“About Mum… Is You Is or Is You Ain’t? (live)”

Davy: Hey, you know something? I gotta tell you. You know, when I first started out in-in England, in entertainment, it was, it was because my sisters used to run the youth club at the church, and my mum used to play the organ at the church, and then it came, sort of summer time, we did all the shows, and my sisters sort of were in it, and I was in it, and my mum played the piano and. It was kind of, kind of down home stuff, you know, it was no other kind of activities that we were able to, to do when we were little kids in England. You know, this is back in the late fifties and early sixties and stuff, and I, it wasn’t until—my mum died in 1960, and I was fourteen years old, and I, that’s when I left home, ’cause I couldn’t, I couldn’t deal with that, but um, my sisters presented me with some records a little time back, that were my mum’s records, and I had no idea that she used to like that kind of music, and I guess it was forties, fifties, or before that, swing music, and so, I thought maybe um, as um, as we’ve got one expectant mother at least out there tonight, Gregory over there, see Gregory. He—over there on the end, the saxophone player, the saxophonist way back there, yeah. His wife, his wife is going to, going to have a baby you’re going to say just one big hello and tell her how much you love her.
Gregory: Hello Katerina, I love you.
Davy: That’s what happened when they met, and this is what’s happening now. You know? She’s eight months pregnant. Ha ha. Right. So, I’m going to dedicate this to Katerina and all the other mothers in the audience.

Now I’ve got a girl who is always late
Every time we have a date
But I love her
Yes, I love her, yeah

I’m gonna go up to her gate
And see if I can’t get it straight
Because I want her
Yes, I want her, yeah

Davy: Don’t blow it, they want more money.

Is you is or is you ain’t my baby?
The way you’re actin’ lately makes me doubt
Now you is my baby, baby
It seems the fire in your heart don’t burn out

A woman is a creature who has always been strange
Just when you’re sure of one thing
She goes and makes a change, yeah

Is you is or is you ain’t my baby?
Or has my baby found somebody new?
Or is my baby still my baby true?

Now is you is or is you ain’t my baby?
The way you’re actin’ lately makes me doubt
Now you is my baby, baby
It seems the fire in your heart don’t burn out

A woman is a creature who has always been strange
Just when you’re sure of one thing
She goes and makes a change, yeah

Is you is or is you ain’t my baby?
Or has my baby found somebody new?
Or is my baby still my baby true?
Yeah

[break]
Davy: Honey, lamb, honey, babe. Yee hee.

A woman is a creature who has always been strange
Just when you’re sure of one thing
She goes and makes a change, yeah

Is you is or is you ain’t my baby?
Or has my baby found somebody new?
Or is my—Hey! The horns, too!

[break]

A woman is a creature who has always been strange
Just when you’re sure of one thing
She goes and makes a change, yeah

Is you is or is you ain’t my baby?
Or has my baby found somebody new?
Or is my baby still my baby true? Dah-dah doo
Or is my baby still my baby true? I’m talking to you
Or is my baby still my baby true?
Yeah

Davy: Woo! Listen, this is my favorite Monkees song. If you don’t like it, you don’t like apple pie.


  1. Live!!! (2004) (CD).
  2. ASCAP Repertory, https://www.ascap.com/repertory, 390145403.