Tipitina tra la la la
Whoa la la la-ah tra la la
Tipitina, oola malla walla dalla [little mama wants a dollar]
Tra ma tra la la
Hey Loberta, oh poor Loberta
Girl you hear me calling you
Well you're three times seven, baby
Knows what you want to do
Say Loberta, oh poor Loberta
Girl, you tell me where you been
When you come home this morning, honey
You had your belly full of gin
I'll say hurry, hurry, come on Loberta
Girl, you have company waiting for you at home
Why don't you hurry little Loberta girl, hurry
Don't leave that boy alone
Tipitina tra la la la
Whoa la la la-ah tra la la la
Tipitina, hoola malla walla dalla
Tra ma ti na na
Come on baby, we're going balling
We're gonna have ourselves a good time
We gonna hoola tralla walla malla dalla
Drink some mellow wine
About This Song
"Tipitina" is a playful New Orleans R&B classic that showcases Professor Longhair's distinctive piano-driven style, blending Caribbean rhythms with blues and boogie-woogie in his signature "rhumba-boogie" sound. The song follows a loose narrative about a character named Loberta who's been out drinking and carousing, with the narrator calling her home where company is waiting, mixing themes of domestic tension with street-level humor. The lyrics combine nonsense syllables ("tra la la") with coded language and New Orleans slang, creating an infectious, almost carnival-like atmosphere that captures the city's musical spirit. Professor Longhair's rolling piano triplets and syncopated rhythms became a blueprint for New Orleans funk and influenced generations of musicians from Dr. John to The Meters. The song's enduring legacy is reflected in the famous New Orleans venue Tipitina's, named in its honor, cementing its status as an essential piece of Crescent City musical heritage.
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