# Song Identification Help: Coo-chi coo-chi ya ya ya ya? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 25, 2006, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-identification-help-coo-chi-coo-chi-ya-ya-ya-ya/358155 "2006-05-25T12:18:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BluePitbull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@BluePitbull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BluePitbull)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-identification-help-coo-chi-coo-chi-ya-ya-ya-ya/358155/1 "2006-05-25T12:18:25Z")
I believe the lyrics is about a black prostitute pleasing a client . I can’t remember the chorous. It was at a karaoke bar so people might have been singing it badly. I believe the lyrics go like this Coo-Chi Coo-Chi ya ya YA ya Something something chocolat Can anyone identify it? ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-identification-help-coo-chi-coo-chi-ya-ya-ya-ya/358155/2 "2006-05-25T12:20:06Z")
Lady Marmalade, pronounced Lady Mar-muh-_lahd_ for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![melondeca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@melondeca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melondeca)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-identification-help-coo-chi-coo-chi-ya-ya-ya-ya/358155/3 "2006-05-25T12:20:36Z")
> [@BluePitbull](#): > > I believe the lyrics is about a black prostitute pleasing a client . I can’t remember the chorous. It was at a karaoke bar so people might have been singing it badly. I believe the lyrics go like this > Coo-Chi Coo-Chi ya ya YA ya > Something something chocolat > > Can anyone identify it? I think you are talking about _Lady Marmalade_ which has been done by a number of artists. ---
**Author:** ![Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stark_Raven_Mad)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-identification-help-coo-chi-coo-chi-ya-ya-ya-ya/358155/4 "2006-05-25T12:22:54Z")
The [wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmalade) says English derives the word from French, which in turn picked it up from Portuguese. That, and the chorus is in French. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-identification-help-coo-chi-coo-chi-ya-ya-ya-ya/358155/5 "2006-05-25T12:22:54Z")
Most notably, Patti LaBelle. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-identification-help-coo-chi-coo-chi-ya-ya-ya-ya/358155/6 "2006-05-25T12:26:20Z")
> [@BluePitbull](#): > > I believe the lyrics is about a black prostitute pleasing a client . I can’t remember the chorous. It was at a karaoke bar so people might have been singing it badly. I believe the lyrics go like this > Coo-Chi Coo-Chi ya ya YA ya > Something something chocolat > > Can anyone identify it? I believe it’s “gitchie-gitchie”…not “coochi-coochi”. ---
**Author:** ![BluePitbull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@BluePitbull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BluePitbull)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-identification-help-coo-chi-coo-chi-ya-ya-ya-ya/358155/7 "2006-05-25T12:35:22Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > I believe it’s “gitchie-gitchie”…not “coochi-coochi”. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-identification-help-coo-chi-coo-chi-ya-ya-ya-ya/358155/8 "2006-05-25T12:47:36Z")
This is from memory, so may not be perfect, but you’ll get the idea: _Gitcha gitcha ya ya da da._–Get your ya ya, daddy. (Ya ya is Cajun slang for woman/pussy.\*) _Gitcha gitcha ya ya he-ah._–Get your ya ya here. _Mocha chocolatta ya ya_–The provider of said ya ya will be a black (mocha/chocolate) woman. _From Creole Lady Marmalade_.–Lady Marmalade is the provider of said ya ya. She is either the madam or the prostitute. ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-identification-help-coo-chi-coo-chi-ya-ya-ya-ya/358155/9 "2006-05-25T14:04:35Z")
> [@melondeca](#): > > I think you are talking about _Lady Marmalade_ which has been done by a number of artists. You know the definitive version still goes to Ozzy. Has anyone else seen that one / know what I’m talking about? Actually an Ozbourne - LaBelle duet would have been one for the ages. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-identification-help-coo-chi-coo-chi-ya-ya-ya-ya/358155/10 "2006-05-25T14:22:00Z")
Thank you for the lyrics explanation–it has been up there with “Louie, Louie” for me for many years… ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-identification-help-coo-chi-coo-chi-ya-ya-ya-ya/358155/11 "2006-05-25T14:29:16Z")
The Master Speaks: [What are the mysterious lyrics in “Lady Marmalade”? (03-Aug-2001)](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/010803.html) ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-identification-help-coo-chi-coo-chi-ya-ya-ya-ya/358155/12 "2006-05-25T14:37:40Z")
It was featured in \*\*Moulin Rouge \*\* as well, by Pink, Christina Aguilera, Mya and Li’l Kim, and received quite a bit of airplay! ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-identification-help-coo-chi-coo-chi-ya-ya-ya-ya/358155/13 "2006-05-25T14:48:38Z")
> [@minlokwat](#): > > Actually an Ozbourne - LaBelle duet would have been one for the ages. **head explodes** ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-identification-help-coo-chi-coo-chi-ya-ya-ya-ya/358155/14 "2006-05-25T17:56:38Z")
That was the worst Cecil column I’ve ever read. He didn’t answer the question at all, never even gave it the time of day. What I’ve read about it in the past is: The first line of that refrain is from an incantation or spell, in whatever kind of rituals they hold in Louisiana. A variation on it wound up as the title of a Rolling Stones album - “Get Yer Ya-Yas Out.” Any Cajuns on the boards? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-identification-help-coo-chi-coo-chi-ya-ya-ya-ya/358155/15 "2006-05-25T18:08:52Z")
> [@fishbicycle](#): > > That was the worst Cecil column I’ve ever read. He didn’t answer the question at all, never even gave it the time of day. I was about to say…Cecil had to be stoned that day. What the _hell_ was that digression about Pinocchio doing in the jumping bean question? ---
**Author:** ![\_Deep\_F\_ied](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/7cd45c/32.png) [@\_Deep\_F\_ied](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_Deep_F_ied)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-identification-help-coo-chi-coo-chi-ya-ya-ya-ya/358155/16 "2006-05-25T21:42:53Z")
_Rio_ by Duran Duran. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-identification-help-coo-chi-coo-chi-ya-ya-ya-ya/358155/17 "2006-05-25T21:49:22Z")
> [@Dung Beetle](#): > > Lady Marmalade, pronounced Lady Mar-muh-_lahd_ for some reason. That reason being that’s how marmalade is pronounced in French. ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-identification-help-coo-chi-coo-chi-ya-ya-ya-ya/358155/18 "2006-05-25T22:15:28Z")
> [@Green Bean](#): > > _Gitcha gitcha ya ya da da._–Get your ya ya, daddy. (Ya ya is Cajun slang for woman/pussy.\*) Wow - that gives a whole different perspective on _The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood_ :eek: (the book, not the movie, thanks). ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-identification-help-coo-chi-coo-chi-ya-ya-ya-ya/358155/19 "2006-05-25T23:20:18Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > I believe it’s “gitchie-gitchie”…not “coochi-coochi”. Except when sung by Charo. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-identification-help-coo-chi-coo-chi-ya-ya-ya-ya/358155/20 "2006-05-26T11:59:51Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > That reason being that’s how marmalade is pronounced in French. Silly French people!