Origins: Where Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?

Subject: Origins: Where Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?
From: GUEST,John Bari
Date: 30 Nov 22 - 05:08 AM

I'm trying to find the original lyrics of "Where Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone" by Septimus Winner, 1864. Online sources mostly give the song short shrift as a 'children's song.' Two of them give expanded lyrics which don't look childrenish at all. One has lyrics suggesting the dog wandered onto a construction site and disappeared. The other calls this a drinking song and, in a rather offensive Germanesque pigeon English, talks about dogs (and horses) being used to make sausages. Both sets of lyrics are attributed to Septimus Winner, but it seems unlikely both would be by the same songwriter. Anyone have a source that confirms what Winner actually wrote?

Subject: RE: Origins: Where Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 30 Nov 22 - 06:11 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pp5cWGJWww
Oh where oh where

This is a great example of songs you think you know, but don't. This was a comedy song written by Septimus Winner in 1864 about a German immigrant looking for his lost dog and eventually realizing what must have happened to it.

The actual title is "Der Deitcher's Dog". "Deitcher" was a common spelling of "Deustcher" ("German man") used in American songs (songs about Germans were in vogue), to somewhat approximate the pronunciation of the German word.

For this video I found images of American money and a map of Germany which were correct for the period.

I sing badly, I know. But it wasn't meant to be sung well anyway, which is why I found video clips of some bad Bavarian dancing (from a comedy routine) to go along with it!

You can download the original sheet music here:
http://digitalcollections.baylor.edu/...

or here:
https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/...


Lyrics:

1.
Oh where, Oh where ish mine little dog gone;
Oh where, Oh where can he be.
His ears cut short und his tail cut long:
Oh where, Oh where ish he.

CHORUS
Tra la la la la la la la la la la,
la la la la la la la la la la,
Tra la la la la la la la la la la
Tra la la la la la la.

2.
I loves mine lager 'tish very goot beer,
Oh where, Oh where can he be.
But mit no money I cannot drink here,
Oh where, Oh where ish he.

(CHORUS)

3.
Across the ocean in Garmanie,
Oh where, Oh where can he be.
Der deitchers dog ish der best companie.
Oh where, Oh where ish he.

(CHORUS)

4.
Un sasage ist goot, bolonie of course,
Oh where, Oh where can he be.
Dey makes um mit dog und dey makes em mit horse,
I guess de makes em mit he.

(CHORUS)

Subject: RE: Origins: Where Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 30 Nov 22 - 06:30 AM

Deitch = German

Jeff Deitchman, retired and living in Point Reyes Station, California, sang his own song The Jukebox As She Turned on his 1979 cassette Silver Dollar.

It became a central part of Nic Jones' repertoire.

Subject: RE: Origins: Where Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?
From: GUEST,Lighter
Date: 30 Nov 22 - 09:59 AM

Winner used the tune of the popular German "Lauterbach Waltz," published in the U.S. in March, 1864.