It was formed with the original name of Sentimental Four in Newport News, Virginia, U.S., in the late 1940s, and initially consisted of two sets of brothers - Rudy West (born 25 July 1932, Newport News, Virginia) and Bernie West (born 4 February 1930, Newport News), and Ripley Ingram (born 1930 - died 23 March 1995, Newport News) and Raphael Ingram. Ingram left in 1949 and Maryland Pierce (born 1933) and Dickie Smith became members in his place. At this juncture the name of the group was changed to The Five Keys.
They were signed to Aladdin Records in 1951, and in 1952 Rudy West left to join the United States Army, and he was replaced by Ulysses K. Hicks. In 1954 Dickie Smith left and was replaced with Ramon Loper.
At this point the Five Keys was signed to Capitol Records, and their popularity increased, although more instrumentation was used.
The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002.
Ling-Ting-Tong
The Five Keys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I sa mok em boo
I went to China Town
Way back in old Hong Kong
Took out some egg fu yon
And then I heard a gong
I sa mok em boo di ay, I sa mok em boo
Ling, Ting, Tong, he would never be wrong
Go on and sing your song, a Ling, Ting, Tong
A Ling, Ting, Tong gotto sing that song called
A sa mok em boo di ay, I sa mok em boo
Chorus
And as I looked around
The lights were going down
And this is what I found
A back in China Town
A Ling, Ting, Tong, tried to sing that song called
I so mok em boo di ay, I so mok em boo
Ling, Ting, Tong, he would never be wrong
Go on and sing your song a Ling, Ting, Tong
A Ling, Ting, Tong tried to sing that song, called
I so mok em boo di ay, I so mok em boo
Chorus
The Five Keys' song Ling-Ting-Tong is a fun and catchy tune that tells the story of a visit to Chinatown in Hong Kong. The song begins with the singer recounting his trip to Chinatown where he enjoyed some egg fu yon and heard a gong. The chorus of the song features the repetitive and nonsensical phrase "I sa mok em boo di ay, I sa mok em boo" which is sung by a character named Ling-Ting-Tong who is trying to sing the song but often gets the words wrong. Despite his mistakes, Ling-Ting-Tong continues to sing the catchy tune, much to the amusement of those around him.
The song is a playful tribute to the fun and excitement of Chinatown, and the performer's willingness to embrace new experiences and cultures. The repetition of the "I sa mok em boo" phrase creates a sense of playfulness and allows the song to be enjoyed by listeners from all backgrounds. The song's upbeat tempo and catchy melody make it a classic example of 1950s doo-wop music and establish it as an enduring favorite of the genre.
Line by Line Meaning
I sa mok em boo di ay
I went to a Chinese restaurant in Hong Kong and ordered egg foo young.
I sa mok em boo
I heard a gong being played in the background.
Ling, Ting, Tong, tried to sing that song called
A person named Ling, Ting, Tong attempted to sing the song.
A Ling, Ting, Tong gotto sing that song called
Ling, Ting, Tong is excited to sing this particular song.
Ling, Ting, Tong, he would never be wrong
Ling, Ting, Tong believes he is correct in his singing.
Go on and sing your song, a Ling, Ting, Tong
The others join in encouraging Ling, Ting, Tong to continue singing.
And as I looked around
While observing my surroundings,
The lights were going down
I noticed that the lights were turning off.
And this is what I found
I realized the following.
A back in China Town
I was still in the Chinese district.
A Ling, Ting, Tong tried to sing that song called
Ling, Ting, Tong attempted to sing the same song again.
Chorus
The refrain of the song is sung.
Writer(s): GODWIN MABEL
Contributed by William S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@luxbodyworks
I sa mok em boo di ay
I sa mok em boo
I went to China Town
Way back in old Hong Kong
Took out some egg fu yon
And then I heard a gong
Ling, Ting, Tong, tried to sing that song called
I sa mok em boo di ay, I sa mok em boo
Ling, Ting, Tong, he would never be wrong
Go on and sing your song, a Ling, Ting, Tong
A Ling, Ting, Tong gotto sing that song called
A sa mok em boo di ay, I sa mok em boo
And as I looked around
The lights were going down
And this is what I found
A back in China Town
A Ling, Ting, Tong, tried to sing that song called
I so mok em boo di ay, I so mok em boo
Ling, Ting, Tong, he would never be wrong
Go on and sing your song a Ling, Ting, Tong
A Ling, Ting, Tong tried to sing that song, called
I so mok em boo di ay, I so mok em boo
@JaniceCarter-ws7lu
🤭🍿
Goodmorning 🦅 and
Minnesota💜
God bless asians all around the world❤
When you're walking with the Lord Jesus Christ he will make changes for you while he's allowing things to happen in your life just to show his power..
When the Lord's light is shown down on those who are making it hard for you again, brothers and sisters stay out of the way and keep it pushing because it's not going to be pretty at all💙💚
Paths are being cleared daily..Smile❤
God bless you all🦅
@due_brenk9141
OMG they killed Henry!
-Radio: LING, TING, TONG!!
@JFK0
O pls dont remind me of Henry's death :(
@obanho_0692
@@JFK0 he was working for the fed
@gigul120g.d9
@@JFK0 foget about it........Henry was a rat
@obanho_0692
@@gigul120g.d9 he still was cool
@romossmydir7728
@@obanho_0692 but he still worked for the feds
@northernbrother417
My grandma has dementia and randomly sings songs like this so I looked up some things she said and found this song amd played it for her shes so happy thank you for uploading this.
@northernbrother417
Lmao ok simp go back to making sonic porn or whatever that is on your channel.
@harveyawesome
@@northernbrother417 lemme know when granny kicks it bro
@yespacito696
@@harveyawesome you are one piece of shit. It’s just a song. Grow up. Someone’s grandma says “ling ting tong” and that somehow effects you? Taunting people about their family dying isn’t cool, and neither is being offended by three meaningless words. You need to get your priorities straight.