Don't Take My Boop-Oop-A-Doop Away

• "Don't Take My Boop-Oop-a-Doop Away"

From the 1932 Talkartoon titled Boop-Oop-a-Doop, with vocals by Margie Hines.

Don't Take My Boop-Boop-a-Doop Away

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"Don't Take My Boop-Oop-A-Doop Away" is a song that was written by Sammy Timberg and released by Fleischer Studios Inc. as a Betty Boop Cartoon On A Record released by Victor Records. The song was first recorded for the 1931 Screen Song Musical Justice, where it was performed live by Mae Questel. It was then used in the Betty Boop Talkartoon Boop-Oop-a-Doop. The song is titled "Don't Take My Boop-Boop-a-Doop Away" because it was originally written for Helen Kane the Boop-Boop-a-Doop Girl.

Mae Questel - Dont take my Boop Oop a Doop Away

"Don't Take My Boop Oop a Doop Away", Recording by Mae Questel for Victor.

Boop-Oop-a-Doop (1932)

According to lawsuit documents the song was featured in the Talkartoon titled Boop-Oop-a-Doop and was performed by Margie Hines. After performing "Do Something" on the high wire, Betty returns to her tent, where she is harassed by her boss. Betty begs him to cease his advances and goes into song. After finishing her song and being saved by Koko, she tells Koko that the ringmaster "couldn't take [her] Boop-Oop-a-Doop away."

Lyrics:

You can feed me bread and water,

Or a great big bail of hay,

Oh, but don't take my Boop-Oop-a-Doop away.

You can say my voice is awful,

But my songs are too risqué,

Oh, but don't take my Boop-Oop-a-Doop away.

Oh, help save me!

Help!

Victor Recording

Mae Questel's first recording for Victor was "Don't Take My Boop-Oop-a-Doop Away" which was released in 1933. 

Lyrics:

Aha!

Don't take my Boop-Oop-Be-Doop away,

Will ya?

I was born with a certain habit that's part of me,

It brings me happiness somehow,

And now this habit is right at home in the heart of me,

Without it,

I'm no good no how.

You can feed me bread and water,

Or a great big bail of hay,

But don't take my Boop-Oop-Be-Doop away.

You can say my voice is awful,

Or my songs are too err... risqué,

But don't take my Boop-Oop-Be-Doop away.

Hmm... I feel like a lonesome barrel without a hoop,

If you should deprive me of my,

Boop-Oop-Be-Doop!

Bop!

Boop-Oop-Be-Doop!

It's the only thing I'll live for,

Till the time,

I'm old and grey,

So don't take my Boop-Oop-Be-Doop away.

Aww, I feel like a little chicken locked in the coop,

If you should deprive me of my,

Boop-Oop-Be-Doop!

Bop!

Boop-Oop-Be-Doop!

You can throw me to the fishes,

Even that would be okay,

But don't take my Boop-Oop-Be-Doop away.

Aha!

Excuse me while I powder my nose!

"Don't Take Our Boop-Oop-a-Doop Away!"

A Message To Helen Kane from Max Fleischer & his Boop a doop girls

Mae Questel, Kate Wright, Little Ann Little, Bonnie Poe & Margie Hines perform "Don't Take Our Boop-Oop-a-Doop Away" in the Fleischer Victory Newsreel, along with Max Fleischer, after winning against Helen Kane's $250,000 lawsuit.

Chorus:

Mae Questel:

You can say our voices are awful or my songs are too risqué,

But don't take our...

Margie Hines, Bonnie Poe, Kate Wright, Ann Rothschild:

Boop-Oopy-Doop-Oop!

All together:

Boopy-Doopy-Doopy-Doo-Boop-Oopy-Doo!

Mae Questel:

Bop!

Trivia

• When performed by Mae Questel for her Victor recording, she uses Boop-Oop-"e"-Doop or "Be" instead of Boop-Oop-"a"-Doop.
• "Don't Take My Boop-Oop-a-Doop Away" is originally supposed to be Betty Boop's official signature song, but for unknown reasons Betty's official catchphrase and signature song was changed to "I Wanna Be Loved By You". The song has been the latter since the 1980s. "I Wanna Be Loved By You" was the original Boop-Boop-a-Doop girl (Helen Kane's) signature song, which is best known as performed by Marilyn Monroe, who played blonde bombshell Sugar Kane in the 1959 film Some Like It Hot.
• The song can be heard as an instrumental in One More Chance and Betty Boop's Trial.
• The victory reel version of "Don't Take Our Boop-Oop-a-Doop Away" was directed towards Helen Kane, who had ignored the voices of Betty Boop when they appeared in court. Helen also wanted Betty's cartoons to be stopped by injunction. Mae Questel took the lead and the various other voices of Betty Boop backed her up. Four of the voices of Betty Boop later went to perform together at the Paramount, New York.
• Was performed by Shannon Cullem for the 2004 release Boop-Oop-a-Doin, and was again performed several years later by Sarah Stiles, for Fleischerei.
• The Japanese released is titled (私の大切なものを取らないで頂戴) JA-43-A.
• According to Helen Kane the song was originally written for her by Abner Silver and was shown to her before Betty Boop debuted the song.
• Was performed by Bonnie Poe in 1933 in front of a audience of 2,200 people.

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