Date: Fri, 3 Oct 1997 23:12:54 -0400
From: "Barry A. Popik" Bapopik[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]AOL.COM
Subject: Re: pop one's fingers
"There she was just a-walkin' down the street
Singin' do-wah diddy-diddy down diddy-do
Poppin' her fingers and shufflin' her feet
Singin' do-wah diddy-diddy down diddy-do."
The key here is to search for "finger poppin'," not "finger popping."
With some stupid computers it makes all the difference.
A search through the card file at NYPL Lincoln Center shows "Finger
Poppin'," Horace Silver, composer (music only), 1958, catalogued at JNF
78-98.
"Before I knew it she was walkin' next to me
Singin' do-wah diddy-diddy down diddy-do
Holdin' my hand just as natural as can be
Singin' do-wah diddy-diddy down diddy-do."
R.E.M.'s song "Action" has "I'm finger poppin'/You do the dancin'/You do
the skakin'/You're looking right now."
The Grateful Dead's song "Money, Money" has "My baby gives me the
finance blues/Tax me to the limit of my revenues/Here she comes
finger-poppin', clickety-click/She says furs or diamonds, take your pick."
Hank Ballard was (is?) a performer who was elected to the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame in 1990. In 1960, his song "Finger Poppin' Time" made #2 on the
R&B chart and #7 on the Pop chart.
"Now we're together nearly every single day
Singin' do-wah diddy-diddy down diddy-do
We're so happy and that's how we're gonna stay
Singin' do-wah diddy-diddy down diddy-do."
THAT'S IT! NO MORE "FINGER-POPPING"! NO MORE "DO WAH DIDDY"! THAT'S
NOT HOW WE'RE GONNA STAY! GET OUTTA HERE!!!!!