Goodman was regarded by some as a demanding taskmaster, by others an arrogant and eccentric martinet. Many musicians spoke of The Ray, Goodman's trademark glare that he bestowed on a musician who failed to perform to his demanding standards. Anita O'Day and Helen Forrest spoke bitterly of their experiences singing with Goodman. "The twenty or so months I spent with Benny felt like twenty years," said Forrest. "When I look back, they seem like a life sentence." He could also be incredibly self-absorbed; it is reported that when eating an egg onto which a ketchup bottle cap had fallen, Goodman simply ate around it. At the same time, there are reports that he privately funded several college educations and was sometimes very generous, though always secretly. When a friend asked him why one time, he reportedly said, "Well, if they knew about it, everyone would come to me with their hand out."
Some suggest that Elvis Presley had the same success with rock and roll that Goodman achieved with jazz and swing. Without Goodman there would not have been a swing era. It is true that many of Goodman's arrangements had been played for years before by Fletcher Henderson's orchestra. While Goodman publicly acknowledged his debt to Henderson, many young white swing fans had never heard Henderson's band. While most consider Goodman a jazz innovator, others maintain his main strength was his perfectionism and drive. Goodman was a non - pariel virtuoso clarinetist and -along with only Artie Shaw, amongst the most technically proficient jazz clarinetists of all time.
Goodman is also responsible for a significant step in racial integration in America. In the early 1930s, black and white jazz musicians could not play together in most clubs or concerts. In the Southern states, racial segregation was enforced by the Jim Crow laws. Benny Goodman broke with tradition by hiring Teddy Wilson to play with him ] in the Autumn of 1936. He then added Lionel Hampton on vibes in December, 1936, and in the early Summer of 1939 he augmented the famous "quartette" with pioneering jazz guitarist Charlie Christian to his band and small ensembles, who played with him until his untimely death from tuberculosis less than three years later. To give an understanding of American history at this time, Goodman's integration of popular music happened ten years before Jackie Robinson entered Major League Baseball. "[Goodman's] popularity was such that he could remain financially viable without touring the South, where he would have been subject to arrest for violating Jim Crow laws." By the mid- Summer of 1941, Benny had hired the incomparably rhythmic and show-man drummer, legendary "Big Sid" Catlett, the (later) famous John Simmons on bass, and still possessed the incomparable Charlie Christian on electric guitar -plus Cootie Williams was in the middle of his one-year contract... This amounted to virtually one-quarter of the orchestra of black heritage, but of course -following Jimmy Munday and Fletcher Henderson (who also joined the band as pianist for 6 months in July, 1939) it was really an orchestrated white extension of black big band jazz -only, curiously -better.
I'm A Ding Dong Daddy
Benny Goodman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I just got here today
My home is way down in a little town
It's not so far away
Everybody for miles around
Calls me by my name
Now that I am in your fair town
You must do the same
Ding dong daddy from Dumas
You ought to see me do my stuff
I'm a clean cut fellow from Horner's Corner
Your ought to see me strut
I'm a caper cuttin' cutie
Got a gal called Katie
She's a little heavy laden but I call her "Baby"
I'm a ding dong daddy from Dumas
You ought to see me do my stuff
I'm a ding dong daddy from Dumas
You ought to see me do my stuff
I'm a ping pong papa from Pitch Fork Prairie
You ought to see me strut
I'm a ding dong daddy
Got a whiz bang momma
She's a Bear Creek baby and a wampus kitty
I'm a ding dong daddy from Dumas
You ought to see me do my stuff
I'm a ding dong daddy from Dumas
You ought to see me do my stuff
I'm a popcorn popper and a big apple knocker
You ought to see me strut
I'm a mamma makin' man
And I just made Mary
She's a big blonde baby from Peanut Prairie
I'm a ding dong daddy from Dumas
You ought to see me do my stuff
I'm a Ding Dong Daddy from Dumas
You ought to see me do my stuff
I'm a peach-pie papa from Jackson's Hollow
You ought to see me strut
I'm a honey dippin' daddy
Got a hard hearted baby
She's a sheik shakin' Sheba but she can't shake me
'Cause I'm a ding dong daddy from Dumas
You ought to see me do my stuff
I'm a ding dong daddy from Dumas
You ought to see me do my stuff
I'm a jug jugglin' Jasper
From Flat Fork Flats, and
You ought to see me strut
I'm a corn-huskin' huskie
Got a gal called Cleta
She's a flip flop flapper
But her brains are in her fee
Oh, I'm a ding dong daddy from Dumas
You ought to see me do my stuff
I'm a ding dong daddy from Dumas
You ought to see me do my stuff
I'm a cider sipper
From Corn Cob Center
You ought to see me strut
I'm a high powered papa
Got a gal called Susie
She's a fast movin' mamma
But she can't love me, 'cause
I'm a ding dong daddy from Dumas
You ought to see me do my stuff
"I'm A Ding Dong Daddy" is a song that was popularly performed by Benny Goodman and his Orchestra in the 1930s. The song is a celebratory tune where the singer introduces himself as a Ding Dong Daddy from Dumas, a small town that he hails from. He describes himself in a boastful manner, listing various labels people use to identify him, like "popcorn popper," "ping pong papa," "caper-cutting cutie," and so on. He also talks about his love interest, Katie, whom he calls "baby," and mentions other women he has been with or wooed, like Mary, Susie, Cleta, and Sheba.
