ln Waterford, O'Sullivan's father worked in a meat factory while his mother ran a sweet shop. In 1958, at the age of 11, he moved with his family to Swindon in England in search of a better life. He attended St. Joseph's Comprehensive school in Swindon. While there he developed an interest in both music and amateur boxing. Musically he began with the guitar and progressed to the piano. In the boxing ring he had nearly 50 bouts. Meanwhile his painting and drawing had won him a place at Swindon Art College. He started there in September 1963. His aim was to be a graphic designer. He played drums in his first group The Doodles and left them to join The Prefects while attending Swindon Art College. It was while at college that he met Rick Davies, who was later a member of Supertramp. While at college he began writing songs and sending out demo tapes, alas they were always returned unopened. The first song he remembers writing was Ready Miss Steady.
After finishing college, O'Sullivan moved to London in 1967 to try and further his musical career. He took a part-time job as a salesman at the C & A department store in Oxford Street. Mike Ward who also worked at C & A, had a contract with CBS and Gilbert went with him one day and played his tapes for some of the CBS executives. Gilbert signed a five year publishing contract with CBS which called for one single a year, and released two singles Disappear/You in 1967 and What Can I Do/You in 1968. Gilbert was disappointed that he was not allowed any input into the arranging or production of the singles. Neither single did well. Disillusioned with CBS, O'Sullivan signed with the Major Minor label and released I Wish I Could Cry/Mr. Moody's Garden in 1969.
O'Sullivan came to the attention of BBC Radio 1 disc jockey, John Peel, who gave him a slot on his radio show Top Gear, little of note resulted, and O'Sullivan spent part of 1969 applying to other record labels and management companies. It was at this time that O'Sullivan formulated his 'Bisto Kid' image; grey flannel suit, flat cap, school boy tie, football socks and hobnail boots. In search of a manager he sent some demo tapes to Gordon Mills, an ex-pop singer and himself a songwriter of repute, who had successfully guided the careers of Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck. Gordon Mills recognised something unique in the young Irishman and signed him for management as well as to a songwriting contract.
O'Sullivan made an irresistible impression with Nothing Rhymed, his first Top 10 hit and an introduction to his witty lyrics and original approach as a singer/songwriter. Signed to MAM Records, the label launched by Gordon Mills, who was also his record producer, great friend and surrogate older brother, O'Sullivan enjoyed four years of major success, incorporating a dozen more hit singles, ten of which reached the UK Top 10, and four Top 5 albums: Himself (1971), Back To Front (1972), I'm A Writer Not A Fighter (1973) and A Stranger In My Own Back Yard (1974).
Both Clair (written about Mills's infant daughter for whom Gilbert occasionally babysat) and Get Down were number one hit singles in Britain, and additionally, Back To Front topped the UK LP chart in 1972, emulating the success of the two million seller Alone Again (Naturally), a six week US chart-topper in 1972. O'Sullivan made his live debut in The National Stadium in Dublin in October of '72. Around this time, the singer jettisoned his so-called "Bisto Kid" image in favour of an endless series of collegiate-styled sweaters embossed with the letter "G". As quickly as O'Sullivan ascended to fame, however, his star began to fall , although singles like Ooh Baby and Happiness Is Me and You continued to chart, they sold increasingly fewer copies, and after 1973 his overseas popularity essentially ceased altogether. At home, he notched his final Top 20 hit with 1975's I Don't Love You But I Think I Like You. After a Greatest Hits album in 1976, and Southpaw in 1977, by which time the hit singles had dried up, disagreements over future direction led to a bitter split between O'Sullivan and Mills, which effectively sidelined the former as a recording artist for five years. The gruelling court case between O'Sullivan and his erstwhile manager, producer, music publisher and record company boss finally gave him control of his own recordings and the copyright in his songs, although it exacted an inevitable toll on his energy and his creativity during it's precedent-setting course.
Gilbert returned to CBS in 1980 and released Off Centre (1980) and Life & Rhymes (1982) but maintained a low profile during much of the 1980s, recharging his batteries and moving to Jersey, where he still lives with his wife and two children. Off Centre provided his 13th UK Top 20 single, What's In A Kiss?, after which legal proceedings monopolised his time. However, he continued writing songs, performing what he called "concepts within four walls" rather than starting back on the road before it was appropriate. He later recalled that the lyrics he wrote during that period were too heavily influenced by his personal emotions - having been extremely close to Mills before their disagreement, he was highly distressed to discover that his dear friend had been guilty of considerable financial greed at Gilbert's expense. Even so, he applied himself to his lonely creativity, working from 9 to 5 each day "just like Goffin & King and people like Neil Sedaka & Howard Greenfield at the Brill Building in New York used to do", although he later confessed "Really, the words were no good, because my mind was cluttered with all the problems". Lyrics have always been O'Sullivan's most unique facet, reflecting what's going on in his mind, and the strain under which he found himself was hardly conducive to much positive artistic or commercial creativity.
