Huey Smith was born in New Orleans on January 26, 1934, and began playing t… Read Full Bio ↴Huey Smith was born in New Orleans on January 26, 1934, and began playing the piano at age 15. At the dawn of the '50s, Smith backed New Orleans guitar legends Earl King and Guitar Slim, and quickly became a popular session pianist, playing on records by the cream of the New Orleans R&B scene: Smiley Lewis (the classic "I Hear You Knockin'"), Lloyd Price, and Little Richard. During the mid-'50s, Smith began leading his own band, the Clowns, which usually featured popular local blues singer and female impersonator Bobby Marchan on lead vocals. Smith & the Clowns signed with the Ace label and scored a breakout Top Five R&B hit in 1957 with "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu," which despite becoming a classic rock & roll standard didn't even make the pop Top 40, thanks to reticent white radio programmers. The following year, Smith scored his biggest hit with the double-sided smash "Don't You Just Know It"/"High Blood Pressure," which reached the pop Top Ten and the R&B Top Five. In 1959, Smith cut the original tune "Sea Cruise," and seeking pop radio airplay, Ace had white teenage R&B singer Frankie Ford overdub his own vocal onto Smith's backing track; the result became a nationwide hit.

Smith cut a few novelty numbers in an attempt to duplicate the success of "Rockin' Pneumonia," some even using the same type of illness joke ("Tu-Ber-Cu-Lucas and the Sinus Blues," for example). It didn't work, and Marchan left the Clowns after scoring a solo hit with "There Is Something on Your Mind" in 1960; he was replaced by female singer Gerry Hall and male vocalist Curley Moore. Smith switched briefly to the Imperial label, then returned to Ace for one last chart single in 1962, "Pop Eye." Smith spent part of the '60s recording for Instant and touring not only with the Clowns, but alternate groups the Hueys and the Pitter Pats as well. Unable to return to the charts, he eventually converted to the Jehovah's Witnesses and left the music industry permanently.

Don't you Know Yockomo
Huey "Piano" Smith & The Clowns Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I can't lose with the stuff I use
(Don't you just know it)
Baby, don't believe I wear two left shoes
(Don't you just know it)

Ah ha ha ha
(Ah ha ha ha)
Ey eh, oh

(Ey eh, oh)

Gooba, gooba, gooba, gooba
(Gooba, gooba, gooba, gooba)
Ah ha ha ha
(Ah ha ha ha)

Ah ha ha ha
(Ah ha ha ha)
Ey eh, oh
(Ey eh, oh)

Hey, pretty baby, can we go strollin'
(Don't you just know it)
You got me rockin' when I wanna be rollin'
(Don't you just know it)

Ah ha ha ha
(Ah ha ha ha)
Ey eh, oh
(Ey eh, oh)

Gooba, gooba, gooba, gooba
(Gooba, gooba, gooba, gooba)
Ah ha ha ha
(Ah ha ha ha)

Ah ha ha ha
(Ah ha ha ha)
Ey eh, oh
(Ey eh, oh)

Baby, baby, you're my blue heaven
(Don't you just know it)
You got me pushin' when I wanna be shoving
(Don't you just know it)

Ah ha ha ha
(Ah ha ha ha)
Ey eh, oh
(Ey eh, oh)

Gooba, gooba, gooba, gooba
(Gooba, gooba, gooba, gooba)
Ah ha ha ha
(Ah ha ha ha)

Ah ha ha ha
(Ah ha ha ha)
Ey eh, oh
(Ey eh, oh)

Ah ha ha ha
(Ah ha ha ha)
Ey eh, oh
(Ey eh, oh)

Gooba, gooba, gooba, gooba
(Gooba, gooba, gooba, gooba)
Ah ha ha ha
(Ah ha ha ha)

Ah ha ha ha
(Ah ha ha ha)
Ey eh, oh
(Ey eh, oh)

The older the woman, the more she teases
(Don't you just know it)
The younger the Couple, the tighter they squeeze
(Don't you just know it)

Ah ha ha ha
(Ah ha ha ha)
Ey eh, oh
(Ey eh, oh)

Gooba, gooba, gooba, gooba
(Gooba, gooba, gooba, gooba)
Ah ha ha ha
(Ah ha ha ha)

Ah ha ha ha
(Ah ha ha ha)
Ey eh, oh
(Ey eh, oh)

Ah ha ha ha
(Ah ha ha ha)
Ey eh, oh
(Ey eh, oh)

Gooba, gooba, gooba, gooba
(Gooba, gooba, gooba, gooba)
Ah ha ha ha
(Ah ha ha ha)

Ah ha ha ha
(Ah ha ha ha)

Ey eh, oh
(Ey eh, oh)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Huey Smith & The Clowns' song "Don't You Just Know It" are a blend of nonsensical phrases, onomatopoetic sounds, and catchy riffs. The song is mainly about having confidence in oneself and not caring about what others think. The phrase "I can't lose with the stuff I use" is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the idea that the singer is not afraid to be himself and use his unique talents and abilities, and thus cannot fail. It also suggests a sense of pride in what one possesses.

The chorus "gooba, gooba, gooba, gooba" and "ah ha ha ha" serve as fun, catchy, and light-hearted parts of the song that add to its overall upbeat and energetic vibe. The final verse is somewhat of an observation on human behavior, noting how older women tend to tease more and younger couples tend to be tighter with each other. The song is one of the great examples of early rock and roll music and is an incredible representation of the era.

Line by Line Meaning

I can't lose with the stuff I use
I have a winning strategy and can't be beaten

Baby, don't believe I wear two left shoes
Don't doubt my abilities or skills

Ah ha ha ha
Expressing laughter

(Ah ha ha ha)
Expressing laughter

Ey eh, oh
Nonverbal vocalization

(Ey eh, oh)
Nonverbal vocalization

Gooba, gooba, gooba, gooba
Nonsensical vocalization

(Gooba, gooba, gooba, gooba)
Nonsensical vocalization

Hey, pretty baby, can we go strollin'
Asking if they can go for a walk together

You got me rockin' when I wanna be rollin'
My plans have changed due to your presence

Baby, baby, you're my blue heaven
You bring happiness and joy to my life