| Yummy Yummy Yummy | |
| Cover: | Ohio Express Yummy Yummy Yummy single cover.jpg |
| Caption: | Cover of the German release |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Ohio Express |
| Album: | Ohio Express |
| B-Side: | Zig Zag |
| Released: | April 1968 |
| Genre: | |
| Label: | Buddah |
| Producer: | Engineer: Bruce Staple |
| Prev Title: | Try It |
| Prev Year: | 1968 |
| Next Title: | Down at Lulu's |
| Next Year: | 1968 |
"Yummy Yummy Yummy" is a song by Arthur Resnick and Joey Levine, first recorded by Ohio Express in 1968. Their version reached No. 4 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart[3] in June and No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart.[4] It has since been covered by many artists. Ohio Express was a studio concoction and none of the "official" members appear on the record. Joey Levine sang lead vocals.
Time magazine included it in its 2011 list of songs with silly lyrics.[5] It ranked No. 2 in Dave Barry's Book of Bad Songs.
The single's flip-side, titled "Zig-Zag", is an instrumental version of the 1910 Fruitgum Company's "(Poor Old) Mr. Jensen" played in reverse.
"Yummy Yummy Yummy" has been used in the films Super Size Me,[6] Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2,[7] and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
In television, the song has been used on The Simpsons in the episodes "" and "The Heartbroke Kid"; in the Monty Python's Flying Circus episode "How Not to Be Seen" (credited to the fictional band "Jackie Charlton and the Tonettes"); in the Futurama episode "Saturday Morning Fun Pit"; and a short musical segment of Timon and Pumbaa, where it is sung by the titular characters with modified lyrics.
The Beatles borrowed the introduction of the Ohio Express single for their 1968 White Album opener "Back in the U.S.S.R." New wave band The Cars would borrow the opening guitar chords for their 1978 hit "Just What I Needed".[8] Pop rock band Fountains of Wayne would then in turn borrow the riff for their 2003 hit "Stacy's Mom", with their opening riff being based on "Just What I Needed".[9]
| Chart (1968-1969) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (Go-Set)[10] | 6 | |
| Austrian Singles Chart[11] | 5 | |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles[12] | 1< | -- Previous week entry in referred page --> |
| Dutch Top 40[13] | 27 | |
| Irish Singles Chart[14] | 5 | |
| New Zealand (Listener) | 1 | |
| South Africa (Springbok)[15] | 6 | |
| Swiss Singles Chart[16] | 8 | |
| UK Singles Chart | 5 | |
| US Billboard Pop Singles | 4 | |
| US Cash Box Top 100[17] | 4 | |
| Chart (1968) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Canada[18] | 10 |
| South Africa[19] | 20 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[20] | 38 |
| US Cash Box[21] | 11 |