To all:  Anyone know the identity of the composer (assuming there
is one) of the following text:

  "Oh, they don't wear pants,
   on the other side of France
(we were taught: "in the hootchy-kootchy dance")
   and the songs they sing,
   are enough to kill a king"

I've heard it for all my years (lots of them) but I always figured
it was a music hall or vaudeville "shtick" or some such, and that
it probably had no actual origin in a completed song.

Can anyone enlighten?  My reputation at the radio station (WCLV) in
Cleveland is at stake (as I am the "great musical guru" ... in the
minds of the listeners.)

Albert M. Petrak

 [ Maybe it survives as a children's ditty, but it seems to be
 [ a parody of a popular song of the day, and any tune honoured
 [ by parody is almost certain to be a good tune!  When was
 [ the expression "hootchy-kootchy" popular in songs?
 [
 [ Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary on-line at
 [ http://www.britannica.com/bcom/dictionary/  says
 [
 [ shtick (also shtik) - Yiddish: pranks, literally, piece,
 [   from Middle High German stuecke, from Old High German stucki;
 [   akin to Old English stycce piece; a show-business routine,
 [   gimmick, or gag
 [
 [ I love meaty words like this!  :-)  -- Robbie