# We had a little donkey who liked to get drunk we called him... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 16, 2007, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-had-a-little-donkey-who-liked-to-get-drunk-we-called-him/404378 "2007-05-16T22:38:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DirkGntly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DirkGntly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DirkGntly)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-had-a-little-donkey-who-liked-to-get-drunk-we-called-him/404378/1 "2007-05-16T22:38:42Z")
Ok, this was a song I swear we did in my 3rd-grade music class back in, oh, 197(mumble)… The lyrics were something along the lines of, “We had a little donkey who liked to get drunk, we called him…” something or other…please, please tell me I’m not the only one who had this song in grade-school! (Note - the lyrics may be somewhat different, this is just how I remember them, thirty-odd years later…) ---
**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 16, 2007, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-had-a-little-donkey-who-liked-to-get-drunk-we-called-him/404378/2 "2007-05-16T22:58:10Z")
This is probably way off the wall, but it sounds to me like Ray Stevens’s “Gitarzan”: _They got a pet monkey who likes to get drunk An’ sing boogie-woogie and it sounds real funky_ ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-had-a-little-donkey-who-liked-to-get-drunk-we-called-him/404378/3 "2007-05-16T23:06:52Z")
Correction on the lyrics to Gitarzan: They got a pet monkey who likes to get drunky… It rhymes that way. ---
**Author:** ![DirkGntly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DirkGntly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DirkGntly)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-had-a-little-donkey-who-liked-to-get-drunk-we-called-him/404378/4 "2007-05-16T23:43:25Z")
Nope, it’s not Guitarzan… “He’s got a girl named Jane with no last name kinda homely and plain, but he loves her the same…” I definitely know that song… The donkey’s name in this song is “Pompalom” or “Pompalomp” or something like that… ---
**Author:** ![Your\_Ad\_Here](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b2d939/32.png) [@Your\_Ad\_Here](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Your_Ad_Here)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-had-a-little-donkey-who-liked-to-get-drunk-we-called-him/404378/5 "2007-05-17T00:10:38Z")
Was it [Tingalayo](http://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/t025.html), and you’re misremembering the lyrics? ---
**Author:** ![DirkGntly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DirkGntly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DirkGntly)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-had-a-little-donkey-who-liked-to-get-drunk-we-called-him/404378/6 "2007-05-17T00:14:05Z")
Nope, not Tingalayo… ---
**Author:** ![xonopa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ce7236/32.png) [@xonopa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xonopa)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-had-a-little-donkey-who-liked-to-get-drunk-we-called-him/404378/7 "2012-12-28T21:19:20Z")
I had a little donkey And he done got locked up Pum pa lum (pum pa lum) They stick him in the jail And he ain’t done nothing Pum pa lum (pum pa lum) … They say he’s acting Like there’s rum in his hay Pum pa lum (pum pa lum) He wasn’t drunk He just wanna play Pum pa lum (pum pa lum) ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-had-a-little-donkey-who-liked-to-get-drunk-we-called-him/404378/8 "2012-12-28T21:26:18Z")
**xonopa** got it. The song is named [(The Bad Donkey) Pum-Pa-Lum](http://www.top40db.net/lyrics/?SongID=57287&By=Author&Match=A.L.+Woods) by Steve Lawrence. The OP still posts here sometimes so I sent a PM about the late answer. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-had-a-little-donkey-who-liked-to-get-drunk-we-called-him/404378/9 "2012-12-28T22:22:04Z")
Wow! A drive-by post to a zombie Thread from a same month sign-up . . . and it is relevant and _helpful_! Good on you, **xonopa**. Hope you stick around. One note of advice: your post may get trimmed by the mods for containing all the lyrics from the complete song. Board rules insist upon brief Fair Use excerpts. Best is to post only the most relevant quote from the lyrics and provide a link to the lyrics in their entirety on the website where you found it. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_A.Robrin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sam_a.robrin/32/14497_2.png) [@Sam\_A.Robrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_A.Robrin)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-had-a-little-donkey-who-liked-to-get-drunk-we-called-him/404378/10 "2012-12-29T03:23:18Z")
Now, if someone can find a link to the actual recording, I’d love to hear it! Nothing on Grooveshark or YouTube… ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-had-a-little-donkey-who-liked-to-get-drunk-we-called-him/404378/11 "2012-12-29T15:18:27Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > Wow! A drive-by post to a zombie Thread from a same month sign-up . . . and it is relevant and _helpful_! > > Good on you, **xonopa**. Hope you stick around. > One note of advice: your post may get trimmed by the mods for containing all the lyrics from the complete song. Board rules insist upon brief Fair Use excerpts. Best is to post only the most relevant quote from the lyrics and provide a link to the lyrics in their entirety on the website where you found it. Yes, welcome, **xonopa**! We do have a rule about brief quotes only of copyrighted material, so I trimmed it down to two verses that made it clear that you’d found the right song. Hope you find other threads to participate in! **twickster** , Cafe Society moderato ---
**Author:** ![DirkGntly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DirkGntly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DirkGntly)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2013, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-had-a-little-donkey-who-liked-to-get-drunk-we-called-him/404378/12 "2013-03-17T23:16:58Z")
Wow - I only just now got the private message…thanks, everyone!! ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-had-a-little-donkey-who-liked-to-get-drunk-we-called-him/404378/13 "2013-03-18T01:22:02Z")
It took almost 6 years, but we got an answer! We are _good_! ETA: We can’t be stumped (as long as there’s no time limit)! ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-had-a-little-donkey-who-liked-to-get-drunk-we-called-him/404378/14 "2013-03-18T02:06:44Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > Wow! A drive-by post to a zombie Thread from a same month sign-up . . . and it is relevant and _helpful_! > > Good on you, **xonopa**. Hope you stick around. > [@twickster](#): > > Yes, welcome, **xonopa**! > _\_ > Hope you find other threads to participate in! Wow. This truly was a drive-by post! Not another word from **xonopa** since. ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-had-a-little-donkey-who-liked-to-get-drunk-we-called-him/404378/15 "2013-03-18T02:14:25Z")
That was AWESOME. I love the timelessness of the internet ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-had-a-little-donkey-who-liked-to-get-drunk-we-called-him/404378/16 "2013-03-18T03:40:51Z")
[quote=“Gary “Wombat” Robson, post:3, topic:404378”] Correction on the lyrics to Gitarzan: They got a pet monkey who likes to get drunky… It rhymes that way. [/QUOTE] Since this thread has been bumped I’d like to continue the correction: _They got a pet monkey who likes to get drunk. He sings the boogie-woogie and it sounds real funky._ Also rhymes. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-had-a-little-donkey-who-liked-to-get-drunk-we-called-him/404378/17 "2013-03-18T14:25:48Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > It took almost 6 years, but we got an answer! We are _good_! > > ETA: We can’t be stumped (as long as there’s no time limit)! It’s like the most boring episode of Who Wants to be a Millionaire ever! ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-had-a-little-donkey-who-liked-to-get-drunk-we-called-him/404378/18 "2013-03-18T20:06:08Z")
Since we’re on the subject of songs starring inebriated draft animals, here’s [Darcy’s Donkey](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6N6W59nQh4) by Gaelic Storm.