Dat Dere - Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers/Bobby Timmons/Nat Adderley and The Cannonball Adderley Quintet/Oscar Brown Jr./Monica Zetterlund/Rickie Lee Jones

Dat Dere

Bobby Timmons, music composer

Hey, mama, hey, mama, hey, look at that over there
And what's that doing there
And where're they going there
And, mummy, can I have that big elephant over there

And who's that in my chair
And what's he doing there
Mama, hey,, mama, can I go over there
Hey, mama, what is square
And where do we get air
And, mama, can I have that big elephant over there

Quizzical kid, she doesn't want anything here
Just forever to manage to know who, what, why or where
Inquisitive child, sometimes the questions get wild
Like, mommy, can I have that big elephant over there

Don't wanna comb my hair and where's my teddy bear
And, mama, hey look at the cowboy coming there
And can I have a pair of boots like that to wear
And, mama, can I have that big elephant over there

The time will march, days will go
And little baby's going to grow
I gotta tell her what she needs to know
I'll help her along and she'll be strong

And she'll know right from wrong
As life's parade goes marching by
She's gonna need to know some reasons why
I don't have all the answers but I'll try to do what I can
We'll make a plan

You give the kid your best and hope she’ll pass the test
And finally send her out into the world somewhere
And though she's grown up, I bet I never will forget
Mummy, can I have that big elephant over there

Hey, why they do that there
And how you put that there
Hey, mummy, up here
Hey, mummy, what that say up there
Hey, mummy, what is fair
How come I have to share
And, mummy, can I have that big elephant over there
And, mummy, can I have that big elephant over there
And, mummy, can I have that big elephant over there