In 1950, he scored a huge success with his first recording for Capitol Records, John and Marsha, a soap-opera parody that consisted of the title characters (both played by Freberg) repeating each other's names. In a follow-up he used pedal steel guitarist Speedy West to parody the 1953 country hit A Dear John Letter as A Dear John and Marsha Letter.
Throughout the 1950s he made a name for himself writing and performing both original songs (Tele-Vee-Shun) and parodies of popular tunes (The Yellow Rose of Texas, Day-O, Heartbreak Hotel). With fellow voice actors Daws Butler and June Foray he produced a medieval parody of Dragnet called St. George and the Dragon-Net. The latter recording was a #1 hit for four weeks in late 1953.
Freberg's brilliant, authentic-sounding musical parodies were a byproduct of his collaborations with Billy May and his Capitol Records producer Ken Nelson. His brilliant 1957 spoof of TV "champagne music" master Lawrence Welk, Wun'erful, Wun'erful was a true collaboration with May, a veteran big band musician and jazz arranger (known for his work with Frank Sinatra among others) who loathed Welk's corny style. To replicate that sound, May and some of Hollywood's finest studio musicians and vocalists worked to virtually clone Welk's sound. Billy Liebert, a first-rate accordionist copied Welk's own accordion playing. The humor was lost on Welk; Freberg later recalled the bandleader denying he ever used the term "Wunnerful! Wunnerful!" (later the title of Welk's autobiography).
Another hit song to get the Freberg treatment was the weepy Cry, which Freberg rendered as Try ("You too can be unhappy... if you try!") Ray was furious, until he realized the success of Freberg's parody was helping sales and airplay of his own record; Ray and Freberg actually became close friends.
Freberg continued to skewer the advertising industry after the demise of his radio show, producing Green Chri$tma$ in 1958 (again with Butler), a scathing indictment of the overcommercialization of the holiday. Freberg, the son of a church minister and very religious himself, made sure to point out on that novelty record "Whose birthday we're celebrating." Despite his Jewish-sounding last name, Freberg is actually a Baptist of Swedish heritage.
"Green Chri$tma$" also foreshadowed his musical review on LP Stan Freberg Presents: The United States Of America, Volume 1: The Early Years (1961) in that both combined dialog and song in a musical-like style. Stan Freberg Presents: The United States of America, Volume 2: The Middle Years was planned for a release during America's Bicentennial in 1976 but did not emerge until 1996.
Sh-boom
Stan Freberg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Life could be a dream
Boom ba-doh, ba-doo ba-doodle-ay (sh-boom)
Life could be a dream
If I could take you up in paradise up above (sh-boom)
If you would tell me I'm the only one that you love
Life could be a dream sweetheart
Boom ba-doh, ba-doo ba-doodle-ay (sh-boom)
Boom ba-doh, ba-doo ba-doodle-ay (sh-boom)
Oh, life could be a dream (sh-boom)
If only all my precious plans would come true (sh-boom)
If you would let me spend my whole life lovin' you
Life could be a dream sweetheart
Every time I look at you
Something is on my mind (dat-dat-dat-dat-dat-duh)
If you do what I want you to
Baby, we'd be so fine
Oh, life could be a dream (sh-boom)
If I could take you up in paradise up above (sh-boom)
If you would tell me I'm the only one that you love
Life could be a dream sweetheart
(Hello hello again, sh-boom and hopin' we'll meet again) boom sh-boom
Hey nonny ding dong, alang alang alang (sh-boom)
Ba-doh, ba-doo ba-doodle-ay
Life could be a dream
Life could be a dream, sweetheart
(Dee-oody-ooh, sh-boom, sh-boom)
(Dee-oody-ooh, sh-boom, sh-boom)
(Dee-oody-ooh, sh-boom, sh-boom)
(Dee-oody-ooh, sh-boom, sh-boom)
(Dee-oody-ooh, sh-boom, sh-boom)
(Dee-oody-ooh, sh-boom, sh-boom)
(Dee-oody-ooh, sh-boom, sh-boom)
Life could be a dream, sh-boom
If I could take you up in paradise up above
Sh-boom if you would tell me I'm the only one that you love
Life could be a dream sweetheart
(Hello hello again, sh-boom and hopin' we'll meet again) boom sh-boom
Hey nonny ding dong, alang alang alang (sh-boom)
Ba-doh, ba-doo ba-doodle-ay
Life could be a dream
Life could be a dream
Dee-oody-ooh, sh-boom, sh-boom
The lyrics of Stan Freberg's song "Sh-Boom" express a longing for a perfect life with the object of the singer's affection. The opening lines of the song suggest that life could be a dream, which is repeated throughout the song. The singer imagines a paradise above where he could take his lover and where they could declare their love for one another. The repetition of the word "sh-boom" emphasizes the sound of his heart beating and his desire for love.
