Lyr Req: It's In the Book/Lye Soap

Subject: It's In the Book
From: Bob Taylor
Date: 02 Mar 98 - 07:34 AM

Looking for lyrics to the old song "It's In the Book." It was a popular hit in 1952. Recorded by Johhn Standley, and hit #1 on BB charts in November of that year. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Subject: RE: It's In the Book
From: Dale Rose
Date: 02 Mar 98 - 09:52 AM

You and me both. The first half, the recitation about Mary Had A Little Lamb, has been reissued on a Dr. Demento CD, but I have been unable to locate the second half. Capitol was the issuing company.

Here is a fragment to jog the memories out there.

Brother Herman had an aversion to washing his ears, then he scrubbed them with Grandma's lye soap, and he hasn't heard a word in years. Oh, sing right out . . .

Subject: RE: It's In the Book
From: Alice
Date: 02 Mar 98 - 10:01 AM

My family had this record. We listened to it over and over. Darn memory failure... I can still hear his voice, but....

Subject: Lyr Add: GRANDMA'S LYE SOAP
From: Whippoorwill
Date: 02 Mar 98 - 11:17 AM

You remember Grandma's lye soap,
Good for everything in the home;
And the secret was in the scrubbing,
It wouldn't suds and wouldn't foam.

CHORUS:
So let's all sing for Grandma's lye soap,
Good for everything on the place;
The pots and kettles, the dirty dishes,
and for your hands and for your face.

Little Herman and brother Vermin
Had and aversion to washing their ears;
Grandma scrubbed them with the lye soap,
Now they haven't heard a word in years.

Mrs. O'Malley down in the valley
Suffered from ulcers, I understand;
She swallowed a cake of Grandma's lye soap:
Has the cleanest ulcers in the land!

It seems to me there may have been another verse, but if so, I can't remember it.

Subject: Lyr Add: IT'S IN THE BOOK, PART 1 (Johnny Standley
From: Dale Rose
Date: 02 Mar 98 - 12:42 PM

Here is the text of part one of "It's In the Book," as transcribed from Dr. Demento Goose's Mother! Rhino 71919, 1995. Original issue was Capitol single 2249, 1952. For those of you who have never heard it, it is likely that it will make no sense at all. Grandpa Vern Berry, who died year before last, was an old time fiddler at Silver Dollar City near Branson, Missouri. He told me that he had seen Johnny Standley do this live~~picture a fellow dressed as an old time preacher, thumping the book to punctuate his words, and you might get a glimmer of how it was.

Oh, and I knew it was Little Bo Peep, not Mary Had A Little Lamb. I was just testing everyone else's memories.

I have a message for you, a very sad message. My subject for this evening will be Little Bo Peep. It says here, "Little Bo Peep"—who was a little girl—"has lost her sheep and doesn't know where to find them." Now, that's reasonable, isn't it? It's reasonable to assume, if Little Bo Peep had lost her sheep, it's only natural that she wouldn't know where to find them. That basically is reasonable. "But leave them alone"—now that overwhelms me, completely overwhelms me. The man said, "she lost her sheep," turns right around and boldly states, "she doesn't know where to find them," and then has the stupid audacity to say, "Leave them alone." Now, now, now think for a moment. Think! If the sheep were lost and you couldn't find them, you'd have to leave them alone, wouldn't you? So leave them alone. Leave them alone! It's in the book! "Leave them alone, and they"—they being the sheep—"they will come home." Ah, yes, they'll come home. Oh, there'll be a brighter day tomorrow! They will come home. It's in the book! "They will come home, a-wagging their tails"—pray tell me, what else could they wag?—"They will come home, a-wagging their tails behind them." Behind them! Did we think they'd wag them in front? Of course, they, they might have come home in reverse. They could have done that; I really don't know. But nonetheless, it's in the book!

Subject: RE: It's In the Book
From: Bill D
Date: 02 Mar 98 - 12:52 PM

and the chorus cited above really doesn't do justice to the was J. Standley belted it out!! *yes..I had the record, too*...there was a critique/explication of 'Rockabye Baby' on side 2, also- asking about the desirabilit of rocking poor little babies way up there when the wind was blowing...ending with the line.."down will come baby, cradle and......oh, what a gooey mess..."

The open was something like....."lets all open our hymnals...you'll find them on the back of the seat in front of you..and turn to page....."

Subject: RE: It's In the Book
From:
Date: 26 Feb 99 - 04:02 PM

I am trying to locate some sort of sheet music for this song. We want to do it for a church program. Any kind of basic music and/or chords would help

Subject: RE: It's In the Book
From:
Date: 01 Mar 99 - 08:15 AM

What memories this thread has raised. Our family listened to this record over and over. My dad loved the monologue and would quote parts of it at any opportunity. "Its in the book" became a family cliche for any absurdity a kid would bring home or point out.

