Weird Song of the Week: My Dingaling

Chuck Berry's only #1 hit comes when he rediscovers a 1950s tune about... take a guess.

In 1972, Chuck Berry released a novelty song that is loaded with double entendre, and not at all his usual type of song. Oddly enough, it goes to #1 on the US pop singles charts… and was a top song played at whatever bar I used to hang out at in the 1990s. Over and over, day after day… my ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling… I’m sure it was a guy picking this penile song out on the jukebox. :)

The song was actually first recorded in 1952 by a David Bartholemew, and somewhere along the way, Chuck thought it was a good tune to record.

Here’s the lyrics, in case you’re not familiar with the jam:

When I was a little bitty boy
My grandmother bought me a cute little toy
Silver bells hangin' on a string
She told me it was my ding a ling ling

[Chorus]
My ding a ling, my ding a ling
I want to play with my ding a ling
My ding a ling, my ding a ling
I wanna play with my ding a ling

[Verse 2]
When mamma took me to Sunday School
They tried to teach me the golden rule
Every time the choir would sing
I'd sit there and play with my ding a ling

[Chorus]
My ding a ling, my ding a ling
I want to play with my ding a ling
My ding a ling, my ding a ling
I wanna play with my ding a ling

[Verse 3]
When Pa started me to Grammar School
I found a place in the vestibule
And every time the bell would ring
They'd catch me playin' with my ding a ling

[Chorus]
My ding a ling, my ding a ling
I want to play with my ding a ling
My ding a ling, my ding a ling
I want to play with my ding a ling

[Verse 4]
Once I was climbing the garden wall
Oh and I had an awful fall
I fell so hard I heard bells ring
But I never let go of my ding a ling

[Chorus]
My ding a ling, my ding a ling
I want to play with my ding a ling
My ding a ling, my ding a ling
I want to play with my ding a ling

[Verse 5]
I remember the girl next door
We used to play house on the kitchen floor
She'd be the queen, I'd be the king
Together we'd play with my ding a ling a ling

[Chorus]
My ding a ling, my ding a ling
I want to play with my ding a ling
My ding a ling, my ding a ling
I want to play with my ding a ling

[Verse 6]
This here song, it is so sad
To those of you who never had
Silver bells hanging on a string
So you could play with your own ding a ling

[Chorus]
My ding a ling, my ding a ling
I want to play with my ding a ling
My ding a ling, my ding a ling
All come on now, everybody sing
My ding a ling, my ding a ling
I want to play with my ding a ling
My ding a ling, my ding a ling
I want to play with my ding a ling (One more time)

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here’s a link to the song on the ‘tube if you’d like it hear it: