The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #16179   Message #1205962
Posted By: Joe Offer
12-Jun-04 - 05:22 PM
Thread Name: Origins: Sister Jennie's Turn to Throw the Bomb
Subject: Origins: Sister Jennie's Turn to Throw the Bomb
This page purports to be an "autobiographical letter" from Leslie Fish. It's unclear from the letter whether Fish claims authorship of the song. The letter doesn't give Fish's birthdate, but I gather from the text that Fish was in college in the 1960's. My 1958 copy of Song Fest has "The Bomb Song," with lyrics that are almost exactly the same as what's in the Digital Tradition. I can't find the song in my 1948 edition of Song Fest. Can anybody find a printing of the song that's earlier than 1958?
-Joe Offer-


Here are the Digital Tradition lyrics, which are exactly the same as the 1958 Song Fest (page 31) version.
IT'S SISTER JENNY'S TURN TO THROW THE BOMB (DT)

In an anarchist's garret, so lowly and so mean
Oh, smell the pungent odor of nitro-glycerine.
They're busy making fuses, and filling cans with nails
And the little Slavic children set up this mournful wail.
Oh, its Sister Jenny's turn to throw the bomb;
The last one it was thrown by Brother Thom.
Poor Mamma's aim is bad and the Copskys all know Dad,
So it's Sister Jenny's turn to throw the bomb.

Sister Jenny took the bomb and started off.
"Oh, mind you now," said Mamma, "to blow up Templehoff."
And so the party waited, while the dawn turned into day,
And the little Slavic children set up this mournful lay
Oh it's Brother Ivanovitch's turn to throw the bomb.
Sister Jenny's gone the way of Brother Thom;
Poor Mamma's aim is bad and the Copsky's all know Dad,
So it's Brother Ivanovitch's turn to throw the bomb.



@political @revolution @Russian
filename[ SISTJENN
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JY

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Alas, there is no listing for this song in the Traditional Ballad Index or the Roud Index