I went a ridin home down to Santa Fe,
There's been a lot of changes since I been away
I went to have a dance at the old dance hall,
Where they were having a ball

CHORUS 1:

They were doin the mambo,
What the heck is the mambo
They were doin the mambo,
While I just stood around

I looked around the place for my best gal Flo
I asked a lot of people for my best friend Joe
Nobody seemed to know where my two friends were
Except that he was with her

CHORUS 2:

They were doin the mambo,
Well they called it the mambo
They were doin the mambo,
While I just stood around

I used to be a dance hall dandy
But it seems since I been gone
There's an awful lot of changes,
I don't know what's goin on
I got a big surprise on the patio,
I found my gal a huggin
With my best friend Joe
And when they turned around
And they looked my way
They smiled and shouted "Olay!"

CHORUS 2

I used to be a dance hall dandy
I knew all there was to know
I knew this away from that away,
But which way did they go
I figured it was time that I took a ride
But couldn't find my horse
Where I left him tied
He found a little filly that he liked a lot,
And you believe it or not
They were doin the mambo,
Even horses do mambo
They were doin the mambo, mambo
While I just stood around