Lyr/Chords: Coney Island Washboard

Subject: coney island washboard
From: verna willow
Date: 06 Jan 00 - 04:35 PM

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: coney island washboard
From: Roger the skiffler
Date: 07 Jan 00 - 11:33 AM

Refresh.
I remember the Liverpool Spinners doing this with guest washboard from the late comic actor,Deryck Guyler. It may be on one of my Spinners LPs if no-one else has the words to hand (can't help with chords).BUT students return next week so whether I'll find time to lurk,let alone post, I can't say.
RtS

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: CONEY ISLAND WASHBOARD
From: BanjoRay
Date: 07 Jan 00 - 09:06 PM

Well this is more or less what some of us used to sing a looong time ago:

(G) On the Coney Island washboard she would (E) play.
She would (A) play it on the boardwalk every day.
With (D7) soapsuds all around,
From a (G) bucket on the (E) ground,
(A7) Rub-a-dub-a-dub
In a little tub
Where (D7) all good things are found.
It's the (G) thimbles on her fingers make the (E) noise.
She'll do the (A7) Charleston in the laundry for the (D7) boys.
You can (C) stamp your feet.
It's a (Cm) real treat
To (G) hear that good old (E) Charleston beat
Of the (A7) Coney Island (D7) washboard rounde-(G)-lay.
Coney (E) Island!
The (A7) Coney Island (D7) washboard rounde-(G)-lay-ay.
Good luck with it!
Ray

Subject: Lyr Add: CONEY ISLAND WASHBOARD
From: Stoo
Date: 08 Jan 00 - 04:32 PM

Okay, that's not quite the way I heard it. It's on The Best of Jim Kweskin and the Jug Band, Vanguard records VSD-79270, and the way I understand the lyrics is:

Coney Island washboard she would play,
She'd play it on the boardwalk every day,
Little soapsuds on the ground
Bubbles all around
Rub-a-dub, in her little tub
Any tune she found
Now, the thimbles on her fingers made the noise
She'd play 'Charleston' on the laundry for the boys
She could rag her way right through the knees
Of a brand new pair of BVDs
Coney Island washboard roundelay.

I always thought the song was too short and that there must be more to it - any ideas out there?

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: coney island washboard
From: Stoo
Date: 08 Jan 00 - 04:33 PM

Sorry, that's

She could rag a tune right through the knees etc

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: coney island washboard
From: DonMeixner
Date: 08 Jan 00 - 04:53 PM

First heard George Burns do this on TV and then Elaine Mc Farland from Spanky and Our Gand did it on Hullabaloo one night. About 1968

Don

Subject: Lyr Add: CONEY ISLAND WASHBOARD
From: Roger the skiffler
Date: 10 Jan 00 - 03:37 AM

This transcription doesn't make as much sense as some of the others but it is what it sounds like to me

CONEY ISLAND WASHBOARD
(Spinners' version, also recorded by Mills Brothers)

On the Coney Island washboard she would play
Played it on the sidewalks every day
Soapsuds on the ground
Pretty bubbles flying round
Hear a rub-a-dub
In a little tub
Oh what a wonderful sound
Thimbles on her fingers made the noise
Do the Charleston round the washing for the boys
You can rub the dub off all your dreams
Till there's a hole in the seat of your bb jeans*
With the Coney Island washboard roundelay

Single verse repeated with improvisations and instrumental breaks including Tony Davis on kazoo with sink plunger "horn".
*should probably be 'BVD's?
I don't have this among my Mills Brothers recordings, so couldn't compare versions.
RtS

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: coney island washboard
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 07 Feb 00 - 11:05 AM

The Beryl Bryden interpretation (credited to Nestor/Shugart/Durand/Adams) has "She'll rag a tune right through the knees of a brand new pair of dungarees" which makes a bit more sense.
RtS

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: coney island washboard
From: GUEST,verna willow
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 05:28 PM

Thanks, everybody! I've been trying to remember that song for years. I once played it in a jugband in camp-it was a favorite-and i kept forgetting the lyrics. many thanks!

