# Lyrics To The Popeye Song **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 11, 2007, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyrics-to-the-popeye-song/403755 "2007-05-11T21:45:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zambini57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/4491bb/32.png) [@Zambini57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zambini57)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyrics-to-the-popeye-song/403755/1 "2007-05-11T21:45:21Z")
Nearest I can come up with is: Skiddly eye do do re bim da bo Reet skat doodly do ree bim da bob Skiddly eye do do rum di bim da bee Reet skay diddly eye doo rim da bob Skeetin scattin skiddlyeye diddoo rop Skiddly eye doo rum dee bo Is this correct? ---
**Author:** ![Zambini57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/4491bb/32.png) [@Zambini57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zambini57)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyrics-to-the-popeye-song/403755/2 "2007-05-11T21:49:18Z")
[QUOTE=Zambini57] Nearest I can come up with is: Skiddly eye do do re bim da bo Reet skat doodly do ree bim da bob Skiddly eye do do rum di bim da bee Reet skay diddly eye doo rim da bob Skeetin scattin skiddlyeye diddoo rop Skiddly eye doo rum dee bo Is this correct? [/QUOTE] Fourth line, second word should be “skat”, not “skay”. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyrics-to-the-popeye-song/403755/3 "2007-05-11T21:53:10Z")
Questions about the ARTS, which include song lyrics, seem to do best in Cafe Society. Moved. **samclem** GQ moderator ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyrics-to-the-popeye-song/403755/4 "2007-05-12T22:21:43Z")
I heard an alternate lyric back in the first grade. I only remember one couplet: “I’m Popeye, the sailor man, [toot-toot!] I live in a garbage can, [toot-toot!]…” If anybody can help fill this in, I’d be much obliged. No doubt this was penned by the same wits who came up with the Snoopy-inspired alternate lyrics to the Steve Miller Band’s "Fly Like an Eagle: “I want to fly like a beagle To the sea Fly like a beagle Let your big ears carry me…” ---
**Author:** ![Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Only_Mostly_Dead)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyrics-to-the-popeye-song/403755/5 "2007-05-12T23:38:27Z")
I’d always heard “I’m Popeye the sailor man, Popeye the sailor man. I fights to the finish [finich] 'cause I eats me spinach. Popeye the sailor man (toot, toot).” And the alternate “garbage can” second line. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2007, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyrics-to-the-popeye-song/403755/6 "2007-05-13T00:11:37Z")
[QUOTE=The Scrivener] I heard an alternate lyric back in the first grade. I only remember one couplet: “I’m Popeye, the sailor man, [toot-toot!] I live in a garbage can, [toot-toot!]…” If anybody can help fill this in, I’d be much obliged. [/QUOTE] He’s Popeye the sailor man He lives in a garbage can He turned on the gas And burned off his ass He’s Popeye the sailor man ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2007, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyrics-to-the-popeye-song/403755/7 "2007-05-13T00:25:28Z")
I’m Popeye the sailor man I live in a garbage can I love to go swimmin’ With bow-legged women\* I’m Popeye the sailor man. - alternately, “bald-headed women” ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2007, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyrics-to-the-popeye-song/403755/8 "2007-05-13T02:15:27Z")
Yet another version. I’m Popeye the sailor man I live in a garbage can I eat all the worms And spit out the germs I’m Popeye the sailor man (toot toot) Courtesy The Babysitters’ Club, ca. the late '80s. ---
**Author:** ![lowbrass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dc4da7/32.png) [@lowbrass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lowbrass)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2007, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyrics-to-the-popeye-song/403755/9 "2007-05-13T08:40:22Z")
[QUOTE=Yookeroo] He’s Popeye the sailor man He lives in a garbage can He turned on the gas And burned off his ass He’s Popeye the sailor man [/QUOTE] Should be “frying pan” I’m Popeye the sailor man I live in a frying pan I turn on the gas And burn up my ass I’m Popeye the sailor man ---
