Doo Wop

This novelty doo wop song, based on Washington Irving’s short story of the same name, is a little light-hearted fare for this Halloween. Talk about a sleeper; this record was released three times before it became a hit. It was first released in 1961 on Delta Records and then in 1962 on Roulette. The third time was the charm, and when Roulette released it again in 1964, it went to #36 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

The Devotions were a vocal group from Astoria, Queens, New York, who formed in 1960. They were Bob Weisbrod, Ray Sanchez, Bob Hovorka, Frank Pardo, Joe Pardo, and Eugene McCaffery.

Here are the lyrics to “Rip Van Winkle” by The Devotions:

(Rolling ball, pins falling)
Wow-wee, ha, ha, ha, haaaaa, a strike

Boom-boom-boom, boom-a-boom-boom
Boom-boom-boom, boom-a-boom-boom, boom

Rip Van Winkle, Rip van Winkle
Sleep, sleep, sleep, ha, ha, ha, haaaaa
Rip Van Winkle, Rip Van Winkle
Sleep, sleep, sleep
Boom-boom-boom boom-a-boom-boom
Boom-boom-boom boom-a-boom-boom, boom

He fell asleep in the woods one day
Spent twenty years of his life that way

Boom-boom-boom boom-a-boom-boom
Boom-boom-boom boom-a-boom-boom, boom

Rip Van Winkle, Rip van Winkle
Sleep, sleep, sleep

That nagging wife kept all of his coin
None of his friends did he ever join

While those little elves bowled on the green
He would dream, dream, dream

Oh well, he left his nagging wife now
He slept for 20 years
Didn’t bother to wake up
He grew a long white beard
This is how the story goes
Listen my children and you will hear

He fell asleep in the woods one day
Spent twenty years of his life that way
That nagging wife kept all of his coin
None of his friends did he ever join
Rip Van Winkle, Rip van Winkle
Doo, doo, doo, doo, da-doo

Boom-boom-boom boom-a-boom-boom
Boom-boom-boom boom-a-boom-boom, boom

Rip Van Winkle, Rip van Winkle
Sleep, sleep, sleep
Rip Van Winkle, Rip Van Winkle
Sleep, sleep, sleep
Rip Van Winkle, Rip van Winkle
Slept his life away
Rip Van Winkle, Rip Van Winkle
Slept his life away

Boom-boom-boom boom-a-boom-boom
Boom-boom-boom boom-a-boom-boom, boom

Those little elf bowled on the green
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz [snoring]
(Rolling ball, pins falling, “wow-wee!”)

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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