THE BONGO MAN FROM BOURBON STREET
Copyright August 31st 1970 ORIGINAL VERSION
NEW VERSION August 31st 2005
Norm Pringle BMI CCMA CMA
Pringle Music BMI

Click here to view the video sung by Derick Lewis

Original Demo sung by Derick Lewis- MP3 file (click to listen)
________________________________________________________________________
(NEW LYRICS FOR KATRINA VERSION)
(BONGO INTRO)
(BAND SINGS)
LA LA LA LA
LA LA LA LA
LA LA LA LA LA LA LA

(LEAD SINGER SOLO)
THERE'S A GUY FROM NEW ORLEANS
HE PLAYS THE BONGOS IN HIS DREAMS
HE PLAYS THEM DOWN ON BOURBON STREET
YOU SHOULD HEAR THAT BONGO BEAT
(BONGO RIFT)

CHORUS
GROUP AND AUDIENCE SING ALONG
PLAY THOSE BONGOS
PLAY THOSE BONGOS
PLAY THOSE BONGOS
PLAY THOSE BONGOS
THE BONGO MAN FROM BOURBON STREET
(BONGO RIFT)

{SOLO}
ON THE ISLE OF CUBA ONE FINE DAY
KATRINA TOLD TELL HIM NOT TO PLAY
SO HE SAT UPON HIS BONGO DRUMS
AND STORMED AWAY TO THE USA
REPEAT CHORUS(BONGO RIFT)

{SOLO}
NEW ORLEANS IS NOT THE SAME
SINCE THE BONGO MAN HE CAME
PLAYS THE DRUMS IN JACKSON SQUARE
WITH BEADS ASWINGING FROM HIS HAIR
REPEAT CHORUS
(BONGO RIFT)

{SOLO}
ONE NIGHT THIS CRAZY BONGO BOY
GAVE HIS DRUMS TO THE BOURBON PUB
THE RADIATORS CAME OUT SIDE
THE BONGO BOY WENT FOR A RIDE

(SPOKEN )
........HEY MAN....THE RADIATORS HAVE BEEN JAMMING IN NEW ORLEANS FOR 25 YEARS SO LETS HEAR IT FOR THEIR WONDERFUL FUNKY SOUNDS OF JAZZ BLUES GOSPEL AND ROCK. .......TO THE CITIZENS OF NEW ORLEANS. WITHOUT A DOUBT .............................THE FUN PEOPLE OF AMERICA..................................... THEY'LL BE BACK. YOU BET THEY WILL OR THE SAINTS WILL GO MARCHING INREPEAT CHORUS

{SOLO}
THE ALABAMA JUBILEE
THE BONGO MAN JUST HAD TO SEE
HOT AIR BALLOONS HE HAD TO RIDE
WITH THE BONGOS BY HIS SIDE
REPEAT CHORUS

{SOLO}
(bar version)
AT THE PRIDE PARADE HE CAME IN DRAG
DRESSED IN BEADS LIKE A QUEER OLD HAG
THE QUEENS ALL DROOLED ON EVERY STREET
WHEN HE SHOWED HIS BONGO BEAK
REPEAT CHORUS
(BONGO SOLO THE BIG ONE)

REPEAT CHORUS
{SOLO}

HE JOINED THE ARMY FOR BAGHDAD
GOT THE SERGEANT VERY MAD
SOLDIERS MARCHED TO A DIFFERENT BEAT
YOU WOULD TOO IN THAT CRAZY HEAT

REPEAT CHORUS
{SOLO}

GULF PORT MISSISSIPPI .... MISSISSIPPI DIGS
WHAT A BAR AND WHAT A GIG
LOVES TO SHAKE AND LOVES TO GREET
THE BONGO MAN FROM BOURBON STREET
{REPEAT CHORUS}

