The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #165839   Message #3982980
Posted By: keberoxu
18-Mar-19 - 06:13 PM
Thread Name: Misheard folk song lyrics
Subject: RE: Misheard folk song lyrics
Jean Ritchie and Oscar Brand recorded together more than once.

One album included a father-daughter duet -- "Do, Poppy, do!" for Jean's chorus.

This album was on the family turntable often when I was little,
but for some reason I never connected the album sleeve/cover
with the actual songs that were playing.
So I messed up a TITLE -- not just a phrase, but the name of the song.

It's the beginning of the first verse:
"Poppy,
buy me a big glass doll, a big glass doll, a big glass doll ... "
Jean Ritchie, being playful, deliberately imitated a little girl's voice,
and a little girl's diction.
See, I'm trying to blame someone else for the cotton wool in my ears.

So for years I thought Jean had sung:
"Poppy,
buy me a big black star, a big black star, a big black star ..."

And I found out what it was, so very recently,
that it's, well, sheeesh.