The lyrics suggest that the singer believes that his dreams can come true if only his lover would reciprocate his love. He believes that if she would tell him that he is the only one she loves, then life could be a dream. The lyrics also suggest that the singer believes that his lover is on his mind constantly, and if she would do what he wants her to, then they could be "so fine."
In summary, the lyrics of "Sh-Boom" express the longing for a perfect life with the object of the singer's affection, where they can be in love forever and live in paradise above.
Line by Line Meaning
Life could be a dream
The singer feels that his life could be perfect if certain things happened
Boom ba-doh, ba-doo ba-doodle-ay (sh-boom)
The sound 'sh-boom' is an expression of joy and excitement
If I could take you up in paradise up above (sh-boom)
The singer imagines a perfect world where he and the person he loves could be together
If you would tell me I'm the only one that you love
The singer wants to know that he is the most important person in the other's life
Life could be a dream sweetheart
The singer believes that his life could be perfect if his wishes and desires were fulfilled
Hello hello again, sh-boom and hopin' we'll meet again
The singer wants to see the other person again and hopes they will have another chance
If only all my precious plans would come true (sh-boom)
The singer has certain ideas and desires that he hopes will come to fruition
If you would let me spend my whole life lovin' you
The singer wants to give his love to the other person for the rest of his life
Every time I look at you, Something is on my mind (dat-dat-dat-dat-dat-duh)
The singer is always thinking about the other person when he sees them
If you do what I want you to, Baby, we'd be so fine
The singer believes that if the other person does what he wants, they will be happy together
Hey nonny ding dong, alang alang alang (sh-boom)
More expressions of joy, happiness and excitement
Ba-doh, ba-doo ba-doodle-ay
More joyful, nonsensical expressions
Dee-oody-ooh, sh-boom, sh-boom
More expressions of joy and excitement
Lyrics © Roof Music Schallplatten- und Verlags GmbH, BMG Rights Management, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group, Songtrust Ave
Written by: James C Keyes, Carl Feaster, Floyd Mc Rae, Claude Feaster, James W. Edwards
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@doddanderoth7203
Thanks for posting! My dad played this album when I was a kid. (I love Stella!)
@colinglen4505
Listened to this a lot when i was a kid.
@paulbroxon4626
Can't listen to this without thinking of Mr. Jinks! From the old cartoon Dixie & Pixie.
@tavvyprods1275
Not MAMBO! MUMBLE! 🤣
@joeydattili6778
This is too funny. It's among one of favorites..
@TheCMac518
'real monotonous, now'. love him.
@ACcountryFan
😃😃😃 Hysterical...a wild parody of Marlon Brando's vocalization, of course, from "A Streetcar Named Desire". "STELLA!!!". Stan Freberg as well as Daws Butler could both do that kind of voice. Daws would do his Brando exaggeration for the cartoon character, Mr. Jinx.
@donaldjohnlong5330
Recorded and released in 1955. A satirical parody of the 1954 song by the Crew Cuts.
@dalepontiac8263
Originally by the Chords , later to change their name to the Sh booms.
@jcleaverchamberlinjr
God dammit, Stella!