Which famous Neapolitan song was borrowed from heavily in the 1927 novelty song written by Van and Schenck?
Pastafazoola Pastafazoola (also known as Pastafazula) is a 1927 novelty song written by the early 20th-century American songwriting duo of Van and Schenck. Borrowing heavily from the Italian standard "Funiculì, Funiculà", the song tells of the masterful feats of world-leading individuals who ate the traditional Italian dish, "pasta fagioli", which is simple "peasant fare" of pasta and navy beans. Among the individuals mentioned in the song are Babe Ruth, who had hit a record 60 home runs during the 1927 season, singer John McCormack, John D. Rockefeller, Jack Dempsey, Charles Lindbergh, Christopher Columbus and Benito Mussolini.
The Yama Yama Man "The Yama Yama Man" was a comical song for the Broadway show "The Three Twins", published in 1908 by M. Witmark & Sons with music by Karl Hoschna and lyrics by Collin Davis. It became popular after Bessie McCoy's animated performance in a satin Pierrot clown costume with floppy gloves and a cone hat. At age 20, she became an overnight sensation on Broadway and was known thereafter as the "Yama Yama Girl"; it became her lifelong theme song, the show ran for 288 performances. The lyrics contain topical references of the era such as street cars and ladies' fashion while the refrain is about a comical bogeyman—the Yama Yama Man—who is "ready to spring out at you unaware". Bessie McCoy's song and dance routine was a standard into the 1930s with a prestigious lineage of imitators including Ada Jones, Marilyn Miller, Irene Castle and Ginger Rogers.