Born Maria Garzia Rosa Domenica d'Amato on 12th September 1943 in Greenwich Village, New York, she performed in the early 1960s in Greenwich Village with Bob Dylan, John Sebastian, David Grisman, and Stefan Grossman. Later in the 1960s her distinctive vocals were heard in many of the tracks recorded by Jim Kweskin & the Jug Band.
She began her solo career in 1972 when her marriage to fellow Jug Band member Geoff Muldaur ended, retaining her married name. Her first solo album "Maria Muldaur", released in 1973, contained her hit single "Midnight at the Oasis", which reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974. It also peaked at number 21 in the UK Singles Chart. Later that year, she released her second album Waitress In A Donut Shop. This included a re-recording of "I'm a Woman", the Leiber and Stoller number first associated with Peggy Lee and a standout feature from her Jug Band days. The title of this album is taken from a line in another song on the album, "Sweetheart" by Ken Burgan.
Around this time, Muldaur established a relationship with the Grateful Dead. Opening for some Grateful Dead shows in the summer of 1974, with John Kahn, bassist of the Jerry Garcia Band, would eventually earn her a seat in that group in the late 1970s, as a backing vocalist.
Later in her career, as her voice deepened, the blues were featured in more of her recordings. Her 2005 release Sweet Lovin' Ol' Soul was nominated for both a W.C. Handy Award and a Grammy award in the Traditional Blues Category.
In 2011 she released the album "Steady Love".
Aba Daba Honeymoon
Maria Muldaur Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lived a happy chimpanzee
She loved a monkey with a long tail
(Lordy, how she loved him)
Each night he would find her there
Swinging in the coconut tree
And the monkey gay, at the break of dayLoved to hear his chimpie say
Aba, daba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab
Said the chimpie to the monk
Baba, daba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab
Said the monkey to the chimp
All night long they'd chatter away
All day long they were happy and gay
Swinging and singing in their hunky tonkey way
Aba, daba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab
Means, monk, I love but you
Baba, daba, dab, in monkey talk
Means, chimp, I love you, too
Then the big baboon, one night in June
He married them and very soon
They went upon their aba daba honeymoon
Aba, daba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab
Said the chimpie to the monk
Baba, daba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab
Said the monkey to the chimp
All night long they'd chatter awayAll day long they were happy and gay
Swinging and singing in their hunky tonkey way
Aba, daba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab
Means, monk, I love but you
Baba, daba, dab, in monkey talk
Means, chimp, I love you, too
One night they were made man and wife
And now they cry, this is the life
Since they came from their aba daba honeymoon
Well, you should have heard that band
Play upon their wedding day
Each chimp and monkey had nutshells
(Lordy, how they played them)
And now it is every night
High up in the coconut tree
It's the same old thing, with the same old swing
When the monk and chimpie sing
Aba, daba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab
Said the chimpie to the monk
Baba, daba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab
Said the monkey to the chimp
All night long they'd chatter away
All day long they were happy and gay
Swinging and singing in their hunky tonkey way
Aba, daba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab
Means, monk, I love but you
Baba, daba, dab, in monkey talk
Means, chimp, I love you, too
Then the big baboon one night in June
He married them and very soon
They went upon their aba daba honeymoon
Aba, daba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab
Said the chimpie to the monk
Baba, daba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab
Said the monkey to the chimp
All night long they'd chatter away
All day long they were happy and gay
Swinging and singing in their hunky tonkey way
Aba, daba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab
Means, monk, I love but you
Baba, daba, dab, in monkey talk
Means, chimp, I love you, too
One night they were made man and wife
And now they cry, this is the life
Since they came from their aba daba honeymoon
The lyrics of the song Aba Daba Honeymoon by Maria Muldaur tell a story about two primates, a chimpanzee, and a monkey with a long tail, who were deeply in love with each other. They lived in Congoland, and each night, the monkey would find the chimpanzee on a coconut tree where they would chatter away and swing while singing in their hunky tonkey way. They had their own language, with the chimpanzee saying "aba daba daba" which meant "monk I love you," and the monkey responding with "baba daba dab" which meant "chimp, I love you too." The lyrics also tell us that one night in June, they were married, and soon after, they went on their honeymoon, and they were very happy.
The song depicts a very innocent and simple world where the animals have their own language, and they find joy in singing and swinging in a coconut tree. The lyrics are playful and imply that love is not just a human emotion, but it can also exist between animals.
One interesting thing about this song is that it was originally written and composed by Arthur Fields and Walter Donovan in 1914 for the Broadway show "Two Is Company." It was later recorded by several artists and became one of the most popular songs of the 1910s and '20s. Maria Muldaur recorded her own version in 1973.
Another interesting fact about the song is that the words "aba daba" and "hunky tonky" were popular slang terms in the early 20th century that meant "nonsense" or "foolish talk." The word "honey moon" also has interesting origins as it is believed to have come from a tradition of newlyweds drinking mead (honey wine) for a month after their wedding.
Overall, the song Aba Daba Honeymoon is a lighthearted and playful tune that celebrates love and the innocence of animal life. The simple lyrics and catchy melody make it a timeless classic that continues to be enjoyed by people of all ages.
Chords: Unfortunately, the chords for this song are not available.
Line by Line Meaning
Way down in the Congoland
In the depths of the Congo, far from civilization
Lived a happy chimpanzee
There was an content and joyful chimpanzee residing there
She loved a monkey with a long tail
The chimpanzee had deep affection for a long-tailed monkey
(Lordy, how she loved him)
(She loved him passionately)
Each night he would find her there
Every night he would search and find her
Swinging in the coconut tree
Happily playing in a coconut tree
And the monkey gay, at the break of day
And in the morning the happy monkey
Loved to hear his chimpie say
Was pleased by the chimpanzee saying
Aba, daba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab
An expression of love between the monkey and chimpanzee
Said the chimpie to the monk
The chimpanzee said it to the monkey
Baba, daba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab
An expression of love between the chimpanzee and monkey in their own language
Said the monkey to the chimp
The monkey said it back to the chimpanzee
All night long they'd chatter away
They would talk and laugh all night long
All day long they were happy and gay
All day they were joyful and content
Swinging and singing in their hunky tonkey way
Having fun, making music, and dancing playfully
Then the big baboon, one night in June
A large baboon, acting as a minister, married them on a specific night in June
He married them and very soon
He performed their sacrament of marriage and not long after
They went upon their aba daba honeymoon
They went on their love-filled adventure
Well, you should have heard that band
The music was very good
Play upon their wedding day
Played on the day of their wedding
Each chimp and monkey had nutshells
Each of the chimpanzees and monkeys used nutshells as musical instruments
(Lordy, how they played them)
(They played them extremely well)
And now it is every night
Now every night
High up in the coconut tree
Playing in a lofty coconut tree
It's the same old thing, with the same old swing
Doing the same old things with the same old enthusiasm
When the monk and chimpie sing
When the monkey and chimpanzee sing
One night they were made man and wife
On one particular night they became husband and wife
And now they cry, this is the life
And now they exclaim that this is the best possible life
Since they came from their aba daba honeymoon
Since they came back from their adventure-filled honeymoon
Writer(s): Walter Donovan, Arthur Fields
Contributed by Leah D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.