The version of Rubber Biscuit recorded by the Blues Brothers was supposed to be a tribute to the original, but turned out to be somewhat of a bastardization of a great doo-wop tune.
The song was written and by recorded in 1956 by the Chips (Nathaniel Epps, Charles Johnson, Shedrick Lincoln, Samuel Strain Jr., and Paul Fulton). The song was a minor hit back then, but never achieved big hit status due to the way the record industry operated back in the '50's. White radio stations didn't play R&B and rock and roll records by black artists very often. Those black recording were often referred to as race records. Quite often, acceptable white artists would cover records originally cut by blacks. This is why Pat Boone had such a big career; he spent the Fifties in white bucks, covering Little Richard songs.
The Chips' tune couldn't be covered by a white artist at the time due to the distinct cultural meaning of the words and the scat style of singing. No white singer would be able to evoke the same complex feelings of fun and sadness in the silly lyrics, which are pretty much about being poor. Which is why is sounds kind of stupid when John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd perform it on the first Blues Brothers album.
However, one has to give props to Aykroyd, who was probably the one who suggested recording the song. He allegedly has a gigantic collection of rare R&B records going back to the 1940s. That he and Belushi were willing to even cover such an obscure tune is at least a tribute to their taste.
The song can be found on various oldies collections, especially those put together by Dr. Demento.
The lyrics:
Rubber Biscuit
Cow cow hoo-oo
cow cow wanna dib-a-doo
chick'n hon-a-chick-a-chick hole-a-hubba
hell fried chuck-a-lucka wanna jubba
hi-low 'n-ay wanna dubba hubba
day down sum wanna jigga-wah
dell rown ay wanna lubba hubba
mull an a mound chicka lubba hubba
fay down ah wanna dip-a-zip-a-dip-a
mm-mh, do that again !
doo doo doo boooh
cow lubba 'n a-blubba lubba
ow rown hibb'n 'n a-hibba-lu
how low lubbin 'n a-blubba-lubba
hell ride ricky ticky hubba lubba
dull ow de moun' chicky hubba lubba
wen down trucka lucka wanna do-uh
how low a zippin 'n a-hubba-lu
hell ride ricky ticky blubba-lu
how low duh woody pecker pecker
mh, did you ever hear of a wish sandwich
well that's the kind of a sandwich
that is supposed to take two pieces of bread
and wish you had some meat
doo doo boooh
cow cow lubba 'n a-blubba lubba
hell ride hibbin' and zippin 'n
how luva mail take a-lubba hubba
hey ride wanna tak' a-recca recca
ho' low take a-lubba hubba
hey ride wanna 'n suppa suppa
ho' low a mail take a-lubba hubba
hey ride a hippin' and a-hubbin' no
hi-low 'n sum a-chicka whaa
the other day
I ate a ricochet biscuit
well that's the kind of biscuit that's supposed to
bounce off the wall back in your mouth
if it don't bounce back
- shh-mmhh-mmhh
you go hungry
doo doo bouuh
cow cow lubba 'n a-blubba lubba
hell low a sum did a-lubba goin'
hey ride wan' take a-lubba do
how long lon' suppa dubba
how low a mail take a-lubba hubba
hey ride wanna take a-lubba hubba
how low a mail take a-lubba hubba
hey down nothin' take a-luva do
hey ride a sippin' and a hubba dubba
mmmmmh, the other day
I ate a cool water sandwich
and a sunday-go-to-meeting bun
doo doo bouuh
cow cow lubba 'n a-blubba lubba
hell ride ricky ticky hubba lubbav how low a
wann' suppa dov hey ride sippin' and hubba lubbav
hell ride a-hubbin' and wan' do
hey ride a wanna an' recca recca
ho' low a mail take lubba hubba
hey down a wann' suppa dubba
please ride a hubbin' gonn' do
what you owe for nothin'
rubber biscuit
doo doo doo boooh
cooow cooow oo-oooooouuuh
written by Nathaniel Epps, Charles Johnson, Shedrick Lincoln, Samuel Strain Jr., and Paul Fulton