Antedating of "Yada Yada"

[Laurence Horn]

Not an antedating, but a (relatively) early unambiguous use of the
multiple "yada"s to indicate useless chatter.  I was just listening
to an old album Dory Previn released in 1971, "Mythical Kings and
Iguanas", whose song "Yada Yada La Scala" offers an eloquent
illustration.  Some of the lyrics:

Yada yada yada yada yada
Let's stop talking talking talking
Wasting precious time
Just a lot of empty noise
That isn't worth a dime
Words of wonder
Words of whether
Should we shouldn't we be together
Yada yada yada yada yada yada
...
Curse my questions
Damn your qualms
Tomorrow they could be
Dropping bombs
And we go yada yada yada yada yada

...
Let's stop talking talking talking
Every lame excuse
Justifying alibying
Listen what's the use
The sparrow chirps
The chipmunk chatters
And we go on as mad as a hatter
And nothing at all gets said
Talk to me please
In bed
Where it matters
Yada yada yada yada yada

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