"Three Little Fishes" is a 1939 song performed by Kay Kyser and His Band, with words by Josephine Carringer and Bernice Idins and music by Saxie Dowell. The song tells the story of three fishes, who defy their mother's command of swimming only in a meadow, by swimming over a dam and on out to sea, where they encounter a shark, which the fishes describe as a whale. They flee for their lives and return to the meadow in safety.
The song was heard in Beach Party at Walt Disney World, where the Fun Songs Kids join Mickey as they snorkel and swam in Shark Reef.
Lyrics[]
Down in the meadow in a itty bitty pool
Lived three little fishies and a mommy fishy too.
"Swim," said the mommy fishy, "swim if you can."
And they swam and they swam all over the dam.
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
And they swam and they swam all over the dam.
"Stop," said the mommy, "or you will get lost!"
But the three little fishies didn't wanna be bossed
So the three little fishies went off on a spree
And they swam and they swam right out to the sea.
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
And they swam and they swam all over the dam.
"Hooray!" said the little fishies, "Here's a lot of fun.
We'll swim in the ocean till the day is done."
So they swam and they swam, and it was a lark
Till all of a sudden they met a shark!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
And they swam and they swam all over the dam.
"Help!" cried the little fishies, "Look at all the whales!"
Quick as they could, they turned on their tails.
Back to the pool in the meadow they swam
And they swam and they swam all over the dam.
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
And they swam and they swam all over the dam.
Kids:
Down in the meadow, in a little bitty pool
Swam three little fishes and a mamma fishie too
"Swim!" said the mama fishie, "Swim if you can!"
And they swam, and they swam all over the dam
Boop, Boop, Dittem Dattem Whattem Chu
Boop, Boop, Dittem Dattem Whattem Chu
Boop, Boop, Dittem Dattem Whattem Chu
And they swam and they swam all over the dam.
Mickey: Hi everybody!
Kids: "Whee!" yelled the little fishes, "Here's a lot of fun.
We'll swim in sea, till the day is done."
They swam, and they swam, and it was a lark
Till, all of a sudden, they met a shark!
Mickey: Uh-oh! Shark!
Kids: Boop, Boop, Dittem Dattem Whattem Chu
Boop, Boop, Dittem Dattem Whattem Chu
Boop, Boop, Dittem Dattem Whattem Chu
And they swam, and they swam all over the dam.
Mickey: Come on!
Kids: "Help!" cried the little fishes, "Look at all the whales!"
And quick as they could, they turned on their tails
And back to the pool, in the meadow they swam
And they swam, and they swam all over the dam
Boop, Boop, Dittem Dattem Whattem Chu
Boop, Boop, Dittem Dattem Whattem Chu
Boop, Boop, Dittem Dattem Whattem Chu
And they swam and they swam all over the dam
Boop, Boop, Dittem Dattem Whattem Chu
And they swam, and they swam, and they swam, and they swam, and they swam, and they swam, and they swam, and they swam all over the DAAAAAAAAAM!
Mickey: See ya!