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Beep Beep by The Playmates

The Playmates Beep Beep

This novelty pop song by The Playmates  describes a competition between the drivers of a Cadillac and a Nash Rambler — with a surprise ending.  “Beep Beep”  was written by group members Donny Conn (born Donald Claps) and Chic Hetti (born Carl Cicchetti). In 1958, the song rose to #4 on the U.S. Billboard Top 40 Chart at #4. It sold more than one million copies and earned an RIAA gold records. The group appeared on Milton Berle’s show in December of 1958. The song was also popular in the U.K. Because of the BBC policy that songs could not mention brand names in the lyrics, the U.K. version replaced Cadillac and Nash Rambler with limousine and bubble car. The song is known for its use of “accelerando,” which is a musical term for when the tempo speeds up through the song. And it is used very appropriately in “Beep Beep.

The Playmates were Chic Hetti (piano),  Donny Conn) (drums), and Morey Carr (born Morey Cohen) (vocals and alleged automobile hornist). They were from Waterbury, Connecticut, and met at the University of Connecticut. They began as a comedy group called “The Nitwits” and toured in the U.S  and Canada. They became The Playmates as they took up singing. However, comedy routines continued to be part of the act.  They had three other Top 40 hits in the 1950s/early 1960s.

Here are the lyrics to “Beep Beep” by The Playmates:

While riding in my Cadillac, what, to my surprise,

A little Nash Rambler was following me, about one-third my size.
The guy must have wanted it to pass me up
As he kept on tooting his horn. Beep! Beep!
I’ll show him that a Cadillac is not a car to scorn.

Refrain:
Beep, beep. (Beep, beep.)
Beep, beep. (Beep, beep.)
His horn went, beep, beep, beep. (Beep! Beep!).

I pushed my foot down to the floor to give the guy the shake,
But the little Nash Rambler stayed right behind; he still had on his brake.
He must have thought his car had more guts
As he kept on tooting his horn. Beep! Beep!
I’ll show him that a Cadillac is not a car to scorn.

Beep, beep. (Beep, beep.)
Beep, beep. (Beep, beep.)
His horn went, beep, beep, beep. (Beep! Beep!).

My car went into passing gear and we took off with dust.
And soon we were doin’ ninety, must have left him in the dust.
When I peeked in the mirror of my car,
I couldn’t believe my eyes.
The little Nash Rambler was right behind, you’d think that guy could fly.

Beep, beep. (Beep, beep.)
Beep, beep. (Beep, beep.)
His horn went, beep, beep, beep. (Beep! Beep!).

Now we’re doing a hundred and ten, it certainly was a race.
For a Rambler to pass a Caddy would be a big disgrace.
For the guy who wanted to pass me,
He kept on tooting his horn. Beep! Beep!
I’ll show him that a Cadillac is not a car to scorn.

Beep, beep. (Beep, beep.)
Beep, beep. (Beep, beep.)
His horn went, beep, beep, beep. (Beep! Beep!).

Now we’re doing a hundred and twenty, as fast as I could go.
The Rambler pulled alongside of me as if I were going slow.
The fellow rolled down his window and yelled for me to hear,
Hey, buddy, how can I get this car out of second gear?

For More Golden Oldies Music                                

The Daily Doo Wop Rec Room has daily featured doo wop music, rock and roll hits, R&B, or rockabilly songs that werewere hits during the first era of rock and roll (that is, from about 1952 until the British invasion in 1964). After a song is featured, it then goes into the juke box. You are welcome to listen to any of the 40+ selections there. Every weekend, there is a Golden Oldies Juke Box Saturday Night, and the juke box is full of song requests from the 1950s and 1960s.

Please click here for the Daily Doo Wop YouTube channel, to which you can subscribe. Thank you for stopping by The Daily Doo Wop. Hope you enjoyed “Beep Beep” by The Playmates.

2 Comments

  1. Greg says:

    This is one of my all-time favorite songs/bands (coming from a millennial!) These guys are the definition of underrated. Does any live footage of this band exist? Beep Beep or otherwise?

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