In 1956 Trinidadian calypsonian Lord Melody composed "Mama Look a BooBoo" about children frightened by their father's physical appearance. As a result of the song's popularity, he became known as the "BooBoo Man." During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Melody and the Mighty Sparrow frequently sparred in song on the topic of Melody's looks. Melody's "Creature from the Black Lagoon" and Sparrow's "Reply to Melody" are just two of more than a dozen calypsos in this vein.
Harry Belafonte recorded "Mama Look a BooBoo" during the 1950s and continued to perform it on many occasions. In 1957 he sang a duet version with Nat King Cole for a television program. Hollywood actor Robert Mitchum included the song in his 1957 album of calypsos (Calypso Is Like So), and several other artists also recorded it during the American "calypso craze." During the 1960s, both Gary U.S. Bonds and Chubby Checker recorded twist versions, while Swedish jazz vocalist Alice Babbs (known for her work with Duke Ellington) recorded a German rendition.
In 1991 Tim Hauser and Alan Paul of the Manhattan Transfer recorded a duet version of the song for the soundtrack to the film The Marrying Man. It has also been recorded in recent years by rockabilly musician Charlie Gracie, Broadway vocalist Lillias White and reggae star Max Romeo (with an Italian group on a Dutch record label).