He was one of the most… Read Full Bio ↴Move over,the "Ol' Professor", Kay Kyser is BACK!
He was one of the most outrageous, over the top performers of the whole swing era. From the late 30s to the late 40s he was the physical embodiment of the word success, with eleven #1 records and thirty-five top tens! He starred in seven feature films with such co-stars as Lucille Ball, John Barrymore, Karloff, Lugosi, Lorre. Kyser kept his radio show, Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge in the top ten for eleven years on NBC, yet if you ask the average swing fan about him today, they'll likely reply, "Kay Kyser. Who's she?"
You see, Kay Kyser disappeared from the general public in 1950. Quit. Went home. Never came back. Made his million, then left without even making an announcement. In contrast to his zany character onstage, he was equally as serious off. "As exuberant as he was while performing, at a party you couldn't get him aroused..." said KK orchestra singer, "Handsome" Harry Babbitt to this writer in a 1995 interview for the upcoming 1 hour TV retrospective on Kay & the band, KAY KYSER- the OL' PROFESSOR of SWING!
"But those were magic days..." says Babbitt who, along with Sully Mason, Ginny Simms, Ish Kabibble (real name Merwyn Bogue) helped make the Kyser band a solid, first-rate performing unit. The duets Babbitt performed w/ Simms were "like buttah", whether they were beautiful ballads like YOU & I or spoofing Romeo & Juliet in WAY BACK IN 1939 A.D. THIS band was secure enough to be downright silly, something the Millers and Goodmans would never have done. But for any detractors, let it be known that the silliness was ONE side of this incrediby gifted bunch of people whom KK guitarist/composer Roc Hillman called a "functional family.""Everyone got along, and it was happy times all the time," says Roc. "Kay believed if HE didn't have fun- no one had fun." One can't forget the enormous contributions of arranger/ composer George Duning, who gave the band its sound, and eventually went on to score many well known films.
Three Little Fishes
Kay Kyser & His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Swam three little fishies and a mama fishie too
"Swim" said the mama fishie, "Swim if you can"
And they swam and they swam all over the dam
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
And they swam and they swam all over the dam
The three little fishies didn't want to be bossed
The three little fishies went off on a spree
And they swam and they swam right out to the sea
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
And they swam and they swam right out to the sea
"Whee!" yelled the little fishies, "Here's a lot of fun
We'll swim in the sea till the day is done"
They swam and they swam, and it was a lark
Till all of a sudden they saw a shark!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Till all of a sudden they saw a shark!
"Help!" cried the little fishies, "Gee! look at all the whales!"
And quick as they could, they turned on their tails
And back to the pool in the meadow they swam
And they swam and they swam back over the dam
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
And they swam and they swam back over the dam
The song "Three Little Fishies" by Kay Kyser tells the story of three little fish swimming in a small pond with their mother fish. The mother fish encourages her little ones to swim, and they swim all over the dam. However, she warns them to stop or they will get lost, but the three little fish refuse to listen and swim off on their own. They end up swimming all the way to the sea, where they have a lot of fun until they encounter a shark. Frightened, they swim back to their little pool in the meadow, as they are the prey of not only sharks but also whales in the vast sea.
Metaphorically, the song expresses how easily children can become rebellious, and warning them with love and kindness is the only way to ensure their safety. The mother fish represents a parent or guardian who encourages children to explore but also cautions them about the dangers that might come their way. The three little fish foolishly go off on their own, only to face a shark and be rescued by their mother. The song conveys the message that we should learn from our elders and value their advice.
Line by Line Meaning
Down in the meadow in a little bitty pool
In a small pool in the meadow
Swam three little fishies and a mama fishie too
Three little fishies and their mother swam there
"Swim" said the mama fishie, "Swim if you can"
"Swim if you are able", the mother fishie said
And they swam and they swam all over the dam
The little fishes went on to swim everywhere, even over the dam
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Chanting as they swim
"Stop" said the mama fishie, "or you will get lost"
"Stop, or you will be lost", warned the mother fishie
The three little fishies didn't want to be bossed
The little fishies didn't want to be controlled
The three little fishies went off on a spree
The little fishies went on a wild adventure
And they swam and they swam right out to the sea
They swam all the way to the sea
"Whee!" yelled the little fishies, "Here's a lot of fun
The little fishies were excited, and shouted, "This is great fun
We'll swim in the sea till the day is done"
We'll swim in the sea all day long"
They swam and they swam, and it was a lark
They swam joyfully
Till all of a sudden they saw a shark!
Suddenly, they saw a shark!
Help!" cried the little fishies, "Gee! look at all the whales!"
"Help!" cried the little fishies, "Oh no! Look at all the whales!"
And quick as they could, they turned on their tails
They quickly swam away in the opposite direction
And back to the pool in the meadow they swam
They swam back to the meadow pool
And they swam and they swam back over the dam
And they swam and swam back over the dam
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Chanting as they swim
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: SAXIE DOWELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@carriegray1062
My Grandpa (God rest his soul) sang this to me when I was a kiddo. This just brought back wonderful memories ❤
@MK-mj9gx
My grandfather used to sing it to me too! He would sing it to me when he came to pick me up to take me to his & my grandmother's home. She would sing Mr. Sandman Bring Me a Dream at bedtime. I miss them both so much!
@lisabethashermosley4429
My Grandmother use to sin this to me I loved this song I use to beg her every night before bed to sing this to me and she would it was just 1 of the many songs she would sing to me
@Ojb_1959
I miss Mama singing to us all when we were kids. God I miss her😇
@fbd5413
My mother was born in '29 so she would've been 10 when this came out. She passed away 3 years ago. I wish I would've found this before she passed so she could've heard it. She would've gotten a kick out of it.
@lilymadden9943
My dad used to play this for me, he even made sure to put this song on my very first mp3 when I was in elementary school.
@hudsonsteele1674
My Mama used to sing this to us when we were kids. She was about 15 when it came out.
@niltonborges2842
Great! Thanks from Brazil.
@seanmahon8717
My mother sang this to us
@scottburton9701
This song continues to receive airplay on "The Dr.Demento Show"-It's a certifiable classic!