Origins: I'm Asking You Sergeant, Where's Mine?

Subject: Origins: I'm asking you sergeant where's mine
From: Shaneo
Date: 02 Apr 07 - 11:32 AM

I have searched all the previous threads on 'I'm Asking You Sergeant Where's Mine' which I'm sure was written by Billy Connelly.
I was wondering is the tune of the song his own work , or an older borrowed tune.
The reason I ask is that I would like to use this tune to a song I have written myself. Any help please ?

Subject: RE: Origins: I'm asking you sergeant where's mine
From: Jim Lad
Date: 02 Apr 07 - 11:39 AM

The tune was borrowed. Try "Billy Connolly" and see if your luck changes.

Subject: RE: Origins: I'm asking you sergeant where's mine
From: Shaneo
Date: 02 Apr 07 - 12:14 PM

I've beet to Billy's site , it's like a mine field , it's set up for comedians ,

Subject: RE: Origins: I'm asking you sergeant where's mine
From: Jim Lad
Date: 02 Apr 07 - 12:19 PM

If it's only the tune you're interested in, it's an old one but you'd hardly recognize it by Billy's singing. The name will come to me shortly but if there are no other Scots logged in, Footstompin' will give you the answer in a flash. I'll remember it as soon as I submit this message, I'm sure.

Subject: RE: Origins: I'm asking you sergeant where's mine
From: Jim Lad
Date: 02 Apr 07 - 12:33 PM

I remember now. Look for The Dubliners "Twenty Years a Greying" double album. He sings it with them on that and they break into an instrumental of the tune and do it right.
There's also a song and the last line in parts of it are " and all the wee ....... are weary" or dreary. That's more than enough for any Mudacatter to go on. Watch!

Subject: RE: Origins: I'm asking you sergeant where's mine
From: Shaneo
Date: 02 Apr 07 - 12:41 PM

Thanks Jim , I have that c.d. But is it a trad. tune ? was there a song with that air out before ? The tune sounds very familiar to me.
Maybe thats why he used it , 'cause it's catchy.

Subject: RE: Origins: I'm asking you sergeant where's mine
From: Jim Lad
Date: 02 Apr 07 - 12:58 PM

Aye! Sounds familiar to me too. I just remembered there's about 5 seconds of it on the end of my "Lowlands Away" at http://jimbrannigan.com
. I'm starting to worry about myself.
So you have the album. Don't the tunes have names on them?

Subject: RE: Origins: I'm asking you sergeant where's mine
From: eddie1
Date: 02 Apr 07 - 02:29 PM

I'm damned if I can remember the tune Billy used but the last line referred to by Jim Lad above could be "A' the bricht chaumers are eerie". Last line of a verse in "Banks of Sicily" or "Fortysecond Highland Division's farewell to Sicily" to give it it's full title.
On the other hand, it might not be.

Eddie

Subject: RE: Origins: I'm asking you sergeant where's mine
From: Jim Lad
Date: 02 Apr 07 - 02:54 PM

"Fortysecond Highland Division's farewell to Sicily" There you go.
I'm pretty sure that Billy's tune is basically just a couple of lines from this tune then turned on its head for the "B" part.

Subject: RE: Origins: I'm asking you sergeant where's mine
From: Shaneo
Date: 02 Apr 07 - 03:02 PM

Thanks Jim , I knew you wouldn't let it go without getting it .
I think I would be safe enough using the tune ,
The song I have written and hope to put to this tune is,
a look at one day in an Irish pub.
I will let you know how I get on , thanks

Subject: RE: Origins: I'm asking you sergeant where's mine
From: Jim Lad
Date: 02 Apr 07 - 03:05 PM

Thanks Eddie 1. Who was that masked man?

Subject: RE: Origins: I'm asking you sergeant where's mine
From: Jim Lad
Date: 02 Apr 07 - 03:31 PM

I would suggest putting back some of the notes Billy missed, if you can.

Subject: RE: Origins: I'm asking you sergeant where's mine
From: GUEST,Murray MacLeod
Date: 02 Apr 07 - 07:25 PM

it's a long time since I heard Billy Connolly do this, but I have no recollection of the tune being the same as the Banks of Sicily.

that said , I can't remember the tune he did sing it to.

