Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: Le Scaramouche Date: 03 Aug 05 - 03:47 PM Being in the army, I can state categorically that both songs are true! |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: GUEST,Michy0137 Date: 03 Aug 05 - 02:22 PM Continue with each of the following for quartermaster store: 3. lice - living on the mice. 4. rats - big as alley cats. 5. roaches - big as football coaches 6. watches - big as sasquaches 7. snakes - big as garden rakes 8. bears - but no one really cares 9. beavers - with little meat cleavers 10. foxes - stuffed in little boxes 11. Apes - eating chocolate cakes 12. celery – enough to fill a gallery 13. Eggs-that walked about on legs 14. Ham-Mixed up in the jam 15. Meat- Meat you couldn't eat 16. Bread- as hard as clumps of lead 17. Eggs-Nearly growing legs 18. Cake-Cake you couldn't break 19. Flies-Feeding on the pies 20. Ants-Crawling up my pants 21. Cheese- rotting, stinking cheese |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: GUEST,stuart@lakemalawi.com Date: 16 May 05 - 06:58 AM Another line that we used to sing at the Scouts in Stafford, English Midlands in the early 50's... There was butter, butter - the scrapings of the gutter... In the stores ...in the stores Stuart Grant - Malawi - Central Africa |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: sian, west wales Date: 07 Mar 05 - 06:07 AM Joe Earliest date 1973????? Well, we were singing it at summer camp (the Power in the Blood version - although I never clicked to the connection before now!) in the late '60s and it was a golden oldie of the camp even then. I'm pretty sure my mum knew it, and if she learned it at camp it would have been pre WW II. Alternatively, she would have learned it from her brothers who were in the armed forces during the war. Actually, I'll have to ask her. It's the type of song that Grampa would have known, which would put it WW I. Anyone have any other chronology on this? siân |
Subject: ADD Version: Quarter Master's Stores From: Joe Offer Date: 07 Mar 05 - 03:03 AM Here's a version from a Canadian book, Songs from the Front and Rear: Canadian Servicemen's Songs from the Second World War, by Anthony Hopkins 1979). Note the alternate chorus, and this quote from Hopkins:
-Joe Offer- The Quarter Master's Stores There were rats, rats, big as alley cats, In the stores, in the stores, There were rats, rats, big as alley cats, In the Quarter Master's stores. CHORUS My eyes are dim, I cannot see, I have not brought my specs with me, I have not brought my specs with me. ALTERNATE CHORUS My cock is limp, I cannot fuck The nitrate it has changed my luck. The nitrate it has changed my luck. There was beer, beer, to bring us all good cheer, In the stores, in the stores, There was beer, beer, to bring us all good cheer, In the Quarter Master's stores. CHORUS There was cheese, cheese, rotting, stinking cheese, In the stores, in the stores. There was cheese, cheese, rotten stinking cheese, In the Quarter Master's stores. CHORUS There was bread, bread, heavy as lumps of lead, There was whiskey, whiskey, the stuff that makes you frisky, There were socks, socks, filthy, smelly socks, There were tents, tents, full of holes and rents, There was rice, rice, full of bugs and lice, There were flies, flies, eating all the pies, Teresa, I'd agree that Songs from the Front and Rear has a tune that's much closer to the chorus of "Power in the Blood." Click to playI guess it is the "Power in the Blood" tune that I know. I don't know where the Digital Tradition tune comes from. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: Teresa Date: 07 Mar 05 - 02:59 AM Joe, the tune you linked to is the one I always sang for "Power in the Blood". actually, it's the tune used for the verses of Quartermaster's Stores. The refrain I have never heard before, neither the tune nor the lyrics. Teresa |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: NH Dave Date: 07 Mar 05 - 02:26 AM I did a Google search of Scouting Songs and got this version. Dave The Quartermaster's Song There are snakes, snakes, snakes Big as garden rakes, At the store! At the store! There are snakes, snakes, snakes, Big as garden rakes, at the Quartermaster's store. Chorus My eyes are dim I can-not see. I have not got my specs with me. I have HEY! Not HO! got my specs with me. There are mice, mice, mice Running though the rice, At the store! At the store! There are mice, mice, mice, Running through the rice, at the Quartermaster's store. Chorus Continue with each of the following: 3. lice - living on the mice. 4. rats - big as alley cats. 5. roaches - big as football coaches 6. watches - big as sasquaches 7. snakes - big as garden rakes 8. bears - but no one really cares 9. beavers - with little meat cleavers 10. foxes - stuffed in little boxes |
