Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, the singing trio who epitomized that rarefied scat-jazz subgenre of “vocalese” recorded a version of “Deck Us All With Boston Charlie” back in the ‘50s. You can find it on the seasonal jazz comp Jingle Bell Swing (or here).
The song, sung to the tune of “Deck Us All With Boughs of Holly,” comes of course from Walt Kelly’s Pogo comic strip. Pogo aficionados know that the song’s lyrics bring about furious debate. Some believe it goes like this:
Deck us all with Boston Charlie,
Walla Walla Wash, an’ Kalamazoo!
Nora’s freezin’ on the trolley,
Swaller dollar cauliflower alley-garoo!
Don’t we know archaic barrel?
Lullaby Lilla Boy, Louisville Lou.
Trolley Molly don’t love Harold,
Boola boola Pensacoola hullabaloo!
While Beauregard Dog in particular thinks it goes this way:
Bark us all bow-wows of folly,
Polly wolly cracker ‘n’ too-da-loo!
Donkey Bonny brays a carol,
Antelope, cantaloupe, ‘lope with you!
Hunky Dory’s pop is lolly,
Gaggin’ on the wagon, Willy, folly go through!
Chollie’s collie barks at barrow,
Harum scarum five alarum bung-a-loo!
or
Bark us all bow-wows of folly, Double-bubble, toyland trouble! Woof, woof, woof! Tizzy seas on melon collie! Dibble-dabble, scribble-scrabble! Goof, goof, goof!
and then there’s
Dunk us all in bowls of barley, Hinky dinky dink an’ polly voo! Chilly Filly’s name is Chollie, Chollie Filly’s jolly chilly view halloo!
There are certainly worse Christmas arguments to have. Let this be one of yours. Happy Christmas to all our readers, and a Jolly Chilly View Halloo to you too.
(We are obliged to Bill Crouch Jr. & Selby Kelly’s Outrageously Pogo for the scholarly research on the complete “Us All” lyrics.)