The Origin Of The Old Trinidadian Endearment "Doo Doo" & An Examples Of That Term In Lord Beginner's 1950s Calypso Song "Louise"

mightysparrowaz,  May 11, 2012

Lord Beginner tells us his love life seems to have hit a snag. I suppose we`ve all been through that too although I for one never got near to expressing my feelings in such a wonderfully apt descriptive phrase as that of Beginner and his "lost paradise".

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Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest revision - Nov. 16, 2023

This pancocojams post showcases a YouTube sound file of the 1950 (Trinidad) Calypso song "General Election" by Lord Beginner.

Information about Lord Beginner is included in this post along with the lyrics for this song and selected comments from this sound file's discussion thread

The content of this post is presented for information and cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Lord Beginner for his musical legacy and thanks to the band who played the music and sung the chorus of this song in this record. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publisher of this sound file on YouTube.

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WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF THE TRINI TERM "DOO DOO" MEAN AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
From https://triniinxisle.com/2018/12/02/trinidad-slang-doux-doux/
"Doudou, doodoo, doux-doux (n): Sweetness; sweetie; a Trini phrase of affectionate endearment, usually used to females.

French doux ‘sweet’; such repetition is common in French Creole, but some reduplicated forms of doux, including as a term of affection, are historically found in the east and north-east of France, Aud-Buscher 1989:13; also possibly Yoruba dun ‘is sweet’ = dood(s).

“Ah…done tell mih wifey wot to do when I die.  Ah tell she, ‘Doo-Doo gyul, when I die, please bury min wit’ a bottle in each hand” (Sweetbread, Express 21 July  1982:42).

Dou-dou is most common in Trini folk speech but copied through calypsoes my many artists in the Eastern Caribbean.

Some examples of dou-dou used in Trini phrases:

‘Put you’ trust in God, doodoo’, Ma Christine kept saying.

‘Put you’ trust in God.’ ‘Don’t cry doodoo-darlin”, said Ma Christine, gently patting her on the shoulder.

Doux-doux is a common Trini phrase I heard growing up in Trinidad and Tobago. Interestingly slangs can change over time. I have lived in the United States for 20 years now, and every time I travel back to Trinidad and Tobago, I have to reacquaint myself with the words and phrases that have evolved.

[...] 

Source: Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago by Lise Winer"
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The Trinidadian endearment "doo doo" is pronounced to rhyme with the English words "blue blue" and "sue sue".

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LYRICS - LOUISE
(Lord Beginner)

Louise, hope it’s not in vain Please come back again Louise, hope it’s not in vain Please come back again Miss your romance when you leave Miss your bliss I had to grieve Oh gal, I now realize that I lost my paradise Darling doodoo, why you make me blue Oh, Lord! Every time I turn in the bed I take the pillow for you. Darling, do you wonder why, sweet love can never die? Louise, girl I must confess yours is of the best. You can bring a lion just like a lamb You got something that can really charm. Oh gal, I now realize that I lost my paradise Darling doodoo, why you make me blue Oh, Lord! Every time I turn in the bed I take the pillow for you. Louise, speaking broadmindedly, you are just like the honey bee Oh, with the dames I know, none every treat me so. I love to hear your happy tone Retaliate with the things you own Oh, Girl! Look I now realize that I lost my paradise Darling doodoo, why you make me blue Oh, Lord! Every time I turn in the bed I take the pillow for you. Louise, telling you candidly you got something holding me Oh, what is it at all that made me have to bawl? Bring it back, I’m paralyzed for you have me victimized Oh Girl! Look I now realize that I lost my paradise Darling doodoo, why you make me blue Oh, Lord! Every time I turn in the bed I take the pillow for you.

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Additions and corrections are welcome
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Nov; 16, 2023 - Thanks to @invisiblesanta for posting corrections for some of my initial transcribed lyrics in that sound file's YouTube discussion thread. The lyrics given above have the corrected transcriptions. .

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INFORMATION ABOUT LORD BEGINNER
From  https://www.last.fm/music/Lord+Beginner/+wiki Lord Beginner Biography
..."Egbert Moore (1904–1981) known as Lord Beginner, was a popular Trinidadian calypsonian.

Moore was born in Port-of-Spain in Trinidad. According to AllMusic: "After attracting attention with his soulful singing in Trinidad and Tobago, Lord Beginner was sent by expatriate Portuguese businessman Edward Sa Gomes to New York City, along with Attila The Hun and Growling Tiger, to record for the Port-Of-Spain label in May 1934." These recordings by Moore with other leading members of Trinidad's "Old Brigade" of calypsonians helped to spark a renaissance of the calypso genre in the 1940s and '50s, and introduce the music to the world.

 In July 1948 Lord Beginner emigrated to England with fellow calypsonians Lord Kitchener (Aldwyn Roberts) and Lord Woodbine (Harold Philips) in 1948. They arrived near London on the Empire Windrush, the first of many voyages conveying West Indians wishing to start a new life in Britain. Beginner began playing clubs throughout London and was a success, recording for the Parlophone label in 1950."...

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