O-da-lay-eeeeeee O-da-lay-ee-ee-ee O-de-o-lay-ee-oh-oh O-da-lay-eee I was over in Africa minin’ for gold O-oooh, minin’ for gold, Come along a big lion, caught me in my hole O-de-lay-eee, caught me in my hole The lion said “Buddy, you plumb outta luck” O-da-lay-eee, you plumb outta luck, Made a lunge for me, lawd, I had to duck O-de-lay-eee, I had to duck I jabbed that lion right clean in the jaw O-oooh, right clean in the jaw Picked up his tail, dragged him cross the floor O-de-lay-eee, dragged him cross the floor I chained him up in the back of my truck O-oooh, in the back of my truck Said, “What’s that you had to say about luck?” O-de-lay-eee, that you said about luck
*(Verse omitted from album recording)
Right then I decided to quit that gold mine, O-oooh, to quit that gold mine, Now I had done caught me a talkin lion O-de-lay-eee, a talkin lion* The first place I took him was ten miles away, O-ooh, ten miles away Told the people, “Listen what this lion can say” O-de-lay-eee, what this lion can say The lion looked round, he started to cry, O-ooh, he started to cry, Said, “This man punched me and he blackened my eye” O-da-lay-eee, and he blackened my eye. The people got angry, they started to shout, O-da-lay-ee-ee-ee-eee Lion said, “That’s what I was talkin about” O-de-lay-eee, oh-oh, lawd, lawd. They hauled me up the courthouse stairs, O-oooh, up the courthouse stairs The judge was a monkey in an old wicker chair O-de-lay-eee, in an old wicker chair. The monkey said, “Guilty”, and the people all cheered, O-oooh, and the people all cheered He slammed his gavel, said “Twenty five years” O-da-lay-eee, said twenty five years I’m in Africa wearin a ball and chain, O-de-lay-ee, a ball and chain, I’ll never mess with a talkin lion again O-oooh, talkin lion again