My current obsession: The song “Dat Dere,” which was written in the early 60s. The music is by Bobby Timmons, the lyric by Oscar Brown, Jr. The words were reportedly inspired by a father-son visit to the zoo, during which Brown listened to his five-year old excitedly ask, “Daddy, what’s dat dere? What’s dat over dere?” It’s always a challenge to write a song for – or about – kids without getting sappy or overly sentimental. But this one perfectly captures the giddy sensory overload of being a kid. Here’s Mel Torme doing it:
And Rickie Lee Jones:
Thanks for this Bill. I have a really old album of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross singing Dat Dere. See if you can find a copy of it. its great!