That's What It's All About

It is interesting how people who you have never met can have a great effect on you life. Most of the time you never find out why but other times, if you are lucky, you do. Today I read about the death of Robert Degeny on his 104th birthday. Who is Robert Degeny you ask? Why he is the man who wrote the modern version of The Hokey Pokey. A form of this song has been around since the 18th century and some say the original song was anti-Catholic and made fun of the Latin words used by priests during Mass.

In the mid-nineteen-fifties bandleader Ray Anthony had a hit record with his version of The Hokey Pokey. Singing it are vocalist Jo Ann Greer and The Skyliners.



You put your right foot in
You put your right foot out
You put your right foot in
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey Pokey
And you turn yourself around
That's what it's all about!

[Spoken: Left foot]

You put your left foot in
You put your left foot out
You put your left foot in
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey Pokey
And you turn yourself around
That's what it's all about!

[Spoken: Right arm]

You put your right arm in
You put your right arm out
You put your right arm in
And then you shake it all about.

[Spoken: Left arm]

You put your left arm in
You put your left arm out
You put your left arm in
And then you shake it all about
You do the Hokey Pokey
And you turn yourself around
That's what it's all about!

[Spoken: Right elbow]

You put your right elbow in
You put your right elbow out
You put your right elbow in
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey Pokey
And you turn yourself around
That's what it's all about!

[Spoken: Left elbow]

You put your left elbow in
You put your left elbow out
You put your left elbow in
And then you shake it all about.

[Spoken: Head]

You put your head in
You put you head out
You put your head in
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey Pokey
And you turn yourself around
That's what it's all about!

[Spoken: Right hip]

You put your right hip in
You put your right hip out
You put your right in
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey Pokey
And you turn yourself around
That's what it's all about!

[Spoken: Left hip]

You put your left hip in
You put your left hip out
You put your left in
Any you shake it all about.

[Spoken: Whole self]

You put your whole self in
You put your whole self out
You put your whole self in
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey Pokey
And you turn yourself around
That's what it's all about!

[Spoken: Backside]

You put your backside in
You put your backside out
You put your backside in
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey Pokey
And you turn yourself around
That's what it's all about!

You do the hokey pokey
The hokey pokey
You do the ho-key pokey
THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT!

I have fond memories of dancing or skating to this version of the song as a child- and that's what it's all about.