Jim and I wondered about the history of this song. There's just a short entry in the Traditional Ballad Index, but it gives a start:Too Much of a Name
DESCRIPTION: "Some people are anxious for honor and fame And they strive all their lifetime in getting a name. But too much of a name is a possible thing" As a practical joke my parents named me Jonathan Joseph Jeremiah ... Jehosaphat." So long a name causes problems
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1929 (Greenleaf/Mansfield-BalladsAndSeaSongsOfNewfoundland)
KEYWORDS: wedding humorous nonballad talltale clergy
FOUND IN: Canada(Newf) US(Ap,Ro)
REFERENCES (5 citations):
Greenleaf/Mansfield-BalladsAndSeaSongsOfNewfoundland 170, "Longest Name Song" (1 text)
Hubbard-BalladsAndSongsFromUtah, #181, "Longest Name Song" (1 text, 1 tune)
Pankake/Pankake-PrairieHomeCompanionFolkSongBook, p. 201, "Too Much of a Name" (1 text)
Bush-FSofCentralWestVirginiaVol4, pp. 57-58, "Jonathan Joseph... Timothy Pack" (1 text, 1 tune)
DT, TOONAME
Roud #7041 and 4824
NOTES [25 words]: Greenleaf/Mansfield-BalladsAndSeaSongsOfNewfoundland states that this is "a variant of a once popular music-hall song 'Jonathan, Joseph, Jeremiah.'" - BS
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I thought I had Greenleaf/Mansfield but I don't. Here's the citation: -- Elizabeth Bristol Greenleaf and Grace Yarrow Mansfield, Ballads and Sea Songs of Newfoundland (1933). Ballads cited by Number.
Anybody have Greenleaf/Mansfield?