Lyr Req: Too Much Sugar for a Dime (Merle Travis)

Subject: Too Much Sugar for a Dime
From: Arkie
Date: 05 Mar 12 - 06:48 PM

Merle Travis wrote a song by this name which was the first time I had heard the phrase. Any mudcatter's use the phrase or hear it used it their part of the country? The link below is to a Youtube "Soundie" with Travis and Judy Hayden doing the vocals. Thom Bresh and Lane Brodie also have a good recording of the song. Eddie Pennington does a nice instrumental version which is where I first heard the tune.

To Much Sugar for a Dime

Subject: RE: Too Much Sugar for a Dime
From: Arkie
Date: 06 Mar 12 - 10:46 AM

Well, it is obvious that this phrase is not setting off any alarms. Refresh to give it a chance at a little longer life.

Subject: RE: Too Much Sugar for a Dime
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 06 Mar 12 - 02:21 PM

Used by my wife and her Georgia relatives.
It means too fancy, ladled on too thickly, overdone. Or sometimes too good to be true.

My wife says her grandfather used it, so it goes back probably to c. 1900. They were cotton farmers in central Georgia up to the Depression days, so it is probably a rural expression.

Subject: RE: Too Much Sugar for a Dime
From: Arkie
Date: 08 Mar 12 - 09:29 PM

Q, I have lived in Virginia, North Carolina, and Arkansas and never heard the phrase, but felt that there must be places, most likely in the south where that phrase was common. Travis probably heard it in Kentucky. Not surprised it would be used in Georgia.

Subject: RE: Too Much Sugar for a Dime
From: Bobert
Date: 08 Mar 12 - 09:46 PM

This came outta eastern North Carolina where the expression is "Too much candy for a nickel"... Heard my late mother-in-law say it and that's where she grew up...

B~

Subject: Lyr Req: TOO MUCH SUGAR FOR A DIME (Merle Travis)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 28 Sep 16 - 01:47 PM

In my transcription, I have put the spoken patter in italics; the rest is sung. See Arkie's initial post for the link.


TOO MUCH SUGAR FOR A DIME
Words and music by Merle Travis.
As sung as a duet by Judy Hayden and Merle Travis with the Westerners in a 1951 "Soundie."

[MT:] Well, look who's here! If it ain't Judy Hayden! Hello, honey!
[JH:] Oh, hello, Travis. What's the big boast today? Have you bought the London Bridge?
[MT:] Aw, that little ol' thing? I just purchased Fort Knox. Now, if you'd like a new mink coat, some'n' like that—
[JH:] Wait a minute! Wait a minute!

That's too much sugar for a dime.
You're always handin' me a line. [MT:] That happens in the best convertibles.
[JH:] Always braggin' 'bout all you got—
Swimmin' pool and a fancy yacht—
I bet you don't know nothin' about a boat. [MT:] They float!
[JH:] That's too much honey for my hive. [MT:] What's your buzzin', queen bee?
[JH:] All you do is pitch a lot o' jive. [MT:] See what I mean?
Well, I know, honey, I've done you dirt,
But you you can wipe your shoes on my silk shirt.
[BOTH:] That's too much sugar for a dime.

[JH:] You've got too much sugar for a dime. [MT:] I got barrels o' that stuff.
[JH:] Yak yak, yak, all o' the time! [MT:] Yak-along Travis, that's me.
[JH:] Now if you could sing like Gordon Macrae,
King Cole, and Mel Torme,
Then maybe I would come down off the shelf. [MT:] I'm a Tex Ritter man myself.
[JH:] That's too much candy for the cost. [MT:] Ha ha! I wouldn't say that.
[JH:] So do me a favor. [MT:] What's that? [JH:] Get lost.
[MT:] Well, I guess I'll give the devil his due.
[JH:] No, no, Travis! I might refuse.
[BOTH:] That's too much sugar for a dime.

[MT:] Hey, this ol' dime ain't no good no way!
[JH:] What's the matter with it?
[MT:] It's got a picture of Dave Barber on it.
[JH:] Well turn it over; there's a picture of Peggy Lee on the other side.
[BOTH:] That's too much sugar for a dime.


[Tennessee Ernie Ford also recorded this with Judy Hayden. The words vary somewhat from the above. There are other songs with the same title.]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Too Much Sugar for a Dime (Merle Travis)
From: Mark Clark
Date: 28 Sep 16 - 02:42 PM

Nice job, Jim. Thanks.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Too Much Sugar for a Dime (Merle Travis)
From: leeneia
Date: 28 Sep 16 - 04:36 PM

That's a cute video, Arkie. Thanks.

I was just reading about Bernie Madoff's victims. They could have used the attitude in this saying.

That's too much sugar for a dime.
Your story is too good to be true.