Every time I hear the words ya ya I think of this song, YA YA by Lee Dorsey and I start singing the only lines I know:
"Oh well I'm uh, sitting here la la, waiting for my ya ya a hm uhm".
It's still catchy after all these years, a finger-snapping, rhythmic, happy tune. It reached #1 on the R&B singles chart in 1961 and #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year.
It was still popular when I was young, which was long after it was written. It's been redone by several artists over the years, namely John Lennon (Rock 'n' Roll - 1975), Yoko Ono, Randy Newman and most recently by Steve Miller in 1988 on the album Born 2 B Blue and by french singer Mitsou (a Quebec pop singer) in 1994.
It was recorded in 1962 by Tony Sheridan and the Beat Boys, who were wrongly believed to be the Beatles. The Beatles were not involved in that track.
Although I was too young to appreciate it at the time, today, 50 years later, I love the music of that era.
What are some favorites of yours that have stuck with you for years?