The first release for five years was Frobisher Drive and was only available in Germany. The same album with a slightly different track listing was released in the UK in 1989 under the title In The Key Of G, and included So What, his first chart single in almost a decade. Since the low-key comeback, the pace has increased, with five more albums. Gilbert also made a return to live performances in the early nineties, playing regularly in both Europe and Japan. In 1991, Gilbert was again in court, this time he sued American rapper Biz Markie and won the decision after Markie's unauthorized sample of "Alone Again (Naturally)" on his 1991 album I Need a Haircut. A 1992 single, Tomorrow Today had topped the Japanese charts for nine weeks, and this success led to a tour of Japan in early 1993 with his newly formed backing group, during which he recorded and filmed his first ever live album Tomorrow Today. Gilbert's newfound success in Japan led to the Japanese only release of The Little Album (1992) and Rare Tracks (1992). 1993's critical acclaimed Sounds Of The Loop (Daily Telegraph's Record Of The Week) included a duet with the legendary Peggy Lee on Can't Think Straight and even a solo version of the same song in Japanese. This album was recorded almost entirely at his home in Jersey in the Channel Islands.
By Larry (with a similar track listing to the Japanese released The Little Album) was released in 1994. Larry is a famous English cartoonist, much admired by Gilbert. Larry provided original cartoons for the album sleeve and booklet. Every Song Has It's Play was released the following year and was the soundtrack of the semi-autobiographical stage show that Gilbert had acted and sang in, in 1991. Singer Sowing Machine was released in 1997. The title is a humorous reaction by Gilbert to being constantly referred to as a singer/ songwriter. Irlish was released in 2000 and yielded three singles, Have It, Say Goodbye and Two's Company (Three Is Allowed). The album title Irlish, combination of the words Irish and English, appropriate for someone born in Ireland and raised in England. Gilbert's family was part of this migration. In 2001 The Official Gilbert O'Sullivan Website was launched as well as his own record label ByGum Records.
Gilbert continued to tour and he played a series of concerts in Ireland in 2001 and in the UK in 2002 to promote the Irlish album. A new studio album Piano Foreplay followed in 2003. In 2004 Rhino Handmade Records released a 3 CD anthology in the USA of Gilbert's music entitled Caricature: The Box. It contains 73 tracks which span the years 1967-2001. This is the first in-depth survey of Gilbert's lengthy career. It contains numerous singles and B-sides, tracks from 16 of his albums, and five previously unreleased tracks. A b-side collection entitled The Other Sides of Gilbert O'Sullivan was released in Japan in 2004 and contained many tracks available on CD for the first time. A series of concerts followed in Japan in June 2004 followed by a 20 date European Tour of the UK, Ireland, Norway and Denmark in November and December. In February 2005 a DVD/CD set of the 2004 Japanese show was released in Japan. Gilbert returned to Japan in June 2005 for a series of 13 shows. Gilbert spent the end of 2005 and the beginning of 2006 recording his next studio album "A Scruff At Heart" which was released in Japan on 25 October 2006.
Ooh-Wakka-Doo-Wakka-Day
Gilbert O'Sullivan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
About a girl I met back in May
Her name is Rita and you should see her
And she goes Ooh wakka doo wakka day
She's got a brother like any other
Who got his nose caught inside a gate
And when they freed him, it so relieved him
You wouldn't think to look at me
That I was strong
But underneath it all, I really am
And just to prove it, why;
Only the other day
I picked a needle up with one hand
Now, up in Bradford a chap named Radford
While taking part in a local play
Was intercepted and then suspected
Of going Ooh wakka doo wakka day
Hey, hey...
Who's that lady I saw you with?
It was not your wife
It looked to me suspiciously
Like someone I have never seen before in my life
Doo-doo doo-di-doo ...
