"exact(ual)ly"

[Page Stephens]

FYI

Song of the South Lyrics: Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah

As a song writer-- I actually write more music than I do lyrics -- all I
have to say is that you takes your rhymes wherever you can get them and if
you are lucky the music will overcome the fact that some of your words do
not actually rhyme.

The old gag is June, moon, spoon, etc. but there is a reason for it. The
music demands that the lyrics end up in the right place and not all of us
are geniuses like Gilbert and Sullivan who were able to combine their
talents in order to make their songs work perfectly.

Dialect songs are even worse because very few lyric writers have any idea of
what the dialects they are attempting to imitate sound like.

If you want to learn more about this process I would suggest that you look
up Lieber and Stoller who wrote some of the most fascinating songs of the
past 50 or so years, everything from, "You Ain't Nothing But a Hound Dog" on
up for Black performers.

I have no idea where the word "satisfactual" in this song came from but it
is my guess that Ray Gilbert thought that it sounded kinda Black in terms of
the audience for the picture whose audience would have been for the most
part White and thus used it.

Anyone out there have any better ideas.

Page Stephens

                  Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah

                  Music by Allie Wrubel
                  Lyrics by Ray Gilbert
                  Performed by James Baskett
                  © 1945 Walt Disney Music Company

                  Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay
                  My, oh my, what a wonderful day
                  Plenty of sunshine headin' my way
                  Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay

                  Mister Bluebird's on my shoulder
                  It's the truth, it's actual
                  Ev'rything is satisfactual
                  Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay
                  Wonderful feeling, wonderful day, yes sir!

                  Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay
                  My, oh my, what a wonderful day
                  Plenty of sunshine headin' my way
                  Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay

                  Mister Bluebird's on my shoulder
                  It's the truth, it's actual
                  Ev'rything is satisfactual
                  Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay
                  Wonderful feeling, feeling this way

                  Mister Bluebird's on my shoulder
                  It is the truth, it's actual... huh?
                  Where is that bluebird? Mm-hm!
                  Ev'rything is satisfactual
                  Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay
                  Wonderful feeling, wonderful day!

                  1946 song teaser ad [Mat 212].

                        This is without a doubt the most well-known song of
the
                        movie and, appropriately enough, won an Academy
Award
                        for best motion picture song in 1948. Sung by James
                        Baskett (Uncle Remus), this song is still very
popular
                        and well-known today.
                        View Original Sheet Music
                        Listen to Sound Clip
                        This song is available on CD:
                        Classic Disney, Vol. 1.
                        This song is available on VHS:
                        Disney Sing-Along Songs, Vol. 2.


                           Other Song Lyrics: Song of the South How Do You
Do?
                          Everybody Has A Laughing Place Uncle Remus Said
Sooner
                          Or Later Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Let The Rain Pour Down
All
                          I Want Who Wants To Live Like That?  Demonstration
                          Songs Return to Lyrics

----- Original Message -----
From: "Douglas G. Wilson" <douglas at NB.NET>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Monday, January 24, 2005 7:15 AM
Subject: Re: "exact(ual)ly"


> ---------------------- Information from the mail
> header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Douglas G. Wilson" <douglas at NB.NET>
> Subject:      Re: "exact(ual)ly"
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>>And unfortunately, we won't be able to find out by watching the film,
>>since Disney is quietly leaving it on the shelf, not to be
>>released again in theaters, on the tube, or in videotape or DVD.
>
> But the song is found in at least one of the videotape music collections
> by
> Disney. It does say "satisfactual", pronounced about as Gerald Cohen did
> IMHO.
>
> -- Doug Wilson