History & Lyrics

"Just a Gigolo" is best known in a form recorded by Louis Prima in 1956, where it was paired in a medley with another old standard, "I Ain't Got Nobody" (words by Roger A. Graham and music by Spencer Williams, 1915). Although these two songs have nothing else in common, the popularity of Prima's combination, and of Village People's 1978 and David Lee Roth's 1985 cover versions of the medley, has led to the mistaken perception by some that the songs are two parts of a single original composition.

The coupling of the two songs had its genesis in an earlier Louis Prima recording from 1945 (V Disc 554, side A), which was then adapted by Sam Butera for Prima's 1950s Las Vegas stage show, during which Prima would revisit his old hits in a new, jive-and-jumping style. The success of that act gained Prima a recording deal with Capitol Records, which aimed to capture on record the atmosphere of his shows. The first album, titled The Wildest!and released in November 1956, opened with "Just a Gigolo"/"I Ain't Got Nobody", which then became Prima's signature number and helped relaunch his career.

Lyrics

I'm just a gigolo and everywhere I go

People know the part I'm playing

Paid for every dance, selling each romance

Ooh, and they're sayin'

There will come a day when youth will pass away

What will they say about me?

When the end comes, I know

They was just the gigolos

Life goes on without me

I'm just a gigolo and everywhere I go

People know the part I'm playing

Paid for every dance, selling each romance

Ooh, what they're sayin'

And there will come a day when youth will pass away

What will they say about me?

When the end comes, I know

They was just a gigolo

Life goes on without me, 'cause

I ain't got nobody

Nobody cares for me

I'm so sad and lonely

Sad and lonely, sad and lonely

Won't some sweet mama come and take a chance with me?

'Cause I ain't so bad

An' I'll sing her sweet love songs

All of the time

She will only be, only be

Bip boz dee, boze dee, bop, biddly bop

I ain't got nobody

Nobody cares for me

Humala bebuhla zeebuhla boobuhla

Humala bebuhla zeebuhla bop

I ain't got nobody

Nobody cares for me

I'm so sad and lonely

Oh lonely, oh lonely, lonely, lonely

Won't some sweet mama, come and rescue me

'Cause I ain't so bad

An' I'll sing her sweet love songs

All of the time

She will only be, only, only, only

Only, only, only, only be

Baby, c'mon sugar, darling

Ain't got nobody, baby

There's nobody (nobody)

There's no one (no one)

Loot de loot (loot de loot)

Dolly dolly (dolly dolly)

Gernish gernish (gernish gernish)

Stot say da wool (stot say da wool)

Over den (over den)

Nobody (nobody)

No, no one (no, no one)

Nobody (nobody)

Nobody cares for me

History & Lyrics

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