It's not suprising when you come to think of it
Just what it is that makes people swear
You only have to sing about bleepin' thing
And there'll be bleeping ev'ry-bleeping-where
Now, if you love me, you're not above me
And if you don't, well, what can I say
Except we'll see when you come to tea, then
You can go Ooh wakka doo wakka
Ooh wakka doo wakka
Ooh
Wakka doo
Wakka day
The song "Ooh-Wakka-Doo-Wakka-Day" by Gilbert O'Sullivan tells the story of a girl named Rita who makes the singer feel happy and light-hearted. He sings that she exclaims the phrase "Ooh-wakka-doo-wakka-day" whenever she feels excited or carefree. The singer also mentions Rita's brother, who got his nose caught in a gate, but was eventually freed and celebrated joyfully, also saying "ooh-wakka-doo-wakka-day." The mood of the song is jaunty and upbeat, with a playful melody and cheerful vocals.
The lyrics touch on themes of joy, youthful energy, and finding happiness in the midst of everyday life. The phrase "ooh-wakka-doo-wakka-day" is used as an expression of uninhibited excitement, and serves as a refrain throughout the song. The playful lyrics convey a sense of lightness and freedom, as the singer celebrates the simple pleasures of life and encourages listeners to find joy in their own experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
I want to tell you, I might as well do
I have something to say and I think I should say it
About a girl I met back in May
I want to talk about a specific girl I met in May
Her name is Rita and you should see her
The girl's name is Rita and she is worth seeing
And she goes Ooh wakka doo wakka day
She frequently vocalizes a sound that goes like 'Ooh wakka doo wakka day'
She's got a brother like any other
Rita has a brother like every other person
Who got his nose caught inside a gate
Her brother once had his nose stuck in a gate
And when they freed him, it so relieved him
When he was finally freed, he felt immense relief
He just went Ooh wakka doo wakka day
As a result, he made a sound that goes like 'Ooh wakka doo wakka day'
You wouldn't think to look at me that I was strong
I may not appear to be strong at first glance
But underneath it all, I really am
However, I am actually strong underneath
And just to prove it, why;
As a way of proving it to others,
Only the other day I picked a needle up with one hand
I picked up a needle using only one hand recently
Now, up in Bradford a chap named Radford
There was a man named Radford in Bradford
While taking part in a local play
He was participating in a community play
Was intercepted and then suspected
He was stopped and suspected
Of going Ooh wakka doo wakka day
Of making a sound that goes like 'Ooh wakka doo wakka day'
Who's that lady I saw you with?
I noticed that you were with a woman
It was not your wife
It was not your spouse
It looked to me suspiciously
The situation appeared to be suspicious to me
Like someone I have never seen before in my life
It seemed to be someone who I had never met before
It's not surprising when you come to think of it
It is not shocking when you think more deeply about it
Just what it is that makes people swear
It is interesting to consider the reasons why people swear
You only have to sing about bleepin' thing
All you have to do is sing about something vulgar
And there'll be bleeping ev'ry-bleeping-where
As a result, there will be vulgar language everywhere
Now, if you love me, you're not above me
If you truly love me, you are not superior to me
And if you don't, well, what can I say
If you don't love me, there isn't much I can say
Except we'll see when you come to tea, then
Except we'll find out when you visit me and we'll have tea
You can go Ooh wakka doo wakka
You can vocalize a sound that goes like 'Ooh wakka doo wakka'
Ooh wakka doo wakka
Once again, the sound 'Ooh wakka doo wakka'
Ooh
'Ooh'
Wakka doo
'Wakka doo'
Wakka day
'Wakka day'
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GILBERT O'SULLIVAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Bereadyalways123
The guy is a LEGEND..send me back to the great 70s please ...hate 2021 , I get a lump in my throat when I hear great 70s music like this, where did the years go ?
@paulmiles9102
your so right there Ray Gilbert is a great Legend
@Bereadyalways123
@cliff heywood Oh if only we could, sod 2022, unhappy country now
@Bereadyalways123
@cliff heywood Thank you Cliff, beam me back to the 70s ..2022 awful
@mrscricklewood
I'm right there with you !
@davidrix804
Totally agree with you,70s were the best!!! I hate it now too.🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
@unreliableperson4017
This man is without a doubt one of the best lyricists ever
@per-gunnarklang2144
Take me back to the 70's !
@davidhubbert9445
Let it be said Gilbert O'Sullivan what a supreme talent .
@dikless222
Sounds like Big Jim Sullivan on guitar! Love Gilbert...wonderful songwriter...