Incog"

       Regarding the New Orleans lullabye part. Now, doesnt it seem more
believable that the song was adapted into that N.O. mode concearning a
dude with a tan face considered to be a spooky character. Truly, the
song definately did not originate in New Orleans.
       Moral; Mike!! Don't believe everything you read in liner notes on
albums. Their was a lot of false P.R. (not yours truly) dreamed up by
Columbia Records people to promote the original release of the BG 38
Carnegie Hall concert. If you want to know more about all that, pick up
the digitally remastered COMPLETE concert with tunes that were deleted
from all other releases. The liner notes are extensive and reveal a lot.

>From behind the descant, back to you in your comfortable big chair.

Paul (Is Yama Yama like 'blah blah blah", or 'yahdda yahdda yahdda'?)
Reid
Uh-ohhhh. sounds like the start of another rumor.