South AmericaTake It Away
The Andrews Sisters Lyrics


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Up here in the land of the hot dog stand
The atom bomb and the Good Humor Man
We think our South American neighbors are grand
We love 'em to beat the band

South America, babaloo, babaloo, ayyiyi, babaloo
One favor you can do, ayyiyi, you can do
You beautiful lands below, don't know what you began
To put it plainly, I'm tired of shakin'
To that Pan American plan

Take back your Samba, ay, your Rumba, ay, your Conga, ayyiyi
I can't keep movin', ay, my chassis, ay, any longer, ayyiyi
Now maybe Latins, ay, in their middles, ay, are built stronger, ayyiyi
But all this takin' to the quakin' and this makin' with the shakin'
Leaves me achin', ol

First shake around and settle there
Then you shake around and settle here
Then you shake around and settle there
That's enough, that's enough, take it back
My spine's outta whack, there's a strange click, clack
In the back of my Sacroiliac

Take back your Conga, ay, your Samba, ay, your Rumba, ayyiyi
Why can't you send us, ay, a less strenu, ay, ous number, ayyiyi?
I got more bumps now, ay, than on a, ay, cucumber, ayyiyi
While all those Latin drums are cloppin'
Like a Jumpin' Jack I'm hoppin' without stoppin', ol
South America take it away

First you shake around and settle there, where?
Then you shake around and settle here, oh, there
And then you shake around and settle there, why Bing?
That's enough, that's enough, take it back
My spine's outta whack, there's a strange click clack
In the back of my Sacroiliac, oh, my achin' back

Take back your Conga, ay, your Samba, ay, your Rumba, ayyiyi
Bring back the old days, ay, of dancin', I remember, ayyiyi
My hips are crackin' ay, I am shriekin' ay carumba, ayyiyi
I got a wriggle and a diddle and a jiggle like a fiddle in my middle, ol
This fancy swishin' imposition wears out
All of my transmission ammunition, ol




Though I like neighborly relations all these crazy new gyrations
Try my patience, ol, South America, take it away

Overall Meaning

The Andrews Sisters' song South America Take It Away is a playful and humorous commentary on the cultural influence of Latin American music in the United States in the mid-twentieth century. The song is sung from the perspective of an American who has grown tired of the Latin rhythms that are popular in the United States at the time. The Andrews Sisters express their love for "South American neighbors," but they are frustrated by the physical tolls that come with dancing to Latin music, and the lyrics suggest that the cultural exchange between the two regions is perhaps unbalanced.


The lyrics of South America Take It Away are witty and well-crafted, reflecting the clever songwriting style that was a hallmark of The Andrews Sisters' music. The use of phrases like "babaloo ayyiyi" and "ay carumba" adds to the playful tone of the song, while the repeated refrain of "take it away" adds a sense of urgency to the lyrics. The song is also notable for its references to contemporary cultural phenomena in the United States, including the atom bomb and the Good Humor Man.


Line by Line Meaning

Up here in the land of the hot dog stand The atom bomb and the Good Humor Man We think our South American neighbors are grand We love 'em to beat the band
We here in America, with our hot dogs and advanced technology, have a great admiration for South America and their people


South America, babaloo, babaloo, ayyiyi, babaloo One favor you can do, ayyiyi, you can do You beautiful lands below, don't know what you began To put it plainly, I'm tired of shakin' To that Pan American plan
Hey South America, while I appreciate your music and culture, I'm tired of all this dancing and wish you would ease up on the Pan American plan and take it easy


Take back your Samba, ay, your Rumba, ay, your Conga, ayyiyi I can't keep movin', ay, my chassis, ay, any longer, ayyiyi Now maybe Latins, ay, in their middles, ay, are built stronger, ayyiyi But all this takin' to the quakin' and this makin' with the shakin' Leaves me achin', ol
I can't keep up with all this dancing, and even though maybe Latin Americans are stronger in the middle, all this shaking and moving is painful for me


First shake around and settle there Then you shake around and settle here Then you shake around and settle there That's enough, that's enough, take it back My spine's outta whack, there's a strange click, clack In the back of my Sacroiliac
The constant shaking and dancing is causing problems for my spine, so it's time to stop


Take back your Conga, ay, your Samba, ay, your Rumba, ayyiyi Why can't you send us, ay, a less strenu, ay, ous number, ayyiyi? I got more bumps now, ay, than on a, ay, cucumber, ayyiyi While all those Latin drums are cloppin' Like a Jumpin' Jack I'm hoppin' without stoppin', ol
Seriously, South America, I'm hurting from all this dancing and my body is covered in bumps. Can't you send us some easier music to dance to?


Bring back the old days, ay, of dancin', I remember, ayyiyi My hips are crackin' ay, I am shriekin' ay carumba, ayyiyi I got a wriggle and a diddle and a jiggle like a fiddle in my middle, ol This fancy swishin' imposition wears out All of my transmission ammunition, ol
I miss the simple days of dancing, my hips are cracking from all the fancy moves and my energy is running out


Though I like neighborly relations all these crazy new gyrations Try my patience, ol, South America, take it away
While I appreciate the relationship between our countries, all this new and crazy dancing is testing my patience, so South America, please take it away




Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HAROLD ROME

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@marcelomanuel1912

Pensar que antes esta rola no me gustaba, ahora la amo 🥺❤

@Bulldog19547

I freakin love this song

@muzafferelbeyli2756

Soooooo beautiful

@rudolphguarnacci197

Me too!

@user-oj6ih7ke8p

Me 4!

@rommix0

"Bing Crosby Cuts Florida Loose"

@Johnny35130

"oh Bing" she said....I have the original record.

@clarequilty4962

They never could do ANYTHING with Laverne's face.

@soonerlegendspodcast

How many hit records are you on or have you recorded

@clarequilty4962

@Mike Wilkerson You don't have to be a hen to recognize a bad egg.

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