REQ: Kemo Kimo

[Stephen Celuzza]

Hi folks,

This is a song my wife remembers playing from a 78 rpm Nat King Cole
record while growing up. I'd like to see the actual lyrics, if
anybody knows where to find them.

Phonetically, from memory, they are approximately:

Kemo, Kimo, spare a stare
ma high, ma ho, ma rock stick a pop-a-nickel
soup bang nip cap Polly Mitch a Cameo
I love you!

Ring any bells?

Stephen

[Breezi4909]

>Phonetically, from memory, they are approximately:
>
>Kemo, Kimo, spare a stare
>ma high, ma ho, ma rock stick a pop-a-nickel
>soup bang nip cap Polly Mitch a Cameo
>I love you!

I don't have the Nat King Cole lyrics, but Kemo Kimo is a folk song from the
southern U.S. and there are several variations on it. My 5th grade songbook
from 1958 calls it Keemio Kimio and the line in it "most" similar to what you
recalled is "Keemio ma kimio ma darey O ma wear. Mee hi mee ho, in come Sally
Single, sometime Penny Winkle". Another version (from a website) has it as
"Kemo Kimo dear ah, oh. Ma hi, ma hon, Willie Billie Bink dum, Rumpa dumpa doo
dah" (yes these are actual lyrics, LOL) Still another site lists that
particular verse as "Kemo Kimo! There! Oh where? With my hi, my ho, and in
come Sally singing, sometimes penny winkle, lingtum, nipcat, sing song kitty
can't you ki me oh!" Unfortunately, on the several Nat King Cole websites I
checked, I couldn't find any mention of HIS rendition of this song--- the
lyrics of which were possibly those he learned or was taught in the specific
region he grew up in. Just guessing though......:)