Lyr Add: An Ode to the Humble Geoduck - Meryle Kor

Subject: Lyr Add: An Ode to the Humble Geoduck - Meryle Ko
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Jun 23 - 08:09 PM

Going through files this weekend I came across a printout of a song that strayed from my box of John Dwyer's files. Rather than just file it I thought I'd see if it was here at Mudcat. The song is "Ode to the Humble Geoduck" by Meryle A. Korn, dated July 19, 1987.

Stewart Hendrickson entered the song with identical information and lyrics into an existing thread (Acres of Clams-WA song-please clarify) and I see on that post that there is the subject line "Lyr Add:"

There isn't any discussion and no information about the tune (I've heard it performed, but I don't remember if it was a traditional or otherwise popular melody). The main reason for adding this is because on my page the stanzas are actually doubled up and they appear thus:

'Twas some years ago in the summer, at Charleston down on the coast
Where Joseph and Doug would go fishing, a thing that they liked to do most,
They'd carry their beer to the harbor, with hook, line and sinker, and pole,
And they'd sit and they'd fish in the sunlight, till Nature came to call.

Now if there were no ladies present, to the end of the dock they would stroll;
Not for them, the small, smelly building that stood back on the shore,
They'd check right and left to be certain, then their zippers they'd open wide,
Relieve themselves into the water, and back up the dock they would stride.

Now it happened a boat full of - "gentlemen" at the end of the dock was tied,
And they'd comment upon the - "equipment" of each fisherman who came by,
And Joseph was not tall in stature, and he got their treatment full,
And though he would always ignore them, their mockery soon did pall.

But one day he dug up a geoduck! An idea leapt into his mind,
Of a way to befuddle those yokels whose words were so unkind,
He cut off the neck of the geoduck (it surely would suit his plans),
And affixed it somehow to a most private place, and tucked it down into his pants.

And that afternoon at his fishing, drank the requisite number of beers,
Then sauntered on down to the dock's end to his tormenters' hoots and jeers,
But the catcalling stopped! in amazement as he prepared to do his deed, pulled out
Three feet of neck of the geoduck, and through it, la la la, la lee!

Then grasping it firmly at center, he went to a piling that stood
Covered with sharp shells of barnacles encrusted on the wood;
Three mighty WHACKS! he gave it, then tucked it back into its place,
And walked past their open-mouthed gawking, beatifical smile on his face!


With this version there is a dash before "gentlemen" and "equipment" showing those words get extra emphasis - perhaps the song is performed with a pause in each of these lines?


This is how Stewart transcribed it:

AN ODE TO THE HUMBLE GEODUCK
(Meryle A. Korn, Portland, OR, 19 July 1987)

'Twas some years ago in the summer,
at Charleston down on the coast
Where Joseph and Doug would go fishing,
a thing that they liked to do most,
They'd carry their beer to the harbor,
with hook, line and sinker, and pole,
And they'd sit and they'd fish in the sunlight,
till Nature came to call.

Now if there were no ladies present,
to the end of the dock they would stroll;
Not for them, the small, smelly building
that stood back on the shore,
They'd check right and left to be certain,
then their zippers they'd open wide,
Relieve themselves into the water,
and back up the dock they would stride.

Now it happened a boat full of "gentlemen"
at the end of the dock was tied,
And they'd comment upon the "equipment"
of each fisherman who came by,
And Joseph was not tall in stature,
and he got their treatment full,
And though he would always ignore them,
their mockery soon did pall.

But one day he dug up a geoduck!
An idea leapt into his mind,
Of a way to befuddle those yokels
whose words were so unkind,
He cut off the neck of the geoduck
(it surely would suit his plans),
And affixed it somehow to a most private place,
and tucked it down into his pants.

And that afternoon at his fishing,
drank the requisite number of beers,
Then sauntered on down to the dock's end
to his tormenters' hoots and jeers,
But the catcalling stopped! in amazement
as he prepared to do his deed, pulled out
Three feet of neck of the geoduck,
and through it, la la la, la lee!

Then grasping it firmly at center,
he went to a piling that stood
Covered with sharp shells of barnacles
encrusted on the wood;
Three mighty WHACKS! he gave it,
then tucked it back into its place,
And walked past their open-mouthed gawking,
beatifical smile on his face!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: An Ode to the Humble Geoduck - Meryle Kor
From: DADGBE
Date: 14 Jun 23 - 02:14 AM

I just emailed Meryle. Maybe she'll see this and join in.