Dinah Shore Tesss Torch Song Lyrics

Tesss Torch Song Lyrics

I HAD A MAN.
HE WAS A GOOD MAN.
THAT IS, YOU SEE, WHAT I MEAN IS
I
THOUGHT HE WAS A GOOD MAN.
I HAD A FRIEND.
SHE WAS A GOOD FRIEND.
I
TOLD MY FRIEND ‘BOUT MY MAN ‘CAUSE
I THOUGHT SHE WAS A GOOD
FRIEND.
LIFE WAS SWEET.
DIDN’T I HAVE MY MAN?
WORLD
COMPLETE...
THEN THE FIREWORKS BEGAN.
AIN’T GOT NO MAN.
AIN’T GOT
NO FRIEND.
I BET YOU CAN GUESS
JUST EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.
THAT WAS
THE END,
THE END OF MY FRIEND,
THE END OF MY MAN,
AND ALMOST THE END
OF ME.
OH YES, OH YES, I HAD A MAN.
OOO-DOO-DOO-DOO-DOO,
THAT IS, YOU
SEE, WHAT I MEAN IS
I THOUGHT HE WAS A GOOD MAN.
I HAD A FRIEND
I
SAID, I HAD A FRIEND
UMM-MMM-MMM-MMM-MMM
I TOLD MY FRIEND ‘BOUT MY
MAN
‘CAUSE I THOUGHT SHE WAS A GOOD FRIEND.
LIFE WAS SWEET.
DIDN’T
I HAVE MY MAN, MY MAN
WORLD COMPLETE...
THEN THE FIREWORKS
BEGAN.
AIN’T GOT NO MAN.
AIN’T GOT NO FRIEND.
I BET YOU CAN
GUESS
JUST EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.
THAT WAS THE END,
THE END OF MY
FRIEND,
THE END OF MY MAN,
AND DARNED NEAR THE END OF ME.

Danny
Kaye's wife, Sylvia Fine, adapted it to a jive version that was done
in a
"Mail Call" program in 1944 by Danny and Dinah:

“TESS’S TORCH SONG -
JIVE�

Dinah: LOVE, IT CAN GET YOU IN THE STRANGEST MESSES.
I KNOW
YOUR STORY WELL, IT’S JUST LIKE TORCH OF TESS’S:
YOU HAD A
GAL...
Danny: I SWEAR ME MOMMA, OH WHAT A GAL WAS MARY.
Dinah: SHE WAS
YOUR BEST GAL...
Danny: OH BEAT ME DADDY, WHAT A PAL WAS MARY.
Dinah:
THAT IS, YOU SEE, WHAT I MEAN IS
YOU THOUGHT SHE WAS YOUR BEST
GAL.
Danny: SHOOT THE BARE FACTS TO ME, FAIRFAX.
I HAD A
FRIEND...
Dinah: OH, JOE, JOE, JOE THE ROCK OF GI-GIBRALTAR.
Danny: HE
WAS MY BEST FRIEND...
Dinah: OH, SO-SO-SO SO SWEET AS CHOCOLATE
MALTER.
Danny: I TOLD MY FRIEND ‘BOUT MY GAL
‘CAUSE I THOUGHT HE WAS
MY BEST FRIEND!
Dinah: SHOOT THE BROMO TO ME, RAMON.
LIFE WAS
SWEET...
Danny: I WAS A HA-AA-APPY MAN!
Dinah: WORLD
COMPLETE...
Danny: THEN CAME THE BUST-UP, THEY BUSTED MY TRUST UP.
THE
FIREWORKS BEGAN.
Dinah: YOU LOST YOUR GAL...
Danny: OH, LEARNED JACKSON,
BLOW THOSE BLUES FOR ME.
Dinah: YOU LOST YOUR FRIEND...
Danny: OH,
MURDER, MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE!
Dinah: I GOT A FEELIN’ THAT SOMETHING
WILL HAPPEN.
Both: THIS WON’T BE THE END -- NO, NO
I’LL FIND A NEW
FRIEND -- YES, YES
I’LL FIND A NEW GAL -- HO, HO
THIS WON’T BE THE
END OF ME.

Both: WELL ZOOT, WELL BOOT, WELL WELL ALL-ROOT
WITH A
HEP-A-HEP-A-HEP-A AND A STEP-STEP-STEP
Dinah: GREETINGS, GATE, HOWYA
BEEN?
Danny: OH FEELIN’ GREAT, GIMME SOME SKIN!
Dinah: LOOKIN’
SHARP!
Danny: OH, SHARP AS A HARP!
Dinah: FEELIN’ KEEN?
Danny: HEY,
KEEN AS A BEAN.
Dinah: NO TEARS FOR MARY?
Danny: AS DRY AS A
PRAIRIE.
Dinah: NO WOE FOR JOE?
Danny: OH NO, NO, NO.
Dinah: NO
BEATIN’ THE GRAY?
Danny: OH NAY, NAY, NAY.
Dinah: NO BUSTED
TICKER?
Danny: OH, TICKER TICKIN’ SLICKER.
Dinah: WELL, TOAST ME,
MELBA
IS THIS A FACT?
Danny: BEAT ME DADDY --[hand slap]-- AND I’LL HIT
YOU BACK!

Both: WELL ZOOT, WELL BOOT, WELL-WELL ALL-ROOT
WITH A
HEP-A-HEP-A-HEP-A AND A STEP-STEP-STEP
Danny: HEY, GOOD LOOKIN’!
Dinah:
WHAT’SA IS-A COOKIN’?
Danny: FEELIN’ GROOVY?
Dinah: GROOVY AS A
MOVIE!
Danny: SOFT AND MELLOW?
Dinah: MELLOW AS-A JELLO.
Danny: WANNA
BE MY CHICKEN?
Dinah: NOW YOU’S A-CLICKIN’!
Danny: NO
YAK-YAK?
Dinah: SOLID, JACK!
Danny: WELL, RATION ME SOME
PASSION,
PITCH ME SOME WOO
Dinah: ON THE BUTTON, GLUTTON
--(kiss)--SMACKEROO!
Danny: WELL, GRILL ME, LAMB CHOP
WELL, ALL
RIGHT!
Dinah: CROWD ME, MAMA, ‘CAUSE IT’S SATURDAY NIGHT!

Both:
WELL ZOOT, WELL BOOT, WELL-WELL ALL-ROOT
WITH A HEP-A-HEP-A-HEP-A AND A
STEP-STEP-STEP
(They do a verse of echo-scat, Danny leading.)

Both:
WELL ZOOT, WELL BOOT, WELL-WELL ALL-ROOT
WITH A HEP-HEP-HEP-HEP-HEP!