Snooky Ookums

Written by Irving Berlin in 1913, “Snooky Ookums” is one of the most memorable examples of the comic “baby-talk” love songs that swept through early Tin Pan Alley. The piece exaggerates the sugary endearments and coy sentimentality fashionable in Edwardian parlor music, poking fun at the same conventions that had dominated popular song since the turn of the century. The humor lies in its affectionate parody: a song that sounds like a valentine but winks at the listener for being in on the joke. Berlin’s lyrics – filled with exaggerated pet names and mock tenderness – capture the balance of warmth and irony that became one of his trademarks. It was the kind of lighthearted novelty that could charm both the vaudeville stage and the home piano. When “Snooky Ookums” appeared in 1913, Berlin was still in his twenties but already a leading voice in American popular music. Published by Waterson, Berlin & Snyder Co., his own music firm, the song helped define the commercial power of Tin Pan Alley at its height. It was performed by singers on the vaudeville circuit and recorded in the early years of acoustic phonographs, circulating widely through sheet music sales that reached households across the country. Critics and audiences responded with amusement – some reviewers noting Berlin’s knack for turning the clichés of love songs inside out without losing their charm. While the “baby talk” fad would soon fade, “Snooky Ookums” remains an important glimpse into the popular taste of its era, when humor, melody, and modernity were just beginning to merge into the distinctly American voice that Berlin would later refine. This performance revisits the song as it was first heard – playful, tuneful, and entirely of its time – a reminder that even at his most lighthearted, Berlin was already reshaping what American popular music could be. #IrvingBerlin #TinPanAlley #VintageSong #AmericanMusic #JasonPaul