Doo Wop

The Bobbettes were a 1950s girl doo wop group probably best known for their song “Mr. Lee.” The Bobbettes, from New York City, originally wrote “Mr. Lee” as a complaint against a strict math teacher they didn’t like. Atlantic records felt that the song was too negative and changed the story to a girl with a crush on her teacher. Atlantic must have been onto something because, in 1957, Mr. Lee rose to #1 on the R&B Chart and #6 on the Billboard Pop Chart. The song made them the first girl group to have a #1 R&B hit and a Top 10 American Pop hit. (There was their novelty follow-up song “I Shot Mr. Lee,” which expressed how they actually felt about their teacher. They recorded it in 1958 with Atlantic, who would not release it. However, when Atlantic released them from their contract, the rerecorded it for Triple-X, and it went to #52. Atlantic then put out the original version of it. There’s so much that’s wrong with this on so many levels, but that’s what happened.)

Here are the lyrics to “Mr Lee” by The Bobbettes. They’re simple and fun. You get the idea:

“One, two, three, hey, look at Mr. Lee
Three, four, five, hey, look at him jive

Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee, oh, Mr. Lee
Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee, oh, Mr. Lee
Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee, oh, Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee

I met my sweetie, his name is Mr. Lee
(Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee)
I met my sweetie, his name is Mr. Lee
(Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee)
Oh, he’s the handsomest sweetie that you ever did see
(Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee)

My heart is achin’ for you Mr. Lee
(Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee)
My heart is achin’ for you Mr. Lee
(Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee)
‘Cause I love you so and I’ll never let you go
(Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee)

Oh, Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee, oh, Mr. Lee
Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee, oh, Mr. Lee
Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee, oh, Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee

Here comes Mr. Lee, he’s coming for me
Here comes Mr. Lee, he’s coming for me
He’s my lover boy, let’s jump for joy

Come on Mr. Lee and do your stuff
Come on Mr. Lee and do your stuff
‘Cause you’re gonna be mine till the end of time

One, two, three, hey, look at Mr. Lee
Three, four, five, hey, look at him jive

One, two, three, hey, look at Mr. Lee
Three, four, five, hey, look at him jive

Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee, oh, Mr. Lee
Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee, oh, Mr. Lee
Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee, oh, Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee

Ah, Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee, oh, Mr. Lee”
The Bobbettes were from the Spanish Harlem section of New York City and formed as an R&B and doo wop group in 1955, initially calling themselves “The Harlem Queens.” Group members were Jannie Pought, Emma Pought, Reather Dixon, Laura Webb, and Helen Gathers. They met at the Glee Club while attending P.S. 109.

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 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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