Cab Calloway’s signature song describes a story about a beggar named Minnie. Her obituary from the November 1951 issue of Jet magazine details more:
Minnie ‘The Moocher’ has died. She was a familiar figure in downtown Indianapolis. A 82-year-old woman whose real name was Minnie Gayton, she acquired...
[Verse 1]
Folks, here's a story 'bout Minnie the Moocher
She was a red hot hoochie-coocher
She was the roughest toughest frail
But Minnie had a heart as big as a whale
[Chorus]
Hi de hi de hi de hi
Ho de ho de ho de ho
Hee de hee de hee de hee
Hi de hi de hi de ho
[Verse 2]
She messed around with a bloke named Smokey
She loved him though he was cokey
He took her down to Chinatown and showed her
How to kick the gong around
[Chorus 2]
Hi de hi de hi de hi
Whoa
Hee de hee de hee de hee
Hi de hi de hi de ho
[Verse 3]
She had a dream about the king of Sweden
He gave her things, that she was needin'
He gave her a home built of gold and steel
A diamond car, with the platinum wheels
[Chorus 3]
Hi-de-hi-de-hi-de-hi-de-hi-de-hi-de-hi
Ho-de-ho-de-ho-de-ho-de-ho-de-oh
Skeedle-a-booka-diki biki skeedly beeka gookity woop!
A-booriki-booriki-booriki hoy!
[Verse 4]
He gave her his town house and his racing horses
Each meal she ate was a dozen courses
She had a million dollars worth of nickels and dimes
She sat around and counted them all a million times
[Chorus]
Hi de hi de hi de hi
Ho de ho de ho de ho
Hee de hee de hee de hee
Hi de hi de hi de ho
[Outro]
Poor Min
Poor Min
Poor Min
Minnie the Moocher (Theme Song) was written by Clarence Gaskill & Irving Mills & Cab Calloway.
Minnie the Moocher (Theme Song) was produced by .