Dinah Shore - Tess's Torch Song lyrics
rate meTess's Torch Song<br />
Dinah Shore<br />
(Ted Koehler & Harold Arlen)<br />
<br />
I HAD A MAN.<br />
HE WAS A GOOD MAN.<br />
THAT IS, YOU SEE, WHAT I MEAN IS<br />
I THOUGHT HE WAS A GOOD MAN.<br />
I HAD A FRIEND.<br />
SHE WAS A GOOD FRIEND.<br />
I TOLD MY FRIEND BOUT MY MAN CAUSE<br />
I THOUGHT SHE WAS A GOOD FRIEND.<br />
LIFE WAS SWEET.<br />
didn't I HAVE MY MAN?<br />
WORLD COMPLETE...<br />
THEN THE FIREWORKS BEGAN.<br />
AINT GOT NO MAN.<br />
AINT GOT NO FRIEND.<br />
I BET YOU CAN GUESS<br />
JUST EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.<br />
THAT WAS THE END,<br />
THE END OF MY FRIEND,<br />
THE END OF MY MAN,<br />
AND ALMOST THE END OF ME.<br />
OH YES, OH YES, I HAD A MAN.<br />
OOO-DOO-DOO-DOO-DOO,<br />
THAT IS, YOU SEE, WHAT I MEAN IS<br />
I THOUGHT HE WAS A GOOD MAN.<br />
I HAD A FRIEND<br />
I SAID, I HAD A FRIEND<br />
UMM-MMM-MMM-MMM-MMM<br />
I TOLD MY FRIEND BOUT MY MAN<br />
CAUSE I THOUGHT SHE WAS A GOOD FRIEND.<br />
LIFE WAS SWEET.<br />
didn't I HAVE MY MAN, MY MAN<br />
WORLD COMPLETE...<br />
THEN THE FIREWORKS BEGAN.<br />
AINT GOT NO MAN.<br />
AINT GOT NO FRIEND.<br />
I BET YOU CAN GUESS<br />
JUST EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.<br />
THAT WAS THE END,<br />
THE END OF MY FRIEND,<br />
THE END OF MY MAN,<br />
AND DARNED NEAR THE END OF ME.<br />
<br />
Danny Kaye's wife, Sylvia Fine, adapted it to a jive version that was done<br />
in a "Mail Call" program in 1944 by Danny and Dinah:<br />
<br />
TESSS TORCH SONG - JIVEBEST FRIEND...<br />
Dinah: OH, SO-SO-SO SO SWEET AS CHOCOLATE MALTER.<br />
Danny: I TOLD MY FRIEND BOUT MY GAL<br />
CAUSE I THOUGHT HE WAS MY BEST FRIEND!<br />
Dinah: SHOOT THE BROMO TO ME, RAMON.<br />
LIFE WAS SWEET...<br />
Danny: I WAS A HA-AA-APPY MAN!<br />
Dinah: WORLD COMPLETE...<br />
Danny: THEN CAME THE BUST-UP, THEY BUSTED MY TRUST UP.<br />
THE FIREWORKS BEGAN.<br />
Dinah: YOU LOST YOUR GAL...<br />
Danny: OH, LEARNED JACKSON, BLOW THOSE BLUES FOR ME.<br />
Dinah: YOU LOST YOUR FRIEND...<br />
Danny: OH, MURDER, MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE!<br />
Dinah: I GOT A FEELIN?THAT SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN.<br />
Both: THIS WONT BE THE END -- NO, NO<br />
I'll FIND A NEW FRIEND -- YES, YES<br />
I'll FIND A NEW GAL -- HO, HO<br />
THIS WONT BE THE END OF ME.<br />
<br />
Both: WELL ZOOT, WELL BOOT, WELL WELL ALL-ROOT<br />
WITH A HEP-A-HEP-A-HEP-A AND A STEP-STEP-STEP<br />
Dinah: GREETINGS, GATE, HOWYA BEEN?<br />
Danny: OH FEELIN?GREAT, GIMME SOME SKIN!<br />
Dinah: LOOKIN?SHARP!<br />
Danny: OH, SHARP AS A HARP!<br />
Dinah: FEELIN?KEEN?<br />
Danny: HEY, KEEN AS A BEAN.<br />
Dinah: NO TEARS FOR MARY?<br />
Danny: AS DRY AS A PRAIRIE.<br />
Dinah: NO WOE FOR JOE?<br />
Danny: OH NO, NO, NO.<br />
Dinah: NO BEATIN?THE GRAY?<br />
Danny: OH NAY, NAY, NAY.<br />
Dinah: NO BUSTED TICKER?<br />
Danny: OH, TICKER TICKIN?SLICKER.<br />
Dinah: WELL, TOAST ME, MELBA<br />
IS THIS A FACT?<br />
Danny: BEAT ME DADDY --[hand slap]-- AND I'll HIT YOU BACK!<br />
<br />
Both: WELL ZOOT, WELL BOOT, WELL-WELL ALL-ROOT<br />
WITH A HEP-A-HEP-A-HEP-A AND A STEP-STEP-STEP<br />
Danny: HEY, GOOD LOOKIN?<br />
Dinah: what'sA IS-A COOKIN?<br />
Danny: FEELIN?GROOVY?<br />
Dinah: GROOVY AS A MOVIE!<br />
Danny: SOFT AND MELLOW?<br />
Dinah: MELLOW AS-A JELLO.<br />
Danny: WANNA BE MY CHICKEN?<br />
Dinah: NOW YOUS A-CLICKIN?<br />
Danny: NO YAK-YAK?<br />
Dinah: SOLID, JACK!<br />
Danny: WELL, RATION ME SOME PASSION,<br />
PITCH ME SOME WOO<br />
Dinah: ON THE BUTTON, GLUTTON --(kiss)--SMACKEROO!<br />
Danny: WELL, GRILL ME, LAMB CHOP<br />
WELL, ALL RIGHT!<br />
Dinah: CROWD ME, MAMA, CAUSE it's SATURDAY NIGHT!<br />
<br />
Both: WELL ZOOT, WELL BOOT, WELL-WELL ALL-ROOT<br />
WITH A HEP-A-HEP-A-HEP-A AND A STEP-STEP-STEP<br />
(They do a verse of echo-scat, Danny leading.)<br />
<br />
Both: WELL ZOOT, WELL BOOT, WELL-WELL ALL-ROOT<br />
WITH A HEP-HEP-HEP-HEP-HEP!<br />
<br />
These are pretty obscure numbers, but they're really entertaining!<br />
--Gary Moody