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: coney island washboard
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Sep 04 - 03:59 PM

i had that song on a tape that we used to listen to in the car about 20 years ago.

all i could remember of the lyrics is slightly different tho: "she could rag a tune right thru the knees of a brand new pair of Levi's jeans..."

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: coney island washboard
From: BanjoRay
Date: 21 Sep 04 - 04:22 PM

No - it's definitely BVDs. We Brits have never heard of them, but here they are: Check this out
Cheers
Ray

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: coney island washboard
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 09:27 AM

I first remember this from Either Bob Scobey or Lu Watters Yerba Buena Jazz Band, 1950's revivalist bands from San Francisco and it most definitely is BVDs as pointed out above.

I believe that Hard Hearted Hannah's victim(s) also favoured this make of underwear if you believe Ella Fitzgerald that is.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: coney island washboard
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 09:34 AM

...and I usually end with a reprise:
"You can get the skidmarks out with ease from the dirtiest pair of BVDs
With the Coney... etc"
as I use the "dungarees" option in the other verse.

RtS
(You wanted good taste? Then don't ask me!)

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: coney island washboard
From: Chris in Wheaton
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 10:18 AM

CONEY ISLAND WASHBOARD ROUNDELAY
Nestor / Shugart / Durand / Adams 1926
http://www.ohek.co.uk/history/coney.htm

Chris in Chicago

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: coney island washboard
From: Billy the Bus
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 10:56 AM

Aw shucks Ray - I always thought BXD's were proper scratchy pink wool 'Long Johns' - they're soft COTTON ---- Aaaaarrrrrggghhhh

As soon as I get a new spring for my gramophone, I'll wind up the song with my old mates Band of Hope Jug Band (60s - NZ - on a par with Kweskin - alas most dead just now).

Boodle-um Shake - Sam

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: coney island washboard
From: PoppaGator
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 01:29 PM

Extra points to Roger for continuing the folk process on this one.

Both "BVDs" and "dungarees" rhyme properly with "knees" -- which "jeans" does not -- so you're on the right track there.

Of course, real BVDs do not have knees (they're shorts, briefs or boxers, never long johns), so the "skid marks" lyric is an excellent way to work in the BVD reference.

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: CONEY ISLAND WASHBOARD ROUNDELAY
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 23 Sep 04 - 09:29 PM

Copied from http://www.ohek.co.uk/history/coney.htm

CONEY ISLAND WASHBOARD ROUNDELAY
Nestor / Shugart / Durand / Adams 1926

(G) Down by the (Eb) beach there's the (G) cutest (D7) little (G) peach
And I must (Eb) say she (G) has the (D7) cutest (G) way
(E7) Playing a chord up-(Am)on her washboard
(A7) Folks would gather 'round (A7) from everywhere in town
(D7) Just to hear that sound! On a...

(G) Coney Island washboard she would (E7) play,
You could (A7) hear her on the boardwalk every day
(D7) Soapsuds all around, (G) bubbles on the (E7) ground
(A7) Rub a dub a dub in her little tub (D7) all those tunes she found
(G) Thimbles on her fingers made a (E7) noise
She played (A7) Charleston on the laundry for the boys
She could (C) rag a tune right (C#o) through the knees
Of a (G) brand new pair of (E7) BVDs,
(A7) Coney Island (D7) Washboard rounde-(G)lay

BVDs=brand of underwear
Roundelay=rondelet: a short rounded rondel, usually of five or seven lines in one stanza and a refrain consisting of the opening words.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: coney island washboard
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 23 Sep 04 - 10:03 PM

allmusic lists recordings by Hoagy Carmichael, Wild Bill Davison, The Down Home Five, Peter Ecklund, The Firehouse Five Plus Two, The Five Harmaniacs, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, The Mills Brothers, Orange Nichole, Bob Scobey, Monty Sunshine, Ian Whitcomb, and The White Lightnin' Washboard Band.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: coney island washboard
From: GUEST,Dale
Date: 23 Sep 04 - 10:45 PM

I haven't done any serious checking, but isn't it possible that BVD made long johns way back when the recording was new? They certainly were more in vogue then.