Subject: Lyr Add: I'M ASKING YOU SERGEANT WHERE'S MINE
From: GUEST,Murray MacLeod
Date: 02 Apr 07 - 07:30 PM

Sergeant Where's Mine
(Billy Connolly)

Chorus:
Oh sergeant, was this the adventure you meant
When I put my name down on the line
All your talk of computers, of sunshine and skis
I'm asking you, sergeant, where's mine

I'm lying in bed, I'm in room twenty-six
Thinking of things that I've done
Like cleaning my boots and drinking with friends
And counting the medals of one

I've a brother in Glasgow with long curly hair
When I joined up he said I was mad
He said shooting at strangers just wasn't his game
Now I wish I had done what he said

I've learnt to put up with most things in my time
I can even put up with the pain
But what can you do with a gun in your hand
When you're facing a hundred young weans




The pipe tune Eddie suggested would in fact fit apart from the last line of each verse, which doesn't have enough syllables.

Subject: RE: Origins: I'm asking you sergeant where's mine
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 02 Apr 07 - 09:36 PM

"would in fact fit apart from the last line of each verse, which doesn't have enough syllables. "

making it fit is called 'faking it' or 'creativity' depending on your state of mind...

Subject: RE: Origins: I'm asking you sergeant where's mine
From: Jim Lad
Date: 02 Apr 07 - 10:28 PM

He had good reason to drop his foolish folk singer ambitions and to dabble in comedy.

Subject: RE: Origins: I'm asking you sergeant where's mine
From: GUEST,Murray MacLeod
Date: 03 Apr 07 - 05:30 AM

"botching it" is how we would describe it here ...

Subject: RE: Origins: I'm asking you sergeant where's mine
From: GUEST,Scabby Douglas
Date: 03 Apr 07 - 05:35 AM

That middle verse looked odd to me. This is the one I remembered, but it could be another variant, and not original.

I've a brother in Glasgow wi' long curly hair
When I joined up he said I was daft
He says shootin' strangers just wisny his game
That brother of mine isny saft

Subject: RE: Origins: I'm asking you sergeant where's mine
From: Dickmac
Date: 03 Apr 07 - 08:29 AM

Subject: Lyr Add: I'M ASKING YOU SERGEANT, WHERE'S MINE?
From: Flash Company
Date: 03 Apr 07 - 10:28 AM

Sang this a few times as follows......

Oh I'm lying in bed, I'm in room twenty six
And I'm thinking o' things that I've done,
Like drinkin' wi' squaddies , an' bullin' my boots
And counting the medals I've won,
These hospital wards are all wierd looking joints,
Thouh the ceilings as much as I see,
It would do we a wee touch o' paint here an'there,
But then again, maybe that's me.

Ch Oh Sergeant is this the adventure you meant,
When I first signed my name on the line,
You Talked o' computers and Sunshine and skis,
Well I'm asking you. Sergeant, Where's mine?

I've a brother in Glasgow wi' long curly hair,
When I joined up he said I was daft
Oh he said shootin strangers just wasnae his style,
An' that brother o' mine he's no saft.
But I can put up wi' most things I've done in my life,
I can even put up wi' the pain,
But what do you do wi' the gun in your hand,
When you're faced wi' a hundred, all bairns?

CH

I used to muck about with it a bit to involve parts of the Farewell to Sicily tune, but I don't think the basic melody on which this is based is the same. I believe Hamish Henderson said that Farewell to Sicily was based on an old pipe tune, but maybe I'm wrong, it's a long time since I read the book

Brian Q

Subject: RE: Origins: I'm asking you sergeant where's mine
From: Jim Lad
Date: 03 Apr 07 - 09:29 PM

But what do you do wi' the gun in your hand,
When you're faced wi' a hundred, all bairns?

Try

But what do you do wi the gun in yer haund
When yer faced wi' a hundred odd weans

A hundred odd is One hundred and some. Twenty odd would be Twenty two..three.. four... whichever. It's an estimation of "a bit more than the first figure mentioned". Doesn't mean the weans are odd.
"Weans".... Wanes

Subject: RE: Origins: I'm asking you sergeant where's mine
From: Dickmac
Date: 10 Apr 07 - 08:47 AM

Four years ago I added the following verse and thought/hoped it would have a short life span. But that's not how it turned out.

George W and Tony were hatching their plans
To stop soldiers' lives being a bore
We're sending you off to the sun and the sand
How exciting you're going to war
We think Saddam's got bombs , we think he's got guns
His terrible plans you will foil
But the best of good reasons to kill Britain's sons
We certainly know he's got oil.

I like to intoduce the song as "the one I co wrote with Billy Connolly" but I don't know how the Bigyin would react if he heard me saying that.