Lyr Add: Nan! Nan! Nan! (from Harry Champion)

Subject: Lyr Add: Nan! Nan! Nan! (from Harry Champion)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 04 Feb 11 - 01:59 PM

You can hear this song at YouTube. It's the first of two songs in one "video." Just a few gaps this time in my transcription. I eagerly await your corrections:


NAN! NAN! NAN!
Words and music possibly by Theodore F. Morse, 1904.*
As sung by Harry Champion

1. Once my face was bare; had no hair growing there upon it,
So my wife said, "Dan, be a man. Grow some whiskers on it.
You can't tickle me," whispered she with a grin.
She pulled some hairs out of her broom and stuck 'em round my chin.
Day and night she watered them till they began to sprout.
Now when I walk out I hear all the children shout:

CHORUS TWICE: "Nan-nan-nan, nan-nan-nan, nan-nan-nan-nan-nanny!
You've got Grandfather's whiskers. I'll tell poor old Granny!"
The girls they love to tickle 'em and use 'em for a fan.
When I go out the kids all shout, "Nan-nan-nan-nan-nan!"

2. When next night and ripe in my pipe, I smoked it for tobacco,
... t'other day ... gave some to his ...
And I often find, just behind, near my chest,
A pair of little sparrows have got in and made a nest.
Won't they let their young-uns on my whiskers have a swing!
They dropped their eggs all down my legs and the old cock-bird will sing: CHORUS TWICE.

3. People call me Nan. I'm a man, so I think it's silly.
Nanny-goats are sheep, if you please. I must be a Billy.
Just because I've got this here lot on my chin,
The landlord thought he'd take me down but he got taken in.
He said, "Good morning, Mister Goat. I want your rent, old chum."
I ducked me knock and made a buck and bucked him in the tum-tum-tum-tum. CHORUS TWICE.


[* The British Library has sheet music with this title, ascribed to Morse, but I can't be sure it's the same song since the catalogue entry doesn't quote any lyrics and doesn't mention Champion.]

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Nan! Nan! Nan! (from Harry Champion)
From: GUEST,gaf0131
Date: 11 Dec 14 - 07:30 AM

The 78 disc credits Weston & Murray as composers

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Nan! Nan! Nan! (from Harry Champion)
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 11 Dec 14 - 09:12 AM

When I was a child, odd strands of hair were called "nan nans". I nevr knew why, this if probably the origin!

RtS