The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #31259   Message #1436173
Posted By: PoppaGator
16-Mar-05 - 12:27 PM
Thread Name: What song do you want at your funeral?
Subject: RE: What song do you want at your funeral?
I'd like the full New Orleans Jazz Funeral treatment, including:

"Just A Closer Walk"

"Glory Glory Hallelulia/When I Lay My Burden Down" (which uses the same tune as "Will The Circle Be Unbroken")

and more, certainly including this classic, which is credited to Louis Armstrong on the internet lyrics page where I found it, but which is really (I think) traditional:


Didn't he ramble.... he rambled
Rambled all around.... in and out of town
Didn't he ramble....didn't he ramble
He rambled till the butcher cut him down

His feet was in the market place..his head was in the street
Lady pass him by, said..look at the market meat
He grabbed her pocket book..and said I wish you well
She pulled out a forty-five..said I'm head of personnel

Didn't he ramble...I said he rambled
Rambled all around...in and out of town
Didn't he ramble...oh didn't he ramble
He rambled till the butcher shot him down

(instrumental break)

He slipped into the cat house..made love to the stable
Madam caught him cold..said I'll pay you when I be able
Six months had passed ..and she stood all she could stand
She said buddy when I'm through with you
Ole groundhog gonna be shakin yo' hand

And didn't he ramble...he rambled
Rambled all around...in and out of town
Oh didn't he ramble......he rambled
You know he rambled...till the butcher...cut him down

I said he rambled..lord...'till the butcher shot him down

(The above two verses are new to me ~ in my experience, at funersla whereI've heard it, only the chorus is sung; the verse are done instrumentally-only.)