{SOLO}
BILOXI TOWN WILL WELCOME HIM
CASINOS THERE ARE FULL OF SIN
PALACE OF ASIA IS ON THE STREET
THEY JUST LOVE THAT BONGO BEAT
REPEAT CHORUS
GROUP AND AUDIENCE SING ALONG
{SOLO}

THE ISLE OF CAPRI WAS ONCE A SONG
NOW THE CASINO IS ALL GONE
BUT BILOXI WILL RISE SOME DAY
THEY GOTTA HEAR THOSE BONGOS PLAY
{REPEAT CHORUS}

GROUP AND AUDIENCE SING ALONG
{SOLO}
THE OLD GULF COAST IS NOT THE SAME
SINCE THE BONGO MAN HE CAME
THE WIND MAY BLOW WITH RAIN AND SLEET
WITH THE BONGO MAN FROM BOURBON STREETEVERYBODY NOW
{REPEAT CHORUS}

GROUP AND AUDIENCE SING ALONG
{SOLO}
HE ECHOES THRU THE SUPER DOME
TOO BAD HE'S PLAYING ALL ALONE
NO BEER NO WATER JUST THAT HEAT
THE BONGO MAN WITH THE BOURBON BEAT
{REPEAT CHORUS}
GROUP AND AUDIENCE SING ALONG

{SOLO}
OK EVERYBODY
ONE MORE TIME
And let's remember THE FRENCH QUARTER. THE BEADS. FATS DOMINO, THE BALCONIES, THE BARS THE MARRED GRAS, JACKSON SQUARE, THE BEAUTIFUL GALS THE WACKY GUYS. THE CREOLE LOVE SONG, LOUIS ARMSTRONG, THE RADIATORS,
AND ALL THE FUN AND FUNKY PEOPLE OF AMERICA
{REPEAT CHORUS}
FINALE BONGO AND BAND SOLO
BAND SINGS
PLAY ME NOW THAT BONGO BEAT
(BONG BONG)

THE BONGO MAN FROM NEW ORLEANS
COMPOSED AND ARRANGED BY
NORM PRINGLE
BMI CMA CCMA
PRINGLE MUSIC PUBLISHING
BMI CMA BMI
____________________________________________________________
HISTORY OF THE SONG
THIS SONG WAS COMPOSED IN 1960 AND THE DEMO WAS ARRANGED BY STUDENTS FROM UCLA.
I HAD CORNERED THEM AT WESTERN RECORDERS AT 6000 SUNSET BLVD. HOLLYWOOD WITH AN IDEA OF A TEENAGE SINGALONG OF THE FIFTIES ALBUM. IT NEVER MATERIALIZED LIKE A LOT OF MY DREAMS, WHEN I FIRST STARTED BUMMING AROUND HOLLYWOOD.

THE SOLO IS BY DERRICK LEWIS. WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO DERRICK I DON'T KNOW. I THANK HIM FOR MAKING SUCH A GREAT DEMO. MAYBE THIS WILL SMOKE HIM OUT. I USE THE TERM LOOSELY.

AFTER KATRINA STRUCK HER NASTY BLOW TO NEW ORLEANS.
I DUG OUT THE OLD TAPE THAT SURVEYED TWO CALIFORNIA EARTH QUAKES AND UP DATED THE LYRICS
YOU ARE QUITE WELCOME TO DOWNLOAD THIS DEMO AND
COPY IT. MAKE CDs SELL THEM MAKE YOUR OWN ARRANGEMENT
WITH NEW LYRICS. ALL NEW ARRANGEMENTS WILL END UP HERE ON THE CYBERCLOUD RADIO STATION.

BUT PLEASE DO WHAT I WILL DO GIVE ALL ROYALTIES TO THE MUSICIAN'S CLINIC OF NEW ORLEANS. THE NEW MUSICIANS CLINIC OFFERS COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH CARE TO NEW ORLEANS MOST PRECIOUS RESOURCE ....THEIR MUSICIANS
WEB SITE .......

If you wish to record this song please contact songsforsingers@aol.com


Back to Cybercloud home