Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah facts for kids

"Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" is a song composed by Allie Wrubel with lyrics by Ray Gilbert for the Disney 1946 live action and animated movie Song of the South, sung by James Baskett. For "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah", the film won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and was the second in a long line of Disney songs to win this award, after "When You Wish upon a Star" from Pinocchio (1940). In 2004, it finished at number 47 in AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs, a survey of top tunes in American cinema.

Disney historian Jim Korkis said the word "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" was reportedly invented by Walt Disney, who had a fondness for these types of nonsense words from "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" to "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious." The song is likely influenced by the chorus of the pre-Civil War folk song "Zip Coon", a "Turkey in the Straw" variation: "Zip a duden duden duden zip a duden day".

Notable versions

The Walt Disney Company never released a single from the soundtrack.

• Johnny Mercer & The Pied Pipers had a no. 8 hit with their rendition of the song in December, 1947 and January, 1948. The flip side of the record was "Everybody Has a Laughing Place", from the same movie and by the same composers. As a result, Mercer had to correct listeners who mistakenly assumed that he wrote it. This version is played regularly on Sirius's 40s channel.
• The Modernaires with Paula Kelly - this reached the No. 11 spot in the Billboard charts in 1946.
• Sammy Kaye & His Orchestra - this also reached the No. 11 spot in the Billboard charts in 1946.
• The King's Men did a cover of the song during the "Johnson's Wax 60th Anniversary" episode of Fibber McGee and Molly.
• The Dave Clark Five recorded a version, released in 1964 on the albums The Dave Clark Five Return! and A Session with the Dave Clark Five.
• Louis Armstrong included it on Disney Songs the Satchmo Way (1966).

Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans version

"Zip-a-Dee Doo-Dah"
Single by Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans
from the album Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah
B-side	"Flip and Nitty"
Released	1962
Studio	Gold Star Studios, Los Angeles
Genre	Pop
Length	2:40
Label	Philles
Songwriter(s)	Allie Wrubel, Ray Gilbert
Producer(s)	Phil Spector
Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans singles chronology
"Zip-a-Dee Doo-Dah" (1962) "Why Do Lovers Break Each Other's Heart" (1962)

Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans, a Phil Spector-produced American rhythm and blues trio from Los Angeles, recorded "Zip-a-Dee Doo-Dah" using the Wrecking Crew in late 1962. According to the Beatles' George Harrison: "When Phil Spector was making 'Zip-A-Dee Doo-Dah', the engineer who's set up the track overloaded the microphone on the guitar player and it became very distorted. Phil Spector said, 'Leave it like that, it's great.' Some years later everyone started to try to copy that sound and so they invented the fuzz box." The song also marked the first time his Wall of Sound production formula was fully executed.

In 1963, Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans took their version of the song to number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 7 on the Hot R&B Singles chart. Their song also peaked at number 45 in the UK Singles Chart the same year. The song was included on the only album the group ever recorded, Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah, issued on the Philles Records label.

Track listings

1. "Zip-a-Dee Doo-Dah" – 2:40
2. "Flip and Nitty" - 2:20

Personnel

This version was sung by the following people:

• Bobby Sheen – lead vocals
• Darlene Love – background vocals
• Fanita James – background vocals

See also

In Spanish: Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah para niños