Chord Req: Wa-Hoo / Wahoo (Cliff Friend)

Subject: Chord Req: Wahoo chords
From: GUEST,Flatpik
Date: 03 May 04 - 12:15 AM

"Why did the Zulu warriors lose the battle of Timbuktu, etc."

Thanks

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Wahoo chords
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 03 May 04 - 09:18 AM

Information on this song was hard to track down, until I found the original spelling was WAH-HOO! or maybe even WAH! HOO!

It was written by Cliff Friend in 1936, and recorded by Bill Boyd's Cowboy Ramblers, the Hoosier Hot Shots, the Rustical Quality String Band, The Red Clay Ramblers, and Riders in the Sky.

I found the sheet music being offered for sale at auction by eBay here.

The Indiana University library also has the sheet music. You can see the catalog entry here.

The lyrics are in the DT under the title WAHOO but, interestingly, the line you quote isn't in it – but I'm fairly sure I've heard a version with that line.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Wahoo chords
From: GUEST,Mike Johnson
Date: 03 May 04 - 02:34 PM

Jim -

Were you ever able to find the chords?

Thanks - Mike

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Wahoo chords - Found them (sort of)
From: GUEST,Flatpik
Date: 04 May 04 - 05:51 PM

From piano sheet music. Not the best, but a start.

Mike

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Wahoo chords
From: GUEST,Forgot to post the link
Date: 04 May 04 - 05:52 PM

http://www.hoosierhotshots.com/wahhoosheet.html

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Wahoo chords
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 04 May 04 - 06:18 PM

OK, so where did the line about the Zulu warriors come from? It's not in the sheet music. I think the Red Clay Ramblers might have sung it. I remember this much:

"Why did the Zulu warriors lose the battle of Timbuktu?
They couldn't wah-hoo, wah-hoo, wah-hoo!"

Is there a whole verse we're missing?

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Wahoo chords
From: GUEST,Flatpik
Date: 05 May 04 - 09:41 PM

I've collection words from here & there - can't remember - here's what I have: Mike

Way out west where men are men
and women are very sweet,
That's where I wanna be,
That's where I'm gonna be.

Way out west just once again
where happiness is complete,
There's just one thing I miss,
and it is this:

Oh gimme a horse, a great big horse,
And gimme a buckaroo
And let me Wahoo, Wahoo, Wahoo

Oh gimme a ranch, a big pair of pants
And gimme a Stetson too,
And let me Wahoo, Wahoo, Wahooo

Give me the wide o-pen spaces...
For I'm just like a prairie flower
Growing wilder by the hour.

Oh gimme a moon, a prairie moon,
and gimme a gal that's true,
And let me Wa-Hoo, Wa-Hoo Wa-Hooo

Oh I never could sing a high-class thing,
Good music I never knew,
But I can Wa-Hoo, Wa-Hoo Wa-Hooo

Oh I never could dance,
Cause when I dance
I wear out the lady's shoe,
But I can Wahoo, Wahoo, Wahoo

It's just a gift from the prairie
You shout it when a bad man jigs,
And it's very good for calling pigs.

I never could speak a word of Greek
I never could poop-poop-a-do,
But I can Wahoo, Wahoo, Wahoo

Oh you open your mouth
Two feet wide,
and take a big breath or two,
Then you can Wahoo, Wahoo, Wahoo

Oh you wiggle your toes
And grit your teeth
Like Dangerous Dan McGrew
And then you Wahoo, Wahoo, Wahoo

Be careful not to sing soprano;
And never Hi-de-hi-de-ho,
Cause that don't go out in Idaho.

Oh buckle your belt
and fix your hat,
And spit her out (spit) ka-chew!
And then you Wahoo, Wahoo, Wahoo

Oh, what did Miss Cleopatra say
To Anthony when they met?
She hollered Wahoo, Wahoo, Wahoo

Oh, what did that roaming Romeo
Yell to little Miss Juliet?
He hollered Wahoo, Wahoo, Wahoo

It started way back in Eden
And Eve was the cause,
And it's no fib,
She wahooed Adam for a rib.

