About The Song
“Bimbo” was one of Jim Reeves’ earliest major hits and a key step in establishing him as a national country artist. The song was written in the late 1940s, most often credited to Rod Morris, though some sources also list Glenn O’Dell or associate it with Pee Wee King. Reeves recorded it in 1953 for the independent Abbott Records label in Shreveport, Louisiana, during the period when he was performing regularly on the Louisiana Hayride.
Released as Abbott 148 with “Gypsy Heart” on the B-side, the single reached number one on the Billboard country chart in January 1954. It became Reeves’ second consecutive chart-topper after “Mexican Joe” the previous year. The record sold strongly and helped move him beyond regional success into wider recognition.
The lyric is a light-hearted novelty number about a small boy named Bimbo who wins over everyone he meets. In an era when many country songs dealt with heartbreak or hard living, the cheerful, story-driven character of “Bimbo” stood out. Reeves delivered it in a more straightforward, up-tempo country style that differed from the smooth, restrained ballads he would later perfect.
At the time of the recording Reeves was still developing his professional identity. He had worked as a radio announcer and was building a following through live appearances and the Hayride. The back-to-back success of “Mexican Joe” and “Bimbo” confirmed that he was more than a one-hit performer and led to further opportunities, including his eventual move to the major label RCA Victor in 1955.
In 1957 RCA issued an album titled *Bimbo* that collected many of Reeves’ early Abbott recordings, including both number-one hits. He himself described the collection as containing the records that had “made him.” The album was well received among country disc jockeys and ranked high in Billboard’s year-end poll of favorite country albums.
Although “Bimbo” belongs to the earlier, more traditional phase of Reeves’ career, it remains an important marker of his rise. Later reissues and compilations continued to include the track, preserving the playful novelty side of an artist who would become best known for the polished Nashville Sound style of the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Video
Lyric
Bimbo, Bimbo, where ya gonna go-e-o?
Bimbo, Bimbo, whatcha gonna do-e-o?
Bimbo, Bimbo, does your mommy know
That you’re goin’ down the road to see a little girly o?
Bimbo is a little boy who’s got a million friends
And every time he passes by, they all invite him in
He’ll clap his hands, and sing and dance, and talk his baby talk
With a hole in his pants and his knees stickin’ out
He’s just big enough to walk
Bimbo, Bimbo, where ya gonna go-e-o?
Bimbo, Bimbo, whatcha gonna do-e-o?
Bimbo, Bimbo, does your mommy know
That you’re goin’ down the road to see a little girly o?
Bimbo’s got two big blue eyes that light up like a star
And the way to light them up is to buy him candy bars
Cracker Jack and bubblegum will start his day off right
All the girlies follow him just a-beggin’ him for a bite
Bimbo, Bimbo, candy on your face-e-o
Bimbo, Bimbo, chewin’ on your gummy o
Bimbo, Bimbo, when you gonna grow?
Everybody loves you, little baby Bimbio
You never catch him sittin’ still, he’s just the rovin’ kind
Although he’s just a little boy, he’s got a grown-up mind
He’s always got a shaggy dog a-pullin’ at his clothes
And everybody calls to him as down the street he goes
Bimbo, Bimbo, where ya gonna go-e-o?
Bimbo, Bimbo, whatcha gonna do-e-o?
Bimbo, Bimbo, does your mommy know
That you’re goin’ down the road to see a little girly o?
Bimbo, Bimbo, Bimbo, Bimbo
Bimbo, Bimbo, Bimbo, Bimbo
Bimbo, Bimbo-