CLEOPATRA HAD A LITTLE SONG
Subtitle
Ya-da-da-da-pum-pum
Composer
Byron Gay
Lyricist
Will Hough
Publisher
T. B. Harms
Show/Movie
Honeymoon Town
Notes
Crocodiles and alligators are mixed up between the verse and chorus.

Vaudeville note about "selling out the house" transposed to Egypt.

Wrigley's chewing gum has the right phonetic name, "wriggly."

Use of nonsense syllables to avoid censorship. Also in line with other "Hawaiian" songs of the day ("Yaaka hoola, Hicky doola," etc.).
Lyrics

Back in history lived a mystery, 'Way down on the Nile,
Such a naughty queen you have never seen,
Vamping, vamping all the while,
Oh the things she did by the Pyramid Caused a lot of talk;
All the crocodiles wore such naughty smiles
When she took a walk.

CHORUS:
Cleopatra had a little song,
It started Egypt going wrong,
A naughty little tune that she sang night and noon,
She old Cairo humming "Ya-da-da-da-pum-pum,
Ya-da-da-da-pum-pum;"
Cleopatra did a little dance,
They sold the house out in advance,
All the wives departed ev'ry time she started,
Ya-da-da-da-pum-pum, Ya-da-da-da-pum-pum.

Cleopatra had a little song,
It started Egypt going wrong,
That quivery refrain drove all the men insane,
They came for miles to hear her "Ya-da-da-da-pum-pum,
Ya-da-da-da-pum-pum;"
Cleopatra, you were going some,
You were Wrigley long before the gum,
Ev'ry alligator tried to imitate her,
Ya-da-da-da-pum-pum, Ya-da-da-da-pum-pum.

Country
Egypt