The selection for this week’s Novelty Friday  is “Witch Doctor” by David Seville — with help from The Chipmunks, of course.

Do you want that special someone to love you? The prescription from the witch doctor is “Oo ee oo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang.” Ross Bagdasarian, Sr., wrote, produced, and sang “Witch Doctor.” He released it under the name David Seville, his character as part of Alvin and the Chipmunks (that is, Alvin, Simon, and Theodore). Bagdasarian did all the voices , and he sped up the playback to create the funny chipmunk sounds. The song was a surprise success, going to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the R&B, and the Cash Box charts in 1958.

Bagdasarian was a pianist, composer, actor, author, and a prolific songwriter. Some of his songs include “Come On-a My House.” “The Chipmunk Song,” “Safari,” and “Armen’s Theme.” He took the name David Seville because during WWII he was stationed in Seville, Spain, and liked it there. He said that the idea for The Witch Doctor was inspired by “Duel with a Witch Doctor” from Jan de Hartog’s  book The Spiral Road.

   
Here are the lyrics to “Witch Doctor” by David Seville with The Chipmunks:

“I told the witch doctor
I was in love with you
I told the witch doctor
I was in love with you
And then the witch doctor
He told me what to do

He told me

Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Ooo eee ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang

Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla ,bing bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang

I told the witch doctor
You didn’t love me true
I told the witch doctor
You didn’t love me nice
And then the witch doctor
He gave me this advice

He said that

Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang

Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang

You’ve been keeping love from me
Just like you were a miser
And I’ll admit I wasn’t very smart
So I went out and found myself
A guy that’s so much wiser
And he taught me the way to win your heart.

My friend the witch doctor
He taught me what to say
My friend the witch doctor
He taught me what to do
I know that you’ll be mine
When I say this to you

Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang

Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang

You’ve been keeping love from me
Just like you were a miser
And I’ll admit I wasn’t very smart
So I went out and found myself
A guy that’s so much wiser
And he taught me the way to win your heart.

My friend the witch doctor
He taught me what to say
My friend the witch doctor
He taught me what to do
I know that you’ll be mine
When I say this to you, oh baby

Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang

Come on, and

Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang…etc.”

If you are interested in purchasing music by Alvin and The Chipmunks, please consider this: Greatest Hits

If you would like to read about another rock and roll novelty song, “The Purple People Eater” by Sheb Wooley, please click here.

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.

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 “Witch Doctor” by David Seville with The Chipmunks.