Oh, what did Miss Pocahontas yell
the minute she saw John Smith?
She hollered Wahoo, Wahoo, Wahoo

Oh, gimme the plains,
The western plains,
And a bottle of apple jack
And let me Wahoo, Wahoo, Wahoo

Oh gimme a saloon,
An old spittoon,
and a package of chaw tobacc
And let me Wahoo, Wahoo, Wahoo

And why did the Zulu warriors
Lose the battle of Timbuktu
They couldn't Wahoo, Wahoo, Wahoo

And why did the wildcat get so wild
He didn't know what to do
I couldn't Wahoo, Wahoo, Wahoo

Oh, gimme a gat, a cowboy hat,
A handkerchief red and blue,
And let me Wahoo, Wahoo, Wahoo

Oh, gimme the plains,
a pair of reins,
And my boots and saddle too,
And let me Wahoo, Wahoo, Wahoo

Oh, lemme get at...a lariat,
As a steer comes into view,
And let me Wahoo, Wahoo, Wahoo

Give me the wide open spaces,
Each time I see a sawdust bar,
I wanna be away out thar...

Oh, show me the pal
Who'll steal my gal,
And hand me my .32
And let me Wahoo, Wahoo, Wahoo

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Wa-Hoo / Wahoo (Cliff Friend)
From: GUEST,the bluesneverdie
Date: 23 Mar 14 - 08:39 PM

The line about the Zulus at Timbuktu was in the version by Bill Boyd's Cowboy Ramblers.There's also a missing verse i.e.Why did Napoleon Boneaparte lose the Battle of Waterloo he couldn't Wah Hoo,Wah Hoo,Wah Hoo!!Incidentally,there was an English cover version of this in the mid-thirties by Billy Cotton and his orchestra,on the R

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Wa-Hoo / Wahoo (Cliff Friend)
From: GUEST,Cobalt41
Date: 14 Apr 14 - 06:38 PM

Oh gimme a date and a Ford V-8,   With a rumble seat for two ,
And let me Wahoo, Wahoo, Wahoo!

Subject: Lyr Add: WAH HOO (from Ray Whitley)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 14 Apr 14 - 10:03 PM

You can hear this on YouTube. It's also on Spotify.

WAH HOO
As recorded by Ray Whitley, 1936.

1. Oh, gi' me a horse, a great big horse, an' gi' me a buckaroo
An' let me wahoo, wahoo, wahoo.
Oh, gi' me a ranch, a big pair o' pants, an' gi' me a Stetson too,
An' let me wahoo, wahoo, wahoo.
Gi' me the wide open spaces.
I'm just like a prairie flower,
Growin' wilder ev'ry hour.
Oh, gi' me the moon, the prairie moon, an' gi' me the gal that's true,
An' let me wahoo, wahoo wahoo.

2. Oh, what did Cleopatra say to Anthony when she met?
They hollered wahoo, wahoo, wahoo.
Oh, what did roamin' Romeo yell to Miss Juliet?
He hollered wahoo, wahoo, wahoo.
It started way back in Eden.
Eve was the cause, an' it's no fib.
She wahoo'd Adam for a rib.
Oh, what did Pocahontas yell the minute she saw John Smith?
She hollered wahoo, wahoo, wahoo.

3. Oh, gi' me a show, a rodeo; I like the ballyhoo.
[yodel]
An' when those guys with redneck ties see a cowboy six-foot-two,
They [yodel].
Gi' me the wild wooly broncos.
I wanna be a cowboy too,
So I can ride the whole day through.
Oh, gi' me the strength, the size an' length, an' gi' me a gal to woo
An' let me [yodel].

4. Oh, y'open yer mouth 'bout two feet wide an' take a good breath or two,
An' then you wahoo, wahoo, wahoo.
Oh, ya wiggle yer toes an' grit yer teeth like dangerous Dan McGrew,
An' then you wahoo, wahoo, wahoo.
Be careful not to sing soprano.
I never could hi-de-hi-de-ho,
'Cause that don't go in Idyho.
Oh, buckle yer belt an' fix yer hat an' spit it out: kerchoo!
[yodel]

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Wa-Hoo / Wahoo (Cliff Friend)
From: GUEST,Dani
Date: 15 Apr 14 - 07:13 AM

Love this.

Red Clay Ramblers did a fun version of this, and I was fortunate enough to see them do it on Prairie Home Companion, live. The best part was that the other guests were Sweet Honey In The Rock, who have a lovely sign-language interpreter, who did the whole show. Her 'Wahoo, Wahoo, Wa-hoo!" have always stuck with me : )

Dani