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Diddy Wah Diddy

"Diddy Wah Diddy"
DiddyWahDiddy.jpeg
Single by Bo Diddley
B-side "I'm Looking for a Woman"
Released 1956
Recorded November 10, 1955 in Chicago, Illinois
Genre Rhythm and blues
Length 2:28
Label Checker 832
Writer(s) Willie Dixon, Ellas McDaniel
Producer(s) Leonard Chess, Phil Chess
Bo Diddley singles chronology
"Pretty Thing"
(November 1955)
"Diddy Wah Diddy"
(1956)
"Who Do You Love?"
(1956)
"Diddy Wah Diddy"
DiddyBeefheart.gif
Single by Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band
B-side "Who Do You Think You're Fooling"
Released March 1966
Recorded January 1966, Sunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood, California
Genre Blues rock
Length 2:22
Label A&M 794
Writer(s) Willie Dixon, Ellas McDaniel
Producer(s) David Gates
Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band singles chronology
"Diddy Wah Diddy"
(1966)
"Moonchild "
(1966)

"Diddy Wah Diddy" is a song written by Willie Dixon and Ellas McDaniel, known as Bo Diddley, and recorded by the latter in 1956. The song shares only its title with Blind Blake's song "Diddie Wah Diddie" recorded in 1929. Over the years, the Bo Diddley song has been covered by many bands and artists, including The Astronauts, Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band, The Remains, The Twilights, Taj Mahal, The Sonics, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Ty Segall Band, and The Blues Band among others.

"Diddy Wah Diddy" was Bo Diddley's fourth single release on Checker Records, and was released in early 1956. The song was recorded on November 10, 1955 in Chicago, Illinois. The recording featured The Moonglows on backing vocals, Willie Dixon on bass, Jody Williams along with Bo Diddley on guitar, Clifton James on drums, Jerome Green playing the maracas, and Little Willie Smith on harmonica.

Lyrically, the song makes mention of the mythical town of Diddy Wah Diddy. It was not unusual in the early part of the 20th century for African Americans in the southern states (particularly in Florida) to speak of various mythical cities and countries such as Beluthahatchie, Ginny Gall, Diddy Wah Diddy and West Hell as if they were real. Of all the imaginary locations that were in common usage at the time, folklorist and ethnomusicologist Benjamin A. Botkin has noted that Diddy Wah Diddy was "the largest and best known of the Negro mythical places." It was commonly believed that in Diddy Wah Diddy food could be found in abundance, the townsfolk did not have to work, and people and animals had no concerns. Dixon and McDaniel's song is sung from the point of view of a man whose lover lives in this mythical location, as evidenced by such lines as...


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