In this talk, I present the first phonetic description of what I call the "stylized interjection." The stylized interjection is a brief, attention-getting, but endearing (and, occasionally, mock-endearing) exclamation, encompassing: short- and long-distance calls (Yoo-hoo; Dinner); infant-directed speech (Peek-a-boo) and certain adult-directed derivatives (Bye-bye); playground taunts (Nya-nya); ad hoc group chants (Air-ball); and various other playful exchanges (Uh oh). It has been been cited repeatedly by linguists, especially for its intonational profile - the so-called "calling contour," or in Ladd’s useful refinement of that term, "stylized intonatn" - but these descriptions have remained anecdotal and subjective. I will present results from a systematic experimental study of the stylized interjection, results that suggest an interpretation of the stylized interjection as "sung speech" and that offer intriguing parallels with statistical studies of music. These parallels beg for cross-cultural comparisons, which however present a number of challenges. I propose to address these challenges through a novel experimental paradigm involving child-directed speech and a multiply translated children’s picture book, which I will unveil for the first time here: "Fa-Fa and Mama".