Blame It on the Samba is a song played in the Melody Timesegment of the same name. It is heard constantly throughout the segment where Donald Duck and José Carioca meet the Aracuan Bird who introduces them to the rhythm of samba. The song's tune is based on the 1914 score, Apanhei-te, Cavaquinho by Ernesto Nazareth with English lyrics written and adapted by Ray Gilbert.
Lyrics[]
If your spirits have hit a new low
And they long to hit a new high
One little musical cocktail
Will lift them to the sky
Mix a jigger of rhythm
With the strain of a few guitars
Add a dash of the samba
And a few melodious bars
And then
And there
You take a small cabaça (Chee-chee-chee-chee-chee)
One pandiero (Cha-cha-cha-cha-cha)
Take the cuíca (Choo-choo-choo-choo)
You've got the fascinating rhythm of the samba
And if guitars are strumming (Chee-chee-chee-chee-chee)
Birds are humming (Cha-cha-cha-cha-cha)
Drums are drumming (Choo-choo-choo-choo)
Then you can blame it on the rhythm of the samba
For there is something 'bout the beat you cling to
Not the type of song you sing to
But the kind of thing you swing to
When you get to bouncin' with the beat in your feet
For when you're bouncing to the beat you're reeling
With the carioca feeling
But if you want to hit the ceiling
Here is all you have to do
You take a small cabaça
One pandiero
Take the cuíca
You've got the fascinating rhythm of the samba
(instrumental break, verse then repeats in fast-pace)
