Rock and Roll Novelty Song

Golden oldies music would sometimes make references in songs to other golden oldies music. Such is the case with “Splish Splash.” The idea for “Splish Splash” came up in a conversation between Bobby Darin and  New York disc jockey Murray Kaufman (“Murray The K”). Kaufman bet Darin that he couldn’t write a song beginning with the words, “Splish Splash, I was takin’ a bath.”  Darin accepted the challenge, and they immediately went to work and co-wrote “Splish Splash.” The song’s authorship was credited to Darin and “Jean Murray” (a combination Kaufman and Kaufman’s mother’s name), which was done to avoid any accusations of payola. The song helped to give Darin a major boost in his career, reaching # 3 on the U.S. Pop Singles Chart in 1958. The lyrics mention several characters from other songs of the period, including “Lollipop,” “Peggy Sue,” and “Good Golly Miss Molly.”

Darin was born Walden Robert Cassotto in The Bronx, New York, in 1936. He began as a songwriter and wrote songs for artists such as Connie Francis. “Splish Splash” was own first million-selling record. He had other hits with “Dream Lover,” “Mack the Knife,” and “Beyond the Sea.”  He was a singer and played several instruments, including the guitar, piano, and drums. His music crossed a number of genres — rock and roll, jazz, blues, pop, swing.  Darin appeared in several films. He was in Come September  and If a Man Answers with Sandra Dee, whom he married in 1960. In the 1960s, he was politically active and worked on Robert Kennedy’s campaign for president. He died in 1973 at the age of 37. He had health issues throughout his life, as rheumatic fever he had as a child weakened his heart.

The lyrics for “Splish Splash” by Bobby Darin are fun:

Splish Splash, I was takin’ a bath
Long about a saturday night, yeah
Rub-a-dub, just relaxin’ in the tub
Thinkin’ everything was alright

Well, I stepped out the tub, put my feet on the floor,
I wrapped the towel around me
And I opened the door, and then
Splish, Splash! I jumped back in the bath
Well how was I to know there was a party going on

They was a-splishin’ and a-splashin’,
Reelin’ with the feelin’, moving and a-groovin,
Rockin’ and a-rollin’, yeah!

Bing bang, I saw the whole gang
Dancing on my living room rug, yeah!
Flip flop, they was doing the bop
All the teens had the dancin bug

There was lollipop with-a Peggy Sue
Good Golly, Miss Molly was-a even there, too!
A-well-a, Splish Splash, I forgot about the bath
I went and put my dancin shoes on, yeah…

I was a rollin’ and a strollin’, reelin’ with the feelin’,
Movin and a groovin’, splishin’ and a splashin, yeah!

Yes, I was a-splishin’ and a splashin’
I was a-rollin’ and a-strollin’
Yeah, I was a-movin’ and a-groovin’… Woo!
We was a-reelin’ with the feelin’.. Ha!
We was a-rollin’ and a-strollin’
Movin with the groovin’
Splish splash, yeah!

I was a-splishin’ and a splashin’ one time
I was a-splishin’ and a splashin’.. Woo-woo!
I was a-movin’ and a-groovin’…..

If you are interested in other songs by Bobby Darin, for different moods and style: “Mack the Knife” “Beyond the Sea,” and “Dream Lover.”

If you are interested in purchasing some of Bobby Darin’s music, please consider this: Splish Splash

For More Golden Oldies Music

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The Daily Doo Wop Rec Room has daily featured doo wop, rock and roll, R&B, or rockabilly songs that were 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.

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