Come-On-A My House

Album: 16 Biggest Hits (1951)
Charted: 1
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Songfacts®:

  • This novelty tune was written in 1939 by two men of Armenian origin: Ross Bagdasarian and his cousin, the writer William Saroyan. Bagdasarian later had two #1 hits in 1958 as David Seville with "Witch Doctor" and "The Chipmunk Song." Saroyan is not known to have penned any other pop songs. He is best known for his short stories such as The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze (1934), which idealized the hopes and sentiments of the "little man." One of his plays was The Time of Your Life (1939) which included Bagdasarian in the Broadway cast. In fact the two cousins wrote this song on the post-Broadway tour bus of the play.
  • This was produced by Mitch Miller, whose innovative use of harpsichord greatly enhanced this dialect song.
  • Rosemary Clooney thought this had cheap lyrics and was just an "Armenian novelty song." She also disliked having to sing it in a mock Italian accent. Mitch Miller had to threaten to terminate her just signed contract with Columbia Records before she agreed to record it. Within weeks of her finally relenting, she found herself with one of the biggest-selling hits in the country. She continued to dislike it, but acknowledged it was the song that made her a household name.
  • Clooney later used the same Italian accent for her 1954 hit "Mambo Italiano."
  • Among other artists who covered are Ella Fitzgerald, Kay Starr and Della Reese.

Comments: 6

  • Carl from San FranciscoWikipedia also claims this is based on an Armenian melody.
    the least the people who assert this could do is let us know the title of that song.
  • M from CanadaBeing of Italian origin, I find the thick stereotypical accent in the song actually quite prejudicial. It is mocking how my parents sounded when they spoke English. She didn’t have this accent, she mimicked it for a laugh
  • Bob from ColoradoDoes anyone really believe this song has no intention of being an anthem for seduction? I don't want to diminish Rosemary Clooney's extraordinary talent, for which I have a great deal of respect. However, I submit that it would never have been such a huge hit unless people perceived a great deal of sexual innuendo lurking barely beneath the surface. Claims to the contrary ring very hollow with me, just like when the Beatles insisted that Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds had nothing to do with LSD. Any thoughts?
  • Kiril from MontrealDoes anyone know the name of the Armenian song on which the tune was based?
  • Edward from Henderson, NvUsed in 1997, at the beginning of "Intimate Relations."
  • John from Anaheim, CaJulie London covered this song a few years later in her trademark smoky style. It sounds quite different from the Clooney version - and both sound great!
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