# "Zoot Suit Riot" nonsense (?) lyrics

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zoot-suit-riot-nonsense-lyrics/342856>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 3, 2006, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zoot-suit-riot-nonsense-lyrics/342856 "2006-02-03T16:44:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2006, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zoot-suit-riot-nonsense-lyrics/342856/1 "2006-02-03T16:44:30Z")

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One of my favorite songs to sing in karaoke is “Zoot Suit Riot” by the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies. It includes a passage with what appear to be nonsense lyrics, going something like this, IIRC (difference karaoke discs give different versions):

Zoo doot zi ou  
Za say zoo sah  
Zee zoo za zee zoo  
Zah zah zah  
Zote di i ou  
Zah say zoo sah  
Play aba rig op  
Date day day

Are these words just meaningless filler, like “fa-la-la-la-la,” or are they some kind of 1940s Pig-Latin or slang?

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**Author:** ![ddgryphon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@ddgryphon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddgryphon)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2006, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zoot-suit-riot-nonsense-lyrics/342856/2 "2006-02-03T16:47:47Z")

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> [@BrainGlutton](#):
>
> One of my favorite songs to sing in karaoke is “Zoot Suit Riot” by the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies. It includes a passage with what appear to be nonsense lyrics, going something like this, IIRC (difference karaoke discs give different versions):
> 
> Zoo doot zi ou  
> Za say zoo sah  
> Zee zoo za zee zoo  
> Zah zah zah  
> Zote di i ou  
> Zah say zoo sah  
> Play aba rig op  
> Date day day
> 
> Are these words just meaningless filler, like “fa-la-la-la-la,” or are they some kind of 1940s Pig-Latin or slang?

It’s [Scat](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scat_singing)

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**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2006, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zoot-suit-riot-nonsense-lyrics/342856/3 "2006-02-03T16:53:49Z")

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And each bit matches the horn section that immediately follows. It’s a nice piece of work.

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**Author:** ![NailBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@NailBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NailBunny)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2006, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zoot-suit-riot-nonsense-lyrics/342856/4 "2006-02-03T16:55:10Z")

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The Daddies are famous for this. See also “Shake Your Lovemaker”.

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**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2006, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zoot-suit-riot-nonsense-lyrics/342856/5 "2006-02-03T17:58:16Z")

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Next up a thread which explores the hidden meaning of the end of “Minnie the Moocher”.

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**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2006, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zoot-suit-riot-nonsense-lyrics/342856/6 "2006-02-03T18:16:42Z")

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Be careful if you are thinking of Googling “scat”, there’s another NSFW meaning of that word…