Yummy Yummy Yummy

Album

The Rock Box

Label

Buddah Records

Genre

Bubblegum

Composer(s)

Arthur Resnick;Joey Levine

Entered Chart

May 4, 1968

Peak Date

Jun 15, 1968

Released

April 1968

Recorded

Unknown

Catalog #

Buddah 38

B-Side

Zig Zag

This song is a classic hit of the Bubblegum genre, which is a very light style of music with catchy hooks and simple lyrics. In the late '60s, Bubblegum Pop served as an alternative to the socially conscious music that was dominating the airwaves during an exceptionally turbulent cultural and political time. It was very popular with kids who had no interest in the music of Bob Dylan or The Doors, and who sought out music that was basically meaningless, but fun. Joey Levine, who was the lead singer of the Ohio Express, wrote this with Arthur Resnick, who also wrote "Under The Boardwalk" and "Good Lovin'." Levine worked for Buddah Records under the direction of Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz, who used studio musicians to back up Levine on this song. Floyd Marcus is the drummer for the 1910 Fruitgum Company, who also recorded for Buddah Records and recorded many of the same songs as The Ohio Express. Floyd told us: "Joey had brought in a demo of 'Yummy Yummy Yummy,' and often back then the demos were not nearly as sophisticated as what you can do at your house today with Pro Tools - they want much more finished product these days. But Joey went and he did 'Yummy Yummy Yummy' as a demo, and Jeff and Jerry said, 'Yeah, we're going to take you to the studio and do this.' And before they knew it, the demo was out on the market. So it became a big hit, but you know, The Ohio Express wasn't really happy with it going out that way. They never had meant it to go out in the form it did. So it just shows you that often people don't really know what they have, and they don't really understand the business as well as some of these guys who are producing or managing." Some listeners believed the lyrics "I got love in my tummy" were about pregnancy. Floyd Marcus talks about this phenomenon: "There's that whole story about '1, 2, 3 Red Light' being this underlying date rape song. But you know, that just goes along with people wanting to make more out of things than they really are. I mean, it's like saying when John Lennon said 'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds' wasn't about LSD, or "Little Susie's Dream" by The Tradewinds, because of the initials, LSD, people read into those things. Hey, it's good for promo. People often want to give more meaning to things than they really have." (Check out our interview with Floyd Marcus.) This was used in an episode of The Simpsons where in a flashback to 1969, Homer is singing this song while ignoring the moon landing.

Yummy, Yummy, Yummy,
I got love in my tummy
And I feel like a-loving you.
Love, you're such a sweet thing,
Good enough to eat thing,
And that's just a-what I'm gonna do.
Oh love, to hold ya,
Oh love, to kiss ya,
Oh love, I love it so.
Oh love, you're sweeter,
Sweeter than sugar,
Oh love, I won't let you go.

Yummy, Yummy, Yummy,
I got love in my tummy
And as silly as it may seem.
The loving that you're giving
Is what keeps me living
And your love is like
Peaches and cream.
Kind-a like sugar,
Kind-a like spices,
Kind-a like, like what you do.
Kind-a sounds funny,
But love, honey,
And honey, I love you.

Yummy, Yummy, Yummy,
I got love in my tummy,
That your love can satisfy.
Love, you're such a sweet thing,
Good enough to eat thing
And sweet thing, that ain't no lie.
I love to hold ya,
I love, to kiss ya,
Oh love, I love it so.
Oh love, you're sweeter,
Sweeter than sugar,
Oh love, I won't let you go.