**Author:** ![lowbrass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dc4da7/32.png) [@lowbrass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lowbrass)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2007, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyrics-to-the-popeye-song/403755/10 "2007-05-13T08:41:50Z")
And to gratuitously throw in another one: Jingle Bells, Batman smells Robin laid an egg Batmobile lost a wheel Joker got away… ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2007, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyrics-to-the-popeye-song/403755/11 "2007-05-13T09:57:11Z")
I don’t understand the OP. Could someone explain it to me as though I were stupid? -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2007, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyrics-to-the-popeye-song/403755/12 "2007-05-13T13:08:21Z")
[QUOTE=lowbrass] And to gratuitously throw in another one: Jingle Bells, Batman smells Robin laid an egg Batmobile lost a wheel Joker got away… [/QUOTE] This works even better when you sing it in Lounge Singer style, just like in that Simpsons Episode where Bart opens a Casino… ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2007, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyrics-to-the-popeye-song/403755/13 "2007-05-13T13:10:03Z")
[QUOTE=Frylock] I don’t understand the OP. Could someone explain it to me as though I were stupid? -FrL- [/QUOTE] [Popeye The Sailor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popeye) ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2007, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyrics-to-the-popeye-song/403755/14 "2007-05-13T13:16:26Z")
I’m Popeye the sailor man I live in a caravan I sleep with my granny and tickle her fanny I’m Popeye the sailor man (toot toot) - Version I remember from the early '70s. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2007, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyrics-to-the-popeye-song/403755/15 "2007-05-13T13:21:24Z")
The OP is apparently asking about Popeye’s scat singing, but at the bottom of [this page](http://www.math.pitt.edu/~bard/bardware/popeye/faq.html) there are all of the lyrics to the theme song. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2007, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyrics-to-the-popeye-song/403755/16 "2007-05-13T13:28:35Z")
[QUOTE=Martini Enfield] [Popeye The Sailor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popeye) [/QUOTE] Yes, I know who Popeye is. What I don’t get is what’s with all the skat lyrics? They have no resemblance to anything I recognize as having anything to do with a Popeye theme song. -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2007, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyrics-to-the-popeye-song/403755/17 "2007-05-13T14:26:21Z")
[QUOTE=The Scrivener] I heard an alternate lyric back in the first grade. I only remember one couplet: “I’m Popeye, the sailor man, [toot-toot!] I live in a garbage can, [toot-toot!]…” If anybody can help fill this in, I’d be much obliged. [/QUOTE] Blah-blah-blah blah-blah-blah Cuz I eats me spinach I’m Popeye the sailor man! (toot-toot!) ---
**Author:** ![Proudest\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/proudest_monkey/32/13257_2.png) [@Proudest\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Proudest_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2007, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyrics-to-the-popeye-song/403755/18 "2007-05-13T16:11:22Z")
[QUOTE=Tangent] I’m Popeye the sailor man I live in a garbage can I love to go swimmin’ With bow-legged women\* I’m Popeye the sailor man. - alternately, “bald-headed women” [/QUOTE] - With bare-naked women Ooohhh. . . how naughty we felt singing that when we were 8! ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2007, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyrics-to-the-popeye-song/403755/19 "2007-05-13T17:52:55Z")
I do remember Popeye singing some skat when he wasn’t occupied with wooing Olive Oyl or beating up Brutus (or Bluto, depending on how old the particular cartoon was) but it’s been so long since I’ve seen any Popeye cartoons that I don’t remember the exact wording. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2007, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyrics-to-the-popeye-song/403755/20 "2007-05-13T18:08:31Z")
The funny thing is, even though I’d long since resigned myself to never knowing the ersatz Popeye lyrics, now that I’ve got a very young niece & nephew, I’m finding new uses for all sorts of fun juvenilia. I’ll try to remember these for the next time I see them… Thanks, guys! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyrics-to-the-popeye-song/403755.md?page=2)