Ol’ Man Mose



Duchin's 1938 release of the Louis Armstrong song "Ol' Man Mose" (Brunswick Records 8155) with vocal by Patricia Norman caused a minor scandal at the time with the lyric "bucket" being heard as "fuck it." Some listeners conclude that there is no vulgarism uttered, while others are convinced that Norman does say "fuck."

The "scandalous" lyrics caused the record to zoom to #2 on the Billboard charts, resulting in sales of 170,000 copies when sales of 20,000 were considered a blockbuster. The song was banned after its release in Great Britain. The notorious number can be heard on a British novelty CD, Beat the Band to the Bar.


Listen for yourself, and register your vote in the comments!
     Posted By: Paul - Mon Aug 03, 2020
     Category: Music | Obscenity | 1930s





Comments
"Scuse me, while I kiss this guy...
Posted by KDP on 08/03/20 at 04:42 PM
In Paul McCartney's song "With a Little Luck" he utters the "F" word twice in place of "luck".
Posted by MSA in FLA on 08/04/20 at 06:16 AM
I have the real lyrics for "Louie Louie", but I can't give them out in mixed company.
Posted by Virtual in Carnate on 08/04/20 at 04:02 PM
"There's a bathroom on the right."
Posted by zsleepwalker on 08/06/20 at 05:46 PM
@Virtual: So do I, and I can...

Louie, Louie, oh, oh, me gotta go
Louie, Louie, oh, oh, me gotta go

Fine little girl she waits for me
Me catch the ship for cross the sea
Me sail the ship all alone
Me never think me make it home

Louie, Louie...

Three nights and days me sail the sea
Me think of girl constantly
On the ship I dream she there
Me smell the rose in her hair

Louie, Louie...

Me see Jamaica moon above
It won't be long, me see my love
I take her in my arms and then
Me tell her I never leave again

Louie, Louie...

It's in patois, that's why the Kingsmen had no idea what they were pretending to sing, and neither did the... whichever office (or offices in various countries) it was that attempted to investigate it. But it's not nearly as dubious as it's been made out to be.
Posted by Richard Bos on 08/08/20 at 09:36 AM
By the way: I find it a very interesting phenomenon that younger generations are re-introduced to swing music and similar "old-fashioned" genres through the medium of computer games. And I can not but approve whole-heartedly.
Posted by Richard Bos on 08/08/20 at 09:40 AM
Richard, those aren't the real lyrics. That's some sort of arcane maritime prattle.
Posted by Virtual in Carnate on 08/08/20 at 03:27 PM
That’s not the lyrics my fellow high-schoolers said.
Posted by Judy on 08/08/20 at 04:30 PM
@Virtual, @Judy: Exactly. Those are the original lyrics, but high school rumours (and McCarthyist busybodies, who weren't any more grown up) imagined that there had to be more to it than that. There never was, but hey, if Bananadine can survive to this day (and I swear, just yesterday I heard not one but three people affirming that they believe in that hokum!), so can the myth of the evil, un-American licentiousness of that Commie threat called "Louie, Louie".
Posted by Richard Bos on 08/08/20 at 05:12 PM
Other than some mixing up of "I" and "me," Richard posted the lyrics as I hear them in the original Richard Berry version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxedxkx88t0
Posted by ges on 08/08/20 at 11:52 PM
@Richard...Ah yes Bananadine. A buddy and I were out with two young ladies on a blind date many, many moons ago. The date ended shortly after the two took a break to smoke dried banana peel. That just added to weird vibe we had been getting with the ladies. But not as bad as the two who told us I Dream of Jeannie was pornography because Jeannie and the Major were living together and not married.
Posted by Steve E. on 08/09/20 at 02:04 PM
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