Lyr Req: I'm a Lonely Little Petunia

Subject: LYR REQ: Petunia in an Onion Patch
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 15 May 99 - 04:15 AM

A thread about the song "Bread and Gravy" reminded me of another song I used to hear on the Captain Kangaroo TV show during my early formative years. The chorus had the line: "I'm a lonely little petunia in an onion patch, and all I do is cry and cry all day." I also recall the line, "The air's so strong it takes my breath away." Anybody got any more, and does anybody else remember the original Captain? His name was Bob Keeshan, and I believe he did the show for a long long time, and he may still be around.

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Petunia in an Onion Patch
From: Banjer
Date: 15 May 99 - 07:18 AM

No MArk, Bob Keeshan is no longer with us, I'm afarid. I can't remember the year, but it's been some 3 or 4 years ago that we heard he had passed away. Yes, I remember the original Captain. I was in the early years of my elementary school career and getting ready for school used to entail eating a soggy bowl of Cheerios or other nasty tasting cereal concoction, getting dressed, and watching the Captain, Mr. Moose, Mr. Bunny Rabit, Mr. Greenjeans and others trying to teach us different things. Add to the mix Mom yelling in the background, "Hurry up, get dressed, eat your breakfast, you're going to be late again!!" and it does bring back some wonderful(?) memories. Sorry I can't remember the song you ask about, but I do remember parts of the one about "I'm A Little Teapot", which my friends at school had other lyrics for! ;)

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Petunia in an Onion Patch
From: 'Spaws maw-in-law
Date: 15 May 99 - 09:11 AM

Banjer, the Captain has a homepage and as of l998 he was still with us and as far as I know he still is. Some years back, Karolyn was on a business trip and looked down and saw buckles on the shoes of the man seated next to her. She knew immediately that it was the Captain. It was and it was a great flight. He had just come fromm one of his concerts and hadn't changed his shoes. Do you remember Mr. Greenjean's name? Lumpy Brannon. The Captain is writing books and doing lectures on child rearing and such. I raised the two older girls with him and missed him when the youngest came along after Captain was off the air. Sesame Street just doesn't get it. Do not remember the lyrics to "I'm a lonely little petunia in an onion patch."

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Petunia in an Onion Patch
From: Banjer
Date: 15 May 99 - 10:26 AM

OOPS! I stand corrected...I could have sworn that I had heard he passed away..Well to paraphrase Mark Twain, "The news of the Captain's Passing has been greatly exaggerated" Sorry 'bout that! My wife says I may be confusing that with the news we heard that he had finally retired. He's like all those other show biz names, Gleason, Skeleton, Benny, etc. that just seem to live on forever...No I didn't remember Mr. Greenjean's name, but I think had I ever known it a name like Lumpy would have been hard to forget!

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Petunia in an Onion Patch
From: maw=in-law
Date: 15 May 99 - 10:36 AM

Try the Captains Trivia page that you may access from his home page and maybe you could find the lyrics you want.

Subject: Lyr Add: I'M A LONELY LITTLE PETUNIA...
From: gargoyle
Date: 15 May 99 - 01:36 PM

I'M A LONELY LITTLE PERTUNIA (In An Onion Patch)
Words by Maurie Hartmann and Billy Faber
Music My Maurie Hartmann and Johnny Kamano
Copyright 1946, 1974 Rytvoc Inc.

2/4 Time Key of G Chording G,C,Am7,D7

I'm a Lonely Little Petunia in an onion patch,
an onion patch, an onion patch,
I'm a Lonely Little Petunia in an onion patch
and all I do is cry all day;

Boo-hoo, Boo-hoo,
The air's so strong it takes my breath away.
I'm a Lonely Little Petunia in an onion patch
On won't you come and play with me?

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Petunia in an Onion Patch
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 15 May 99 - 08:40 PM

Thanks, gargoyle. It brings back fond memories of our old Zenith black and white.
And thanks, Maw-in-law, for bringing good news about the Captain at such a stressful time in your life. Add my flower to the bouquet of hopes and prayers for Catspaw.

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Petunia in an Onion Patch
From: Bert
Date: 15 May 99 - 10:47 PM

Wow, shades of the Fifties, I remember the guys at work singing 'I'm a little bit peculiar in an onion patch'. Of course that was in the days before Gay was the word for peculiar,

Seem to remember a thread about this, long time ago.

Bert.

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Petunia in an Onion Patch
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 15 Oct 03 - 11:21 PM

on the teapot song...

One of the earlier Jackie Chan movies has the "I'm a litle teapot" song as part of some visual gags

I wondered about it at the time, as he was from Hong Kong. Of course English nannies were doubtless there in colonial days...

Robin

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Petunia in an Onion Patch
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 16 Oct 03 - 04:19 AM

I remember it from Children's Favourites in the UK - isn't there any more of it ?

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Petunia in an Onion Patch
From: sian, west wales
Date: 16 Oct 03 - 04:40 AM

I had a Mr Bunny Rabbit hand puppet in my Christmas stocking one year. I bet it's still around my mum's house somewhere ...

sian

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Petunia in an Onion Patch
From: GUEST,Big Jim from Jackson
Date: 16 Oct 03 - 11:01 AM

"I'm a Lonley Little Petunia in an Onion Patch" was first popularized by Arthur Godfry--the one who was on radio for years, then moved to television--not the one who is singing folk music today. Arthur and his trusty uke. "How are ya', how are ya' howare ya!"

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Petunia in an Onion Patch
From: Chris in Wheaton
Date: 16 Oct 03 - 04:24 PM

Little Petunia was also a very big hit for Chicago kid's TV star in the '50's, Dick "Two Ton" Baker, the Music Maker! Mr. Baker had some jazz credentials, and it must have been a hoot for him to do such material. It would have been nice if he had done some jazz for us kids, but we enjoyed him nonetheless. The '50's were that time in Chicago when the Cubs used to lose - ooops, nothing's changed!!
Chris in Wheaton

p.s. - Godfrey said it, "Ha -wai - ya."

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Petunia in an Onion Patch
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 16 Oct 03 - 04:52 PM

A complete .wav file of Arthur Godfrey singing "I'm a Lonely Little Petunia" is available on this page--and several other interesting things besides.

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Petunia in an Onion Patch
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 18 Oct 03 - 08:33 PM

The lyrics sung by Arthur Godfrey are identical to the ones posted by Pene Azul here.