His first musical success was Rosemary Clooney's "Come on-a My House", which he based the lyrics on dialogue from his famous cousin William Saroyan's novel The Human Comedy. He had a moderate hit in 1956 under the name Alfi & Harry with the novelty record "The Trouble With Harry." As David Seville, he had another #1 record in his song, "The Witch Doctor", which was also his first experiment with the technique of speeding up the playback of an audio track to get the "most-distinctive" higher pitched squeaky comical sound. This success led to his recording of "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" with The Chipmunks.
Bagdasarian also appeared in minor film roles, including Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window (1954), in which he plays an obsessed, piano-playing songwriter who composes, plays, and sings a song called "Lisa." Bagdasarian's dialogue is not clearly heard, and he appears only in long shots, but he is the only other person seen during Hitchcock's notorious cameo appearance. He also had bit parts in The Greatest Show on Earth (1952), Viva Zapata! (1952), Destination Gobi (1953), Stalag 17 (1953), Alaska Seas (1954), The Proud and Profane (1956), Three Violent People (1956), Hot Blood (1956), The Deep Six (1957), and The Devil's Hairpin (1957).
He also provided the voice for the David Seville character in the Chipmunks' 1961 animated television series The Alvin Show.
Bagdasarian died of a heart attack at the age of 52. He was subsequently cremated at the Chapel of the Pines Crematory in Los Angeles, California. His son, Ross Bagdasarian, Jr., continued to release Chipmunks recordings and took over as the voice for the Chipmunk characters in subsequent iterations of the cartoon.
Witch Doctor
David Seville Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I told the witch doctor I was in love with you
And then the witch doctor he told me what to do
He said that
Ooo eee ooo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang
Ooo eee ooo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang
Ooo eee ooo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang
I told the witch doctor you didn't love me true
I told the witch doctor you didn't love me nice
And then the witch doctor he game me this advice
He said that
Ooo eee ooo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang
Ooo eee ooo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang
Ooo eee ooo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang
Ooo eee ooo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang
You've been keeping love from me just like you were a miser
And I'll admit I wasn't very smart
So I went out and found myself a guy that's so much wiser
And he taught me the way to win your heart
My friend the witch doctor he taught me what to say
My friend the witch doctor he taught me what to do
I know that you'll be mine when I say this to you
Ooo eee ooo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang
Ooo eee ooo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang
Ooo eee ooo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang
Ooo eee ooo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang
You've been keeping love from me just like you were a miser
And I'll admit I wasn't very smart
So I went out and found myself a guy that's so much wiser
And he taught me the way to win your heart
My friend the witch doctor he taught me what to say
My friend the witch doctor he taught me what to do
I know that you'll be mine when I say this to you
Ooo eee ooo ah ah ting tang walla walla, bing bang
Ooo eee ooo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang.
Come on, oo eee ooo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang
Ooo eee ooo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang
Ooo eee ooo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang
Ooo eee ooo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang
Ooo eee ooo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang
Ooo eee ooo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang
The lyrics to David Seville's song Witch Doctor are straightforward and tell the story of someone seeking advice on how to win the heart of the person they love from a witch doctor. The singer first confesses to the witch doctor that they are in love with someone and asks for guidance. In response, the witch doctor sings a repetitive series of nonsensical words, "Ooo eee ooo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang," which the singer repeats.
The second stanza sees the singer admitting to the witch doctor that they believe their love interest does not reciprocate their feelings. The witch doctor's response is the same as before - he repeats his magical incantation. In the final stanza, the singer reveals that they have found someone else to help them win their love's heart – the witch doctor's teachings have worked. The chorus is repeated several more times, and the song ends with everyone joining the singer in singing, "Ooo eee ooo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang."
