Don't you Know Yockomo
Huey Piano Smith Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

With The Clowns

Koom-ba-lay-hey (koom-ba-lay-hey)
Two-way-pocky-way (two-way-pocky-way)
Hidey-hidey-hidey-ho (hidey-hidey-hidey-ho)
Don't you knock Yockomo (don't you know Yockomo)
Ling-ting-ting (ling-ting-ting)
Hey-ay-oh (hey-ay-oh)

Baby baby
Oh my baby
Baby baby
Oh my baby
Reet Petite
Get the beat
Do a boogie woogie in the middle of the street

Koom-ba-lay-hey (koom-ba-lay-hey)
Two-way-pocky-way (two-way-pocky-way)
Hidey-hidey-hidey-ho (hidey-hidey-hidey-ho)
Don't you knock Yockomo (don't you know Yockomo)
Ling-ting-ting (ling-ting-ting)
Hey-ay-oh (hey-ay-oh)

Baby baby
Oh my baby
Baby baby
Oh my baby
Be-bop and jive
Rock and roll
Come on everybody let's do the stroll

Koom-ba-lay-hey (koom-ba-lay-hey)
Two-way-pocky-way (two-way-pocky-way)
Hidey-hidey-hidey-ho (hidey-hidey-hidey-ho)
Don't you knock Yockomo (don't you know Yockomo)
Ling-ting-ting (ling-ting-ting)
Hey-ay-oh (hey-ay-oh)

Baby baby
Oh my baby
Baby baby
Oh my baby
Hey little girl come
Rock and roll
Do a little dance in the middle of the floor

Koom-ba-lay-hey (koom-ba-lay-hey)
Two-way-pocky-way (two-way-pocky-way)
Hidey-hidey-hidey-ho (hidey-hidey-hidey-ho)
Don't you knock Yockomo (don't you know Yockomo)
Ling-ting-ting (ling-ting-ting)
Hey-ay-oh (hey-ay-oh)

Baby baby
Oh my baby
Baby baby
Oh my baby
Step that step that
Jitterbug
The one in the corner is the one I love

Koom-ba-lay-hey (koom-ba-lay-hey)
Two-way-pocky-way (two-way-pocky-way)




Hidey-hidey-hidey-ho (hidey-hidey-hidey-ho)
Don't you knock Yockomo (don't you know Yockomo)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Huey Piano Smith's song "Don't You Know Yockomo" are mainly nonsensical and are designed to get people dancing. The song starts with the chant "koom-ba-lay-hey, two-way-pocky-way, hidey-hidey-hidey-ho" which might be interpreted as a call to get up and dance. The chorus goes "don't you knock Yockomo, ling-ting-ting, hey-ay-oh" which might mean not to criticize the dancing style of Yockomo. The rest of the lyrics are mostly about dancing with a partner, doing the boogie woogie, the stroll, or the jitterbug, in the middle of the street or on the dance floor. The verses end with the call to dance: "Hey little girl come, rock and roll, do a little dance in the middle of the floor."


Although the lyrics do not convey a specific message or a story, they are catchy and have a rhythm that encourages people to move. The nonsense words and the sounds of the words mimic the sounds of instruments and create a playful and upbeat atmosphere. The song's structure is simple, with a repetitive chorus followed by short verses that build up to the next chorus. Overall, "Don't You Know Yockomo" is a fun and lively song that captures the spirit of dance and celebration.


Line by Line Meaning

Koom-ba-lay-hey (koom-ba-lay-hey)
Let's have some fun and enjoy ourselves


Two-way-pocky-way (two-way-pocky-way)
Let's dance together and feel the rhythm


Hidey-hidey-hidey-ho (hidey-hidey-hidey-ho)
Sing along and let your voice be heard


Don't you knock Yockomo (don't you know Yockomo)
Don't be disrespectful or ignorant towards Yockomo


Ling-ting-ting (ling-ting-ting)
Let the bells of joy ring and spread happiness


Hey-ay-oh (hey-ay-oh)
Express your excitement and enthusiasm


Baby baby
My darling, my love


Oh my baby
You are my everything


Reet Petite
Pretty, cute, and petite


Get the beat
Feel the rhythm and start dancing


Do a boogie woogie in the middle of the street
Dance with joy and energy in the middle of the road


Be-bop and jive
Dance with the lively and upbeat style of Be-bop and Jive


Rock and roll
Dance with the energetic and vibrant style of Rock and Roll


Come on everybody let's do the stroll
Let's all dance together and enjoy the party


Hey little girl come
Come on over, let's dance


Do a little dance in the middle of the floor
Dance with joy and liveliness in the center of the dance floor


Step that step that
Dance that step that


Jitterbug
Dance with the quick, lively, and energetic movements of Jitterbug


The one in the corner is the one I love
My heart belongs to the one standing in the corner


Don't you knock Yockomo (don't you know Yockomo)
Don't insult or disrespect Yockomo out of ignorance or arrogance




Contributed by Isaiah C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Graham Larkbey

RIP Huey, thanks for all the good-time music and for raising a smile on the gloomiest day.

christopher dawson

Everything he touched was a gem. His two sided miracle from 58 will always be my favorite two sided 45. Sorry Elvis, Hound Dog/ Don't be Cruel

Chris H

I simply fell in love with this song when l first heard this many years ago.
I love mid 1950s to early 1960s music.
The best!!

Steve

Me too. So creative. Thx

Davis Gloff

I have no idea why, but I woke up this morning with "dontcha know Yockomo" in my head, and couldn't rest until I remembered where it came from... you have eased my mind. Thanks

Steve

There are worse songs to wake up to......

caribman10

The ULTIMATE call-and-response r&b song.

Peter Bacuzzi

Great NOLA beat from the fifties!

Charlie Cat

NICE!!!

bluenote824 jones

Great

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