Thanks!

Subject: RE: It's In the Book
From:
Date: 01 Mar 99 - 08:56 PM

I have the Record if anyone's Interested.... Frank

Subject: RE: It's In the Book
From:
Date: 20 Apr 00 - 01:43 AM

I like to perform it with "It Ain't Necessarily So" instead of Grandma's Lye Soap.

Subject: RE: It's In the Book
From:
Date: 20 Mar 01 - 04:29 PM

Can anyone get me a copy of the record of "It's in the book" or tell me where to find it?

Subject: RE: It's In the Book
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 20 Mar 01 - 08:43 PM

This one comes up from time to time; it's always a good idea to try searching the site through one of the excellent search engines that are available here (see the FAQ thread at the top of the thread list on the Forum page).  I particularly recommend the "Digitrad and Forum Search" on the main Forum page, which delivers the following useful references (among others):

In the Digital Tradition database:

Grandma's Lye Soap

Other discussions in the Forum:

Lyr Req: it's in the book
Lyr Req: 'Grannie's Lye Soap'
Grandma's Lye Soap
Lyr Req: Little Bo-peep  (includes links to currently available recordings)

Malcolm

Subject: Lyr Add: IT'S IN THE BOOK (Johnny Standley)
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 29 Mar 02 - 12:06 PM

The complete text "It's In the Book" including "Grandma's Lye Soap" is at: Standley

---

It's In The Book
a/k/a Grandma's Lye Soap
by Johnny Standley
This was a popular comedy skit - and a hit record - in 1952. I like to think of it as what would happen if a Mother Goose book were substituted for the Bible at a Fundamentalist church and silly country songs were in the hymnals. -- Turok

I have a message for you - a very sad message! My subject for this evening will be Little Bo Peep.

It says here, "Little Bo Peep" -- who was a little girl -- "has lost her sheep, and doesn't know where to find them." Now that's reasonable, isn't it? It's ... it's reasonable to assume if Little Bo Peep had lost her sheep, it's only natural that she wouldn't know where to find them. That, that basically is reasonable, but, uh, "leave them alone". Now that overwhelms me … completely overwhelms me. The man said she lost her sheep, turns right around and boldly states, "She doesn't know where to find them". And then has the stupid audacity to say, "Leave them alone!" Now! Now, now think for a moment! Think! If the sheep were lost, and you couldn't find them, you'd have to leave them alone, wouldn't you? So, "Leave them alone". "Leave them alone". It's in the book!

"Leave them alone and they" -- they being the sheep -- "they will come home". Ah yes, they'll come home. Oh, there'll be a brighter day tomorrow, they will come home! It's in the book.

"They will come home… a-waggin' their tails…". Pray tell me what else could they wag? "They will come home a-waggin' their tails behind them… behind them!" Did we think they'd wag them in front? Of course, they might have come home in reverse. They could have done that, I really don't know. But, none the less, it's in the book.

So now if you will, kindly pick up your books, and turn to page 222. We'll ask you all to sing. You'll find your books on the backs of your seats. Are we ready?

Everyone, 222. Let's really enjoy ourselves, let's live it up. All together.

Do you remember grandma's lye soap?
Good for everything in the home,
And the secret was in the scrubbing,
It wouldn't suds and couldn't foam.

Then let us sing right out of grandma's, of grandma's lye soap
Used for - for everything, everything on the place,
For pots and kettles, the dirty dishes,
And for your hands and for your face.

So we'll now sing the second verse. Let's get it with great exuberance, let's live it up. It's not raining inside tonight. Everyone, let's have a happy time. Are we ready? All together, the second verse.

Little Herman and brother Thurman
Had an aversion to washing their ears
Grandma scrubbed them with the lye soap.
And they haven't heard a word in years.

Then let us sing right out of grandma's, of grandma's lye soap.
Sing all out, all over the place.
For pots and kettles, the dirty dishes,
And for your hands and for your face.

Well, let's sing what's left of the last verse. Let's have a happy time, everyone. The last verse, all together. Every one!

Mrs. O'Malley, out in the valley,
Suffered from Ulcers, I understand.
She swallowed a cake of grandma's lye soap,
Has the cleanest ulcers in the land.

Then let us sing right out of grandma's, of grandma's lye soap.
Sing right out. All over the place.
The pots and - the pots and pans, oh dirty dishes,
And for your hands and for your face.