I HAD A MAN.
HE WAS A GOOD MAN.
THAT IS, YOU SEE, WHAT I MEAN IS
I THOUGHT HE WAS A GOOD MAN.
I HAD A FRIEND.
SHE WAS A GOOD FRIEND.
I TOLD MY FRIEND 멊OUT MY MAN 멌AUSE
I THOUGHT SHE WAS A GOOD FRIEND.
LIFE WAS SWEET.
DIDN뭈 I HAVE MY MAN?
WORLD COMPLETE...
THEN THE FIREWORKS BEGAN.
AIN뭈 GOT NO MAN.
AIN뭈 GOT NO FRIEND.
I BET YOU CAN GUESS
JUST EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.
THAT WAS THE END,
THE END OF MY FRIEND,
THE END OF MY MAN,
AND ALMOST THE END OF ME.
OH YES, OH YES, I HAD A MAN.
OOO-DOO-DOO-DOO-DOO,
THAT IS, YOU SEE, WHAT I MEAN IS
I THOUGHT HE WAS A GOOD MAN.
I HAD A FRIEND
I SAID, I HAD A FRIEND
UMM-MMM-MMM-MMM-MMM
I TOLD MY FRIEND 멊OUT MY MAN
멌AUSE I THOUGHT SHE WAS A GOOD FRIEND.
LIFE WAS SWEET.
DIDN뭈 I HAVE MY MAN, MY MAN
WORLD COMPLETE...
THEN THE FIREWORKS BEGAN.
AIN뭈 GOT NO MAN.
AIN뭈 GOT NO FRIEND.
I BET YOU CAN GUESS
JUST EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.
THAT WAS THE END,
THE END OF MY FRIEND,
THE END OF MY MAN,
AND DARNED NEAR THE END OF ME.
Danny Kaye's wife, Sylvia Fine, adapted it to a jive version that was done
in a "Mail Call" program in 1944 by Danny and Dinah:
밫ESS뭆 TORCH SONG - JIVE?
Dinah: LOVE, IT CAN GET YOU IN THE STRANGEST MESSES.
I KNOW YOUR STORY WELL, IT뭆 JUST LIKE TORCH OF TESS뭆:
YOU HAD A GAL...
Danny: I SWEAR ME MOMMA, OH WHAT A GAL WAS MARY.
Dinah: SHE WAS YOUR BEST GAL...
Danny: OH BEAT ME DADDY, WHAT A PAL WAS MARY.
Dinah: THAT IS, YOU SEE, WHAT I MEAN IS
YOU THOUGHT SHE WAS YOUR BEST GAL.
Danny: SHOOT THE BARE FACTS TO ME, FAIRFAX.
I HAD A FRIEND...
Dinah: OH, JOE, JOE, JOE THE ROCK OF GI-GIBRALTAR.
Danny: HE WAS MY BEST FRIEND...
Dinah: OH, SO-SO-SO SO SWEET AS CHOCOLATE MALTER.
Danny: I TOLD MY FRIEND 멊OUT MY GAL
멌AUSE I THOUGHT HE WAS MY BEST FRIEND!
Dinah: SHOOT THE BROMO TO ME, RAMON.
LIFE WAS SWEET...
Danny: I WAS A HA-AA-APPY MAN!
Dinah: WORLD COMPLETE...
Danny: THEN CAME THE BUST-UP, THEY BUSTED MY TRUST UP.
THE FIREWORKS BEGAN.
Dinah: YOU LOST YOUR GAL...
Danny: OH, LEARNED JACKSON, BLOW THOSE BLUES FOR ME.
Dinah: YOU LOST YOUR FRIEND...
Danny: OH, MURDER, MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE!
Dinah: I GOT A FEELIN?THAT SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN.
Both: THIS WON뭈 BE THE END -- NO, NO
I묹L FIND A NEW FRIEND -- YES, YES
I묹L FIND A NEW GAL -- HO, HO
THIS WON뭈 BE THE END OF ME.
Both: WELL ZOOT, WELL BOOT, WELL WELL ALL-ROOT
WITH A HEP-A-HEP-A-HEP-A AND A STEP-STEP-STEP
Dinah: GREETINGS, GATE, HOWYA BEEN?
Danny: OH FEELIN?GREAT, GIMME SOME SKIN!
Dinah: LOOKIN?SHARP!
Danny: OH, SHARP AS A HARP!
Dinah: FEELIN?KEEN?
Danny: HEY, KEEN AS A BEAN.
Dinah: NO TEARS FOR MARY?
Danny: AS DRY AS A PRAIRIE.
Dinah: NO WOE FOR JOE?
Danny: OH NO, NO, NO.
Dinah: NO BEATIN?THE GRAY?
Danny: OH NAY, NAY, NAY.
Dinah: NO BUSTED TICKER?
Danny: OH, TICKER TICKIN?SLICKER.
Dinah: WELL, TOAST ME, MELBA
IS THIS A FACT?
Danny: BEAT ME DADDY --[hand slap]-- AND I묹L HIT YOU BACK!
Both: WELL ZOOT, WELL BOOT, WELL-WELL ALL-ROOT
WITH A HEP-A-HEP-A-HEP-A AND A STEP-STEP-STEP
Danny: HEY, GOOD LOOKIN?
Dinah: WHAT뭆A IS-A COOKIN?
Danny: FEELIN?GROOVY?
Dinah: GROOVY AS A MOVIE!
Danny: SOFT AND MELLOW?
Dinah: MELLOW AS-A JELLO.
Danny: WANNA BE MY CHICKEN?
Dinah: NOW YOU뭆 A-CLICKIN?
Danny: NO YAK-YAK?
Dinah: SOLID, JACK!
Danny: WELL, RATION ME SOME PASSION,
PITCH ME SOME WOO
Dinah: ON THE BUTTON, GLUTTON --(kiss)--SMACKEROO!
Danny: WELL, GRILL ME, LAMB CHOP
WELL, ALL RIGHT!
Dinah: CROWD ME, MAMA, 멌AUSE IT뭆 SATURDAY NIGHT!
Both: WELL ZOOT, WELL BOOT, WELL-WELL ALL-ROOT
WITH A HEP-A-HEP-A-HEP-A AND A STEP-STEP-STEP
(They do a verse of echo-scat, Danny leading.)
Both: WELL ZOOT, WELL BOOT, WELL-WELL ALL-ROOT
WITH A HEP-HEP-HEP-HEP-HEP!