The song's repetitive structure, carefree lyrics, and scatting vocals evoke a sense of joy and lightness that was prevalent in jazz music of the era. The use of exaggerated labels and nicknames to describe the singer and his acquaintances is reminiscent of the African-American oral tradition of using vernacular language, exaggeration, and humor to assert one's identity and contest oppressive social norms.
The song can also be seen as a commentary on the migration of African Americans from small towns and rural areas to urban centers in search of better economic opportunities and cultural experiences. By introducing himself as a Ding Dong Daddy from Dumas, the singer asserts his identity as a small-town person who has come to the big city to make a name for himself. Nevertheless, he is proud of his roots and the people who know him back home, and he invites the city folks to join in and recognize him for who he is.
Line by Line Meaning
I reckon you all don't know me at all
I think none of you know me yet
I just got here today
I arrived here only today
My home is way down in a little town
My hometown is a small place far from here
It's not so far away
It's not very close, but not very far either
Everybody for miles around
All the people who live miles away from my town
Calls me by my name
They all know me well enough to call me by my name
Now that I am in your fair town
Now that I'm here in your beautiful city
You must do the same
You should do the same and call me by my name
For I'm a Ding dong daddy from Dumas
Because I'm a confident man from Dumas
You ought to see me do my stuff
You should see me perform my talents
I'm a clean cut fellow from Horner's Corner
I'm a well-behaved man from Horner's Corner
Your ought to see me strut
You should see me confidently walk
I'm a caper cuttin' cutie
I'm an attractive man who knows how to have fun
Got a gal called Katie
I have a girlfriend named Katie
She's a little heavy laden but I call her 'Baby'
She's a bit overweight, but I still call her affectionately
I'm a ping pong papa from Pitch Fork Prairie
I'm an enthusiastic ping pong player from Pitch Fork Prairie
I'm a ding dong daddy
I'm a confident man
Got a whiz bang momma
I have an attractive girlfriend
She's a Bear Creek baby and a wampus kitty
She's beautiful and feisty
I'm a popcorn popper and a big apple knocker
I'm a skilled popcorn maker and a strong man
I'm a mamma makin' man
I'm a man who can attract women
I just made Mary
I just started dating Mary
She's a big blonde baby from Peanut Prairie
She's a tall, blonde woman from Peanut Prairie
I'm a peach-pie papa from Jackson's Hollow
I'm a skilled peach pie maker from Jackson's Hollow
I'm a honey dippin' daddy
I'm a man who can attract women with ease
Got a hard hearted baby
I have a girlfriend who is cold and unfeeling
She's a sheik shakin' Sheba but she can't shake me
She's a beautiful and confident woman, but I'm not intimidated by her
I'm a jug jugglin' Jasper
I'm skilled at juggling jugs
From Flat Fork Flats
I'm from a place called Flat Fork Flats
I'm a corn-huskin' huskie
I'm a strong man who can husk corn
Got a gal called Cleta
I have a girlfriend named Cleta
She's a flip flop flapper
She's a woman who wears flip flops and flaps them when she walks
But her brains are in her fee
She's not very intelligent
I'm a cider sipper
I enjoy drinking cider
From Corn Cob Center
I'm from a place called Corn Cob Center
I'm a high powered papa
I'm a man with a lot of energy
Got a gal called Susie
I have a girlfriend named Susie
She's a fast movin' mamma
She moves quickly and is energetic
But she can't love me, 'cause
But she can't love me because,
I'm a ding dong daddy from Dumas
I'm a confident man from Dumas
You ought to see me do my stuff
You should see me perform my talents
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PHIL BAXTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind