In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

Written by Doug Ingle, vocalist and keyboard player. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida was the title track of Iron Butterfly's second album (ATCO SD 33-250, July 1968).

It was so popular it soared past the usual measure for a "Gold" album so Ahmet Ertegun (then boss of ATCO) had to produce a new "Platinum" sales award to acknowledge it's success - 140 weeks in the charts, 81 of which were in the Top Ten.

The title translates as "In the garden of life" but it was originally called "In the garden of Eden". A drunken rehearsal resulted in the slurring of "In the garden of Eden" into In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.

The original name was reinstated by The Simpsons who (Episode:132 First shown:October 8, 1995) had the church organist (Ingle's father was a church organist) play "In the garden of Eden" by I. Ron Butterfly which provokes Reverend Lovejoy to declare "Wait a minute, this sounds like rock and/or roll."

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, honey,
don't you know that I love you?
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, baby,
don't you know that I'll always be true?

Oh, won't you come with me
and take my hand?

Oh, won't you come with me
and walk this land?

Please take my hand!

(Repeat as required)

See: "In-A-Gadda-Stravinsky" on "Frank Zappa: Guitar"