Seite - 207 - in Media – Migration – Integration - European and North American Perspectives

Kenneth Starck | Perpetuating Prejudice 207 8. Appendix A: Lyrics to A-hab, The A-rab This song by Composer Ray Stevens was No. 5 on Billboard’s top 40 list in 1962. A-hab, The A-rab Let me tell you ’bout A-hab The A-rab The Sheik of the burning sand He had emeralds and rubies just dripping off ’a him And a ring on every finger of his hands He wore a big ol’ turban wrapped around his head And a scimitar by his side And every evening about midnight He'd jump on his camel named Clyde...and ride (SPOKEN) Silently through the night to the sultan’s tent where he would secretly meet up with Fatima of the Seven Veils, swingingest grade “A” number one U.S. choice dancer in the Sultan’s whole harem, ‘cause, heh, him and her had a thing going. You know, and they’d been carrying on for some time now behind the Sultan’s back and you could hear him talk to his camel as he rode out across the dunes, his voice would cut through the still night desert air and he'd say (imitate Arabian speech) which is arabic for, “stop, Clyde!” and Clyde would say, (imitate camel voice). Which is camel for, “What the heck did he say anyway?” Well.... He brought that camel to a screeching halt At the rear of Fatima’s tent jumped off Clyde, Snuck around the corner and into the tent he went There he saw Fatima laying on a Zebra skin rug Wearing rings on her fingers and bells on her toes And a bone in her nose ho, ho. (SPOKEN) There she was friends lying there in all her radiant beauty. Eating on a raisin, grape, apricot, pomegranate, bowl of chitterlings, two bananas, three Hershey bars, sipping on a “R C” Co-Cola listening to her transistor, watching the Grand Ole Opry on the tube reading the Mad magazine while she sung, “Does your chewing gum lose its flavor?” and Ahab walked up to her and he said, (imitate Arabian speech) which is arabic for, “Let's twist again like we did last summer, baby.” (laughter) You know what I mean!