O-da-lay-eeeeee
O-da-lay-ee-ee-ee
O-de-o-lay-ee-oh-oh
O-da-lay-eee
I was over in Africa mini' for gold
O-oooh, min' for gold,
Come along a big lion, caught me in my hole
O-de-lay-eee, caught me in my hole
The lion said "Buddy, you plumb outta luck"
O-da-lay-eee, you plumb outta luck,
Made a lunge for me, lawd, I had to duck
O-de-lay-eee, I had to duck
I jabbed that lion right clean in the jaw
O-oooh, right clean in the jaw
Picked up his tail, dragged him cross the florr
O-de-lay-eee, dragged him cross the floor
I changed him up in the back of my truck
O-oooh, in the back of my truck
Said, "What's that you had to say about luck?"
O-de-lay-eee, that you said about luck
The first place I took him was ten miles away,
O-ooh, ten miles away
Told the people, "Listen what this lion can say"
O-de-lay-eee, what this lion can say
The lion looked round, he started to cty,
O-ooh, he started to cry,
Said, "This man punched me and he blackened my eye"
O-da-lay-eee, and he blackened my eye.
The people got angr, they started to shout,
O-da-lay-ee-ee-ee-eee
Lion said, "That's what I was talkin about"
O-de-lay-eee, oh-oh, lawd, lawd.
They hauled me up the courthouse stairs,
O-oooh, up the courthouse stairs
The judge was a monkey in an old wicker chair
O-de-lay-eee, in an old wicker chair.
The monky said, "Guilty", and the people all cheered,
O-oooh, and the people all cheered
He slammed his gravel, said "Twenty five years"
O-da-lay-eee, said twenty five years
I'm in Africa wearin a ball and chain,
O-de-lay-ee, a ball and chain,
I'll never mess with a talkin lion again
O-oooh, talkin lion again