Diga Diga Doo
Artie Shaw Lyrics


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Zulu man is feelin' blue
Gear his heart beat a little tattoo
Diga diga doo diga doo doo
Diga diga doo diga doo

You love me and I love you
And when you love it is natural to
Diga diga doo diga doo doo
Diga diga doo diga doo

I'm so very diga diga doo by nature
If you don't say diga diga to your mate
You're gonna lose a papa.

So let those funny people smile
How can there be a Virgin isle
With diga diga doo diga doo doo
Diga diga doo diga doo

No one heeds the marriage laws
Yours is mine and mine is yours




With diga diga doo diga doo doo
Diga diga doo diga doo

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Artie Shaw and His Orchestra's song Diga Diga Doo are an example of the popular music of the 1930s. While the lyrics may seem nonsense, on closer inspection, they speak of love and connection, while also making a tongue-in-cheek reference to cultural differences. The song starts by talking about a "Zulu man" feeling blue and hearing his heart beat "a little tattoo". This is followed by the refrain of "diga diga doo", which is repeated throughout the song. The lyrics then move on to the concept of love, with the lines "You love me and I love you / And when you love it is natural to diga diga doo".


The song also references cultural differences, with the line "I'm so very diga diga doo by nature / If you don't say diga diga to your mate / You're gonna lose a papa". The phrase "diga diga" is taken from the Zulu language, which was not well-known in America at the time, and was meant to be funny and exotic. The lyrics also contain a reference to the Virgin Islands, saying "How can there be a Virgin isle / With diga diga doo diga doo doo".


Overall, the lyrics to Diga Diga Doo speak to the themes of love, connection, and cultural difference that were common in popular music of the 1930s.


Line by Line Meaning

Zulu man is feelin' blue
The Zulu man is feeling sad


Gear his heart beat a little tattoo
His heart is beating heavily


Diga diga doo diga doo doo
Using 'diga diga doo' to express emotions


Diga diga doo diga doo
Expressing love through 'diga diga doo'


You love me and I love you
Mutual love between two people


And when you love it is natural to
It is natural to express love


I'm so very diga diga doo by nature
Naturally expressive with 'diga diga doo'


If you don't say diga diga to your mate
If you don't express your love


You're gonna lose a papa.
You might lose your partner


So let those funny people smile
Don't let others' judgment stop you from expressing yourself


How can there be a Virgin isle
A rhetorical question to challenge societal norms


With diga diga doo diga doo doo
Expressing contempt towards societal norms through 'diga diga doo'


No one heeds the marriage laws
People don't follow the societal norms of marriage


Yours is mine and mine is yours
Sharing everything in a relationship


With diga diga doo diga doo doo
Reinforcing the message of sharing in a relationship through 'diga diga doo'




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DOROTHY FIELDS, JIMMY MC HUGH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Ray Szymarek

The great Artie Shaw Big Band. Sensational with all great musicians. then you have the Thunder God of Drumming none better Buddy Rich. Buddy Rich was the main force behind making Shaw Swing like Crazy. I love Artie Shaw but without Buddy Rich behind a set of drums there is no drive or power. Give me Buddy Rich any time. thank you for posting this gem.

TC Pratt

Buddy Rich isn't the sole reason the Artie Shaw Orchestra could have drive or power - for proof, listen to Shaw's arrangement of "Diga Diga Do" played by his "Frenesi" band (no Buddy Rich) of 1940-41 - drums were present, but they cooperated with the bass and the piano to set the rhythm (significantly faster than the 1938-39 version) very well.

In fact, in the 1940-41 version, piano and bass were very noticeable in a bit over one minute sequence that covered Shaw's clarinet solo, then the piano / bass front and center in a duet, then a saxophone solo - the drums were there, but quite subtle.

It's interesting to compare the 1938-39 Shaw recording of "Begin the Beguine" with his 1940-41 recording as well. From my observations, I'd say that 80% of Shaw fans much prefer the 1938-39 versions of both over the 1940-41 versions. For me, I have a very personal reason for much preferring the 1940-41 versions - the Artie Shaw "Frenesi" orchestra was the house band for the George Burns & Gracie Allen radio program, and listening to them introduced me to Artie Shaw. (Shaw's use of strings in his "Frenesi" band was very well done imo - his "Begin the Beguine" especially so.)

Mario Caffari

Very bad audio quality

Jorge Alberto Rodríguez

The audio quality doesn't matter. If i'm not wrong, this is one of the last recordings of the great 1938/39 Shaw band, a historic document by itself. BTW, Georgie Auld plays the tenor sax solo.

Mario Caffari

@Heinz Becker You can find them on YOUTUBE Greetings from Switzerland

Heinz Becker

If you have a better, please send it to mee

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