The song is infused with a lighthearted, catchy melody that enhances the whimsical theme of seeking unconventional help in love. The repetition of the nonsense words only adds to the fun of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
I told the witch doctor I was in love with you
I confessed to the witch doctor that I had fallen in love with you
And then the witch doctor he told me what to do
The witch doctor advised me on how to proceed with my feelings for you
Ooo eee ooo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang
Nonsensical words that represent the witch doctor's mysterious and magical power
I told the witch doctor you didn't love me true
I confided in the witch doctor that I felt you were not sincere in your love for me
I told the witch doctor you didn't love me nice
I expressed to the witch doctor that I didn't feel treated well in our relationship
You've been keeping love from me just like you were a miser
You have been withholding your love from me, like someone who hoards their money
And I'll admit I wasn't very smart
I acknowledge that I may have made some foolish decisions in regards to our relationship
So I went out and found myself a guy that's so much wiser
I sought the help of someone more knowledgeable and experienced than myself
And he taught me the way to win your heart
With this person's guidance, I learned how to make you fall in love with me
My friend the witch doctor he taught me what to say
The witch doctor, who is my friend, taught me the words to use to make you fall in love with me
My friend the witch doctor he taught me what to do
The witch doctor, my friend, gave me directions on how to behave in order to win your affection
I know that you'll be mine when I say this to you
I am confident that if I use the words and actions that the witch doctor taught me, you will fall in love with me
Come on, oo eee ooo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang
An encouraging phrase to keep using the nonsensical words and magic formula to win your heart
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ROSS BAGDASARIAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
木倉谷哲也
Lyrics:
I told the witch doctor for I was in love with you
I told the witch doctor for I was in love with you
And then the witch doctor, he told me what to do
He said that
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah, ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah, ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah, ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah, ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
I told the witch doctor you didn’t love me true
I told the witch doctor you didn’t love me nice
And then the witch doctor, he gave me this advice
He said that
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah, ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah, ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah, ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah, ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
You’ve been keeping love from me just like you were a miser
And I’ll admit I wasn’t very smart
So I went out and found myself a guy that’s so much wiser
And he taught me the way to win your heart
My friend the witch doctor, he taught me what to say
My friend the witch doctor, he taught me what to do
I know that you’ll be mine when I say this to you
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah, ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah, ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah, ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah, ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
You’ve been keeping love from me just like you were a miser
And I’ll admit I wasn’t very smart
So I went out and found myself a guy that’s so much wiser
And he taught me the way to win your heart
My friend the witch doctor, he taught me what to say
My friend the witch doctor, he taught me what to do
I know that you’ll be mine when I say this to you
Oh, baby
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah, ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah, ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Come on and ooo eee, ooo ah ah, ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah, ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah, ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah, ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah, ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah, ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Alan Smithee
The record that rescued Liberty Records from oblivion. Bagdasarian managed to convince the failing company's executives to press his song on their remaining inventory. It paid off!
anonymousrapper
You get that the incantation made this happen right? Ooh EE...
Dejael Long
Martin Denny was also a chart topper then with his Exotica music on Liberty Records. His version of Les Baxter's "Quiet Village" was a million seller 45-rpm single in the summer of 1958.
David R
ALVINNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!
t40onbass
@Dejael LongThat's from 1959. By then The Chipmunks records were out a
Dejael Long
@t40onbass Really? I remember hearing it on KFWB in October 1958.
MrJamieMurph4141969
Such a great hit every year, this time of year as Halloween 🎃 is on the way!!!
Robert Telarket
First heard this on the radio in 1958 when it first came out when I was under 10 years!
kiddo509
that's insane. how does it feel hearing this on internet and seeing the outcome of this one song saving an entire label company?
Robert Telarket
@kiddo509: I knew 10 years later in 1968 that all these futuristic things would come about, not the specifics. You see first in 1967 my last semester in high school I had a course in computers. It was a "table" model with no screen, none had them yet until the early 1980's. The two languages we used were FORTRAN and COBOL. One of the only ones in the city and U.S. The following year I began my undergraduate courses at a university where I had plenty of science courses and somewhat used computers. So unlike billions yes billions of others on earth I knew what was coming! It was just a question if I would live that long and I have!
My friend the computer it told me what do, my the computer told me how to think. . . . oo ee oo ah ah ting tang wahlah wahlah bing bang. . .