Another version to consider is that of Judith Durham, probably best known as a member of the Seekers, but who has done a good bit of recording on her own. Her version is from 1974 on the album The Hottest Band In Town,Volume 2. It is available on CD now.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: coney island washboard
From: GUEST,Dale Huddlesceugh
Date: 11 Oct 08 - 06:48 AM

It takes about 2 seconds to check anything online these days.

BVD is a brand of men's underwear, which are commonly referred to as "BVDs."

BVD stands for Bradley, Voorhees & Day, the New York City firm that initially manufactured underwear of this name for both men and women. It was founded in 1876 and named for its three founders.

BVD first manufactured bustles for women. They then became famous for their men's union suits made of heavy knitted fabric. In 1908, that bulky and tight fitting garment was turned into a new kind of loose fitting underwear. They went on to introduce a two-piece and the popular union suit.

They introduced a lightweight waffle-like fabric with the advertising slogan, "Next to Myself I Like BVD Best."

http://www.answers.com/topic/bvd

It is quite obviously the Union suits made of heavy woollen fabric which originally made the brand famous which are being referenced in the lyric, the meaning being that it would take a lot to get through the knees of such a heavy fabric.

Raise your game, people.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: coney island washboard
From: Chris in Portland
Date: 11 Oct 08 - 11:41 AM

beryl bryden sings the verse
Rhapsody allows 25 free plays a month - for free.
And check out the Juggernauts from Lexington KY - cool dudes.
Chris

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Coney Island Washboard
From: GUEST,Jared Carter in Indianapolis
Date: 19 Oct 08 - 09:26 AM

The version I remember from recordings in the mid-1950s was by Turk Murphy's band.

Jim Dixon's transcription has it down pretty much as Turk & Co. played and sang it, except for "BVDs" in the closing lines. Turk ad-libbed it to "easy-breezers." This adds an extra syllable but still achieves a decent rhyme with "knees of."

It also identifies the garment in Turk's version not as a pair of modern, kneeless BVDs but as the original one-piece long johns or "Union suits," described above by Dale Huddlesceugh.

In the pre-elastic-band days early in the twentieth century, this traditional garment featured a drop-down back panel held in place by buttons or snaps -- hence the "easy" access to a passing breeze.

Such an arcane bit of Americana might possibly have been a slang term that Turk picked up during his wartime service in the Navy.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Coney Island Washboard
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 20 Oct 08 - 07:39 PM

RedHotJazz.com has 2 recordings of CONEY ISLAND WASHBOARD, both made by The Five Harmaniacs on Sept 17 1926. Members of the Five Harmaniacs were Ned Nestor, Clyde Shugart, Wayne Durand, Jerry Adams, and Walter Howard—the first 4 of whom were credited as composers of the song. However, their recordings don't have a vocal—except for some scat singing and kazoo playing.

There are numerous videos of various performers doing CONEY ISLAND WASHBOARD at YouTube.com, but none of them seems very old.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Coney Island Washboard
From: nickp
Date: 21 Oct 08 - 08:32 AM

This was one of a handful of 78's that my grandmother had and I used to play on a wind up gramophone when I was about 12 and we visited her. Needless to say that was only the 60's (even though I feel a lot older!) and I have no idea who it was by or on which label - although I'm sure it was UK artists.

She also had 'Home, James, and don't spare the horses'...

Nick

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Coney Island Washboard
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 11:58 AM

My humble opinion is that the boys lyrics were for "Easy Breezes" perhaps a brand of denims or long underwear with a flap so you do not have to remove the upper half when you go to the outhouse. Ha Ha Great Artists, whose mimicry of instraments has never been challenged.
Charlie

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Coney Island Washboard
From: GUEST,George
Date: 01 Jun 09 - 01:37 PM

I learned the song in the 1930s,while working in a logging camp in the Sierra,from a Cal-Berkeley student.

