The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #16179   Message #3326048
Posted By: Charley Noble
20-Mar-12 - 09:48 PM
Thread Name: Origins: Sister Jennie's Turn to Throw the Bomb
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sister Jennie's Turn to Throw the Bomb
Again I should mention that this song originated long before Bests Song Fest:

"My mother certainly learned it in the early 1930's, with her friends in Greenwich Village."

And what she sings (at the age of 94) runs like this:

The Bomb Song

In the anarchist's attic, so lowly and so mean,
All amidst the fumes 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 Sasha's turn to throw the bomb (bomb, bomb);
Last night it was thrown by Brother Thom (Thom, Thom).
Mamma's aim is bad and the Cossacks all know Dad,
So it's Sister Sasha's turn to throw the bomb (bomb, bomb).

Sister Sasha took the bomb and started off;
"Oh, mind you now," said Mamma, "to blow up Templehoff."
And so the anarchist family waited, till dusk turned into dawn,
The anarchist family waited and sang this mournful song:
Oh, it's Brother Petros' turn to throw the bomb (bomb, bomb);
Sister Sasha's gone the way of Brother Thom (Thom, Thom);
Mamma's aim is bad and the Cossacks all know Dad,
So it's Brother Petros' turn to throw the bomb (bomb, bomb).

Brother Petros went out, a bright faced Slavic lad;
He wore his Sunday suit, the only suit he had…

Cheerily,
Charley Noble