# Help me decipher these lyrics from "Zoot Suit Riot" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 28, 2011, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-decipher-these-lyrics-from-zoot-suit-riot/607585 "2011-12-28T02:09:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-decipher-these-lyrics-from-zoot-suit-riot/607585/1 "2011-12-28T02:09:32Z")
Zo dote zi ou Za zay zoo zah Ze zoo zah ze zoo Zah zah zah Play aba rig op Date day day That’s the way the “words” are usually spelled in karaoke lyrics, anyway. I would dismiss this as so much “fa la la” except that the song is an imitation (or, if you prefer, revival) of Swing-era music, the 1930s and '40s, when Pig-Latin was popular and there might have been other forms of jargon and slang I’ve never heard of. Do these lyrics, perhaps, actually **mean** something? ---
**Author:** ![missinformation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@missinformation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missinformation)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-decipher-these-lyrics-from-zoot-suit-riot/607585/2 "2011-12-28T02:46:44Z")
IIRC, there were actually riots in the 1940’s over the making of zoot suits. They used alot of fabric, which, at the time was being rationed for uniforms and parachutes (the silk lining for parachutes.) from wikipedia: [Zoot Suit Riots - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoot_Suit_Riots) ---
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-decipher-these-lyrics-from-zoot-suit-riot/607585/3 "2011-12-28T02:54:15Z")
Nope, just scat singing to go along with the instrumental section. Nothing more, nothing less. Missinformation, the OP is relatively brief. You could have probably read it before posting. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-decipher-these-lyrics-from-zoot-suit-riot/607585/4 "2011-12-28T04:33:34Z")
> [@Strainger](#): > > Nope, just scat singing to go along with the instrumental section. Nothing more, nothing less. How do you know that? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-decipher-these-lyrics-from-zoot-suit-riot/607585/5 "2011-12-28T04:48:16Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > How do you know that? I don’t _know_ that, but I have to agree with **Strainger**. It clearly sounds like standard scatting to me, which would have been popular in that era. ---
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-decipher-these-lyrics-from-zoot-suit-riot/607585/6 "2011-12-28T04:58:04Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > How do you know that? Years of listening to and karaokeing the song plus a complete lack of references to the scat syllables as anything but scat syllables (if they’re referenced at all) are my cite. Seriously though, as a former boss of mine used to say, you’re thinking too hard. ---
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-decipher-these-lyrics-from-zoot-suit-riot/607585/7 "2011-12-28T05:24:50Z")
Here’s a little bit better cite: [ZOOT SUIT RIOT](http://www.worcesterphoenix.com/archive/music/97/05/16/otr/CHERRY_POPPIN_DADDIES.html) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-decipher-these-lyrics-from-zoot-suit-riot/607585/8 "2011-12-28T05:29:36Z")
> [@Strainger](#): > > Seriously though, as a former boss of mine used to say, you’re thinking too hard. Remember where you are, dude! Every mondegreen is worth a thread! There’s got to be a Klingon proverb about that . . . ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-decipher-these-lyrics-from-zoot-suit-riot/607585/9 "2011-12-28T07:19:16Z")
Y’all aren’t being very helpful. Here’s a translation for you: Zo dote zi ou = _Hi de hi de hi de hi_ Za zay zoo zah = _Ho de ho de ho de ho_ Ze zoo zah ze zoo = _Skiddly diddly day_ Zah zah zah = _Skooby dooby doo_ Play aba rig op = _Hey bop a ree bop_ Date day day = _De boodly ack a-sacky_ Glad to be of service. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-decipher-these-lyrics-from-zoot-suit-riot/607585/10 "2011-12-28T20:46:59Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > Y’all aren’t being very helpful. Here’s a translation for you: > > Zo dote zi ou = _Hi de hi de hi de hi_ > Za zay zoo zah = _Ho de ho de ho de ho_ > Ze zoo zah ze zoo = _Skiddly diddly day_ > Zah zah zah = _Skooby dooby doo_ > Play aba rig op = _Hey bop a ree bop_ > Date day day = _De boodly ack a-sacky_ > > Glad to be of service. 😃 You’re just Mooching for compliments. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-decipher-these-lyrics-from-zoot-suit-riot/607585/11 "2011-12-29T05:29:21Z")
> [@missinformation](#): > > IIRC, there were actually riots in the 1940’s over the making of zoot suits. They used alot of fabric, which, at the time was being rationed for uniforms and parachutes (the silk lining for parachutes.) > > from wikipedia: [Zoot Suit Riots - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoot_Suit_Riots) That’s weird - you’re wrong about the cause of the Zoot Suit Riots yet you linked right to the article with the correct information. The Zoot Suit Riots (which don’t quite have anything to do with the passage in the OP - that is just scat) were basically racially-charged riots. It started with a fight between young Mexican-American men and some servicemen. I guess you could say that the servicemen thought that the Mexican kids were being disrespectful by wearing such extravagant clothing in times of personal sacrifice but…well I’d guess that “the making of zoot suits” was not the crux of the problem. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-decipher-these-lyrics-from-zoot-suit-riot/607585/12 "2011-12-29T19:19:24Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > That’s weird - you’re wrong about the cause of the Zoot Suit Riots yet you linked right to the article with the correct information. If it matters, based on a message to the staff, **missinformation** realized this a little while after she posted. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-decipher-these-lyrics-from-zoot-suit-riot/607585/13 "2011-12-30T19:50:52Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > If it matters, based on a message to the staff, **missinformation** realized this a little while after she posted. Also weird is that she didn’t correct herself in this thread…lol Ah well, hopefully people clicked on the link! ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-decipher-these-lyrics-from-zoot-suit-riot/607585/14 "2011-12-30T19:59:33Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Also weird is that she didn’t correct herself in this thread…lol Why would someone named **missinformation** correct themselves after being wrong? Her work is done! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-decipher-these-lyrics-from-zoot-suit-riot/607585/15 "2011-12-30T20:06:26Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Remember where you are, dude! Every mondegreen is worth a thread! There’s got to be a Klingon proverb about that . . . I believe the proverb is “Only Nixon can go to China.” ---
**Author:** ![Yodalicious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yodalicious/32/8195_2.png) [@Yodalicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yodalicious)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-decipher-these-lyrics-from-zoot-suit-riot/607585/16 "2011-12-30T21:15:53Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > You’re just Mooching for compliments. Nice.