There are a couple of versions above, matching the words we used, and we alternated between ".. a brand new pair of BVDs" and "...a brand new pair of easy breezes" Any way, it's a great song and sometimes I sing it with my wife on the piano, and my playing a washboard.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Coney Island Washboard
From: Art in Baton Rouge
Date: 01 Feb 10 - 11:27 PM

Checking Google tonight, I found that on the uulyrics site, the Mills Brothers sing "easy breezes" or "easy breezers", also. Noticed it because I was following along, reading a print out of the lyrics from another site, when it caught me as quite a surprise. I kind of like the imagery. I remember having a pair of flannel pajamas as a kid which had feet as well as a drop flap in the back.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Coney Island Washboard
From: GUEST,Dan Nowak
Date: 06 Sep 10 - 09:00 AM

Just listened to Mills Bros sing "Right through a pair of blue denim jeans"

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Coney Island Washboard
From: GUEST,hgary21208
Date: 21 Sep 10 - 07:46 AM

coney island on a washboard she would play
you could hear her on the boardwalk every day
the little bubbles all around, and the soap suds on the ground
rub a dub a dub in her little tub oh what tunes she found

the little cymbals on her fingers made the noise
she played charleston on her laundry for the boys

she could rag a tune right through the knees
of a brand new suit of Easy breezes
coney island on the washboard down the lane.

(that's what I recall from the Old Mills Brothers record)

hg

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Coney Island Washboard
From: GUEST,Blue Drache
Date: 23 Nov 10 - 06:18 PM

Coney Island Washboard Roundelay
You could hear her on the boardwalk every day
Soap suds all around
Tiny bubbles on the ground.
Rub-a-dub-a-dub
In her little tub
On those tunes she found.

Little thimbles on her fingers made the noise.
She played "Charleston" on the laundry for the boys.
She could rag a tune
Right through the knees
of a brand new pair
of (Blue Denim jeans // Levi jeans // BVDs)*,
Oh Coney Island Washboard Roundelay!

* The Mills Brothers recorded at least three different versions that I know of. The one I'm most familiar with is the one where they say "Levi jeans".

The version recorded in 1979 (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr5Yt3AVHVg ) on the Fairy Tales album is the one where they use the lyric "Blue Denim jeans". It's also a more syncopated version in some of the later renditions.

Hope this helps.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords: Coney Island Washboard Roundelay
From: GUEST,Charlieofd
Date: 07 Jan 11 - 05:12 PM

Sorry to be late to the thread, but the last couple of entries are hitting the mark.
'she could rag a tune, right through the knees of,
A brand new pair of Easy Breezers'

Easy Breezers, was a reference to a full union suit worn by 'the boys' in the military with a flap in the back, ergo 'breezers'.

Certainly the lyrics were altered to be more topical, thus BVD's or Levi's Jeans were introduced to subsequent versions.

In my opinion the Mills Brothers version is the best.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords: Coney Island Washboard
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Feb 18 - 02:58 PM

I agree. I just listened to the original version and it is striking.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords: Coney Island Washboard
From: GUEST,Peter Cripps
Date: 15 Feb 18 - 04:47 AM

I am sure it was on the 'B' side of a 78 by Sandy Brown's Jazzmen, which I had around 1957

Subject: Lyr Add: CONEY ISLAND WASHBOARD (Nestor/Shugart...
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 17 Feb 18 - 07:04 PM

The sheet music can be seen, in PDF format, at the website of York University [Toronto]. Here's my transcription from the sheet music. (Sorry, Charlieofd was mistaken.)


CONEY ISLAND WASHBOARD
Words by Ned Nestor & Claude Shugart; music by Hampton Durand & Jerry Adams. ©1926.

1. Down by the beach lived the sweetest little peach
And I must say she just had the cutest way
Playing a chord upon a washboard.
Folks would gather 'round from ev'rywhere in town just to hear her play.

CHORUS: On her Coney Island washboard she would play.
You could hear her on the boardwalk ev'ry day
Soapsuds all around, bubbles on the ground
Rub-a-dub-a-dub in her little tub
All her tunes she found
Thimbles on her fingers made the noise
She played "Charleston" with the laundry for the boys
She could rag a tune right through the knees of your brand-new B.V.D.'s
With her Coney Island washboard roundelay

2. You never heard sweeter notes from a song-bird
Can't get enough when this baby does her stuff
She croons along when she plays a song
She's more than wonderful and more than marvelous; she just can't go wrong.