Alma Cogan was Britain's most successful female recording artist of the 195… Read Full Bio ↴Alma Cogan was Britain's most successful female recording artist of the 1950's. Born in London in 1932, her early recordings were mainly ballads, in the style of Anne Shelton. But by 1954, this was to all change. Her first major hit was "Bell Bottom Blues", and she scored her only number one in Britain with "Dreamboat" in 1956. Novelty songs were extremely popular at the time, and Alma recorded a number of these, including "I Can't Tell A Waltz From A Tango", "Twenty Tiny Fingers" and "Never Do A Tango With An Eskimo". She was known for the giggle in her voice when she sang and was affectinaltely known as The Girl With A Laugh In Her Voice. Her extravagant dresses were also a trademark. Her final UK hit was "Cowboy Jimmy Joe" in 1961, but was fast becoming an International Artist, with hits in Sweden, Germany, Israel and Japan - she had a number one hit in Japan with "Just Couldn't Resist Her With Her Pocket Transistor" which was at the top spot for over six months. As the novelty numbers were fast becoming old-fashioned by the start of the 1960s, she recorded a number of jazz standards and pop records, including five songs written by the Beatles - these recordings can be found on a number of CDs. Famed for her showbiz parties, with guests like Cary Grant, Noel Coward and the Beatles, she was never out of the public eye until ovarian cancer tragically cut her career short. She died on the 26th October 1966, aged just 34.

Never Do a Tango With an Eskimo
Alma Cogan Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You must never do a tango with an Eskimo
No, no, no, oh dear no
When a lady from Nebraska's at a party in Alaska
She must never do a tango with an Eskimo

You can do it with a Latin, from Manilla to Manhattan
You can do it with a gaucho in Brazil
But if once those Eskimoses start to wiggle with their toeses

You can bet your life you're gonna get a chill

Brr, youu can never do a tango with an Eskimo
No, no, no, oh dear no
If you do, you'll get the breeze up
And you'll end up with a freeze up
You must never do a tango with an Eskimo
No, no, no, no, no, no, no

You must never do a tango with an Eskimo
No, no, no, oh dear no
When a lady from Nebraska's at a party in Alaska
She must never do a tango with an Eskimo

You can do it with a sailor from Peru to Venezuela
You can do it with a Apaches in Paree
But if once an Eskimosee starts to cuddle up so cozy
You'll find your passion cooling, yes sirree

Brr, you can never do a tango with an Eskimo
No, no, no, oh dear no
If you do, you'll get the breeze up
And you'll end up with a freeze up
You must never do a tango with an Eskimo
No, no, no, oh no, no, no, no

Never do a tango with an Eskimo
No, no, no!

Overall Meaning

The song “Never Do a Tango with an Eskimo” by Alma Cogan is a lighthearted warning against dancing the tango with Eskimos. The lyrics advise against attempting a dance with an Eskimo because the resulting chill would be too much to handle. The song is primarily meant to be humorous, but it also includes a commentary on cultural differences and the importance of knowing one’s limits.

The song begins by saying, “You must never do a tango with an Eskimo / No, no, no, oh dear no”. The singer then goes on to explain that while one can dance the tango with people from other cultures, the Eskimos are an exception. The lyrics state, “When a lady from Nebraska's at a party in Alaska / She must never do a tango with an Eskimo”. This sets the scene for the rest of the song.

The second verse provides examples of cultures with whom one can tango. The singer notes that one can dance with people from places like Manila, Manhattan, and Brazil, but warns against Eskimos. The lyrics state, “But if once those Eskimoses start to wiggle with their toeses / You can bet your life you're gonna get a chill”. The song ends on a final warning against dancing with Eskimos, stating, “You must never do a tango with an Eskimo / No, no, no, no, no, no, no.”

Overall, the song “Never Do a Tango with an Eskimo” by Alma Cogan is a playful warning against trying to dance the tango with people from all cultures. It includes a commentary on cultural differences, as well as a reminder to know one’s limits and avoid situations that could result in uncomfortable or unpleasant experiences.

Line by Line Meaning

You must never do a tango with an Eskimo
It is advised not to dance a tango with an Eskimo

No, no, no, oh dear no
Absolutely not, not at all, never

When a lady from Nebraska's at a party in Alaska
If a woman from Nebraska attends a party in Alaska

She must never do a tango with an Eskimo
She should avoid dancing a tango with an Eskimo

You can do it with a Latin, from Manilla to Manhattan
It is acceptable to dance a tango with a Latin person, from Manilla to Manhattan

You can do it with a gaucho in Brazil
It is fine to dance a tango with a gaucho in Brazil

But if once those Eskimoses start to wiggle with their toeses
However, if the Eskimos start to dance the tango, moving their toes

You can bet your life you're gonna get a chill
Then, you will certainly get a cold/chill

Brr, you can never do a tango with an Eskimo
It is really not a good idea to dance the tango with an Eskimo

If you do, you'll get the breeze up
If you still decide to dance the tango with an Eskimo

And you'll end up with a freeze up
Then, you will end up feeling really cold

You must never do a tango with an Eskimo
The warning is repeated

No, no, no, no, no, no, no
Yet again, repeating that it should not be done

You must never do a tango with an Eskimo
One more time, just in case it was not clear

When a lady from Nebraska's at a party in Alaska
Repeating the scenario

You can do it with a sailor from Peru to Venezuela
You can dance a tango with a sailor from Peru to Venezuela

You can do it with a Apaches in Paree
You can also dance a tango with an Apache in Paris

But if once an Eskimosee starts to cuddle up so cozy
However, if an Eskimo starts to snuggle so sweetly

You'll find your passion cooling, yes sirree
Your feelings of passion will cool down, that's for sure

Brr, you can never do a tango with an Eskimo
The warning is repeated with emphasis on the 'brr' to signify the cold

No, no, no, oh dear no
And wholeheartedly agreeing with the original statement

If you do, you'll get the breeze up
If someone makes the mistake of dancing a tango with an Eskimo

And you'll end up with a freeze up
They will be left feeling incredibly cold

You must never do a tango with an Eskimo
The warning is repeated one last time

No, no, no!
The song ends with this emphatic statement

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Tommie Connor

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

@xemiskater

3y↑11

What's not to like about this? it's a masterpiece!😋😋

@david210560

6y↑16

She is singing in English but in the film footage Alma is actually singing in German. If you look for the video on YouTube. You will see her singing the German version of “Never Do A Tango With An Eskimo” so in actual fact she is not lip synching.