Frim Fram Sauce (1945)

Ricardel/Evans

"I want the frim fram sauce with the ause and fay and some shafafa on the side."

There was something about 1940s that made songwriters come out with a host of songs with nonsensical lyrics: Mairsie Doats and Dosey Doats (1943) is one of the most enduring - it took me decades to figure that one out, if in fact I ever did. Frim Fram Sauce was a big hit for the great Nat King Cole, and numerous artists, feeling light-hearted, have covered it over the years (so to speak.) Diana Krall, in her tribute album to Nat Cole, brought the sauce's existence to a new generation of listeners. Sung right, this is be a pretty suggestive song: I think Diana's version is sexier than Nat's; she switches "fella" to "lady," of course. A fun article about what all these foodstuffs are can be found here.

CHORUS

I don't want french fried potatoes,

Red ripe tomatoes, I'm never satisfied.

I want the frim fram sauce

With the ause and fay

And shafafa on the side.

I don't want pork chops and bacon.

That won't awaken
My appetite inside.

I want the frim fram sauce

With the ause and fay

And shafafa on the side.

Well you know a fella

Really got to eat.

And a fella should eat right.

Five will get you ten.

I'm gonna feed myself right tonight.

I don't want fishcakes and rye bread.

You heard what I said.

Waiter please make mine fried.

I want the frim fram sauce

With the ause and fay

With shafafa on the side.