Subject: ADD Version: Quartermaster Stores From: Joe Offer Date: 07 Mar 05 - 02:18 AM Here's a substantial list - from Roy Palmer's What a Lovely War: British Soldier Songs from the Boer War to the Present Day (1990)(no tunes in this book) The Quartermaster Stores There was ham, ham, mixed up with the jam, in the stores, in the stores. There was ham, ham, mixed up with the jam, In the quartermaster stores. (Chorus) My eyes are dim, I cannot see, I have not brought my specs with me, I have not brought my specs with me. Eggs ... running round on legs. Cheese . . . green as garden peas. Bread . . . heavy as lumps of lead. Meat . . . soled your boots a treat. Beer . . . makes you feel so queer. Port... turns a prude into a sport. Whisky. .. makes you feel so frisky. Gin . . . that brings a girl to sin. Brandy . . . makes you feel so randy. Rats . . . big as bloody cats. Bugs . .. big as deep-sea tugs. Mice . . . trying to catch the lice. Fleas . . . all with housemaid's knees. Slugs . .. drinking from army mugs. Phil .. . fiddling the till. Bob .. . playing with his knob. Frank ... having a Midland Bank. Hall ... he's only got one ball. Brown .. . with his knackers hanging down. (Spoken) My name's Hunt, and I'm going home. I don't think I hear a relationship between this and the tunes I know for "Power in the Blood" and "In My Father's House." There's a tune in the Digital Tradition (click), but there may be other tunes for this song. -Joe Offer- The Traditional Ballad Index lists versions of this song only in the Digital Tradition and in the Silbers' Folksinger's Word Book. Here's the Ballad Index entry: Quartermaster Corps, The (The Quartermaster Store)DESCRIPTION: "Oh, it's beer , beer, beer that makes you feel so queer, In the corps, in the corps." "My eyes are dim, I cannot see, I have not brought my specs with me." Similarly, "...cheese... brings you to your knees," and so forth with other army itemsAUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1973
DT, QMCORP* Go to the Ballad Search form The Ballad Index Copyright 2004 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle. Songs from the Front and Rear has a tune that's much closer to the chorus of "Power in the Blood." Click to play |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: GUEST,George Date: 06 Mar 05 - 10:31 PM I used to sing this every Friday at the Dakota Inn in Detroit. My favorite part was "There was cold roast duck, that made you want a sandwich" |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: Teresa Date: 18 Jan 05 - 12:39 AM I can't help wondering where the "I can't see" refrain came from?? Teresa |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: GUEST,Gerry Date: 17 Jan 05 - 11:57 PM I see that several people mentioned the "My eyes are dim..." refrain. On the bus that took us to camp on summer days 40 or 45 years ago, we used to sing the refrain in two parts: A: My eyes are dim, I cannot see, I have not brought my specs with me B: My eyes............. are dim....... I can..................... not see-ee-eeeee A: I have - hey! - not - ho! - brought my specs with me. B: I have............. not........... brought my specs with me. About half of us would sing the A line, half the B. The dots in the B line mean that you hold the note. The word "Quartermaster" was not in our vocabulary, so we sang some nonsense word like "Cornermaster" instead. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: Teresa Date: 17 Jan 05 - 10:21 PM I first heard this song on Songs of the Lincoln & Int'l. Brigade/Southern Mtn. Hoedown (note track 11) with Woody Guthrie, Pete seeger, et al. I'm delighted to find out it still has a living presence. I always thought it lent itself to improvisation. :) bTW, it's really International Brigade/Lincoln Battalion. When I was a kid in the '70s, we sang "There is Power in the blood" in my Southern Baptist church. I have to say I'm glad Joe Hill came up with some different lyrics for some of these hymns. ;) Teresa |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: GUEST,Lighter at work Date: 17 Jan 05 - 02:47 PM On the Prairie Home Companion many years ago Jean Redpathy led the singing of another revival hymn called, I think, "In My Father's House." Its tune and structure was identical to that of "The Quartermasters' Corps/Store." Does anyone have the lyrics or further info? |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: Megan L Date: 17 Jan 05 - 02:36 PM cant do links to threads yet but a scottish version was discussed at "Lyr Req: The world must be coming to an end" quite an old thread |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: Nigel Parsons Date: 17 Jan 05 - 12:10 PM I remember this from Cub camp & Scout camp. As BillyTheBus says above, many verses were based on the names of the people at the campfire. The obvious example from many Cub camps was: There was Akela, Akela, Kissing a yankee sailor In the stores.... This verse probably dates from WWII, when, not only were US forces over here, but with so many men being on active service, it became (and remains) common for women to take over the leadership of Cub packs Nigel |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: masato sakurai Date: 17 Jan 05 - 06:42 AM THERE IS POWER IN THE BLOOD is at the Cyber Hymnal. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: An Pluiméir Ceolmhar Date: 17 Jan 05 - 05:59 AM I an ideal world, the words chosen should have some relevance to a quartermaster's stores, even if some semantic confusion is tolerable. Thus "frogs" in the first example below could refer to bayonet frogs, the canvas strap with which a scabbard is hung from the belt. "Frogs, frogs, wearing swimming togs." Another verse popular in my time was: "Horses, horses, wearing women's corsets" |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: Flash Company Date: 17 Jan 05 - 05:52 AM There were buns, buns For firing at the huns. My dad was a Quartermaster Sergeant in the Royal Norfolks, he and his crew were known as 'Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves' FC |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: GUEST Date: 17 Jan 05 - 04:48 AM there are rats, rats, big as bloomin cats |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: The Walrus at work Date: 16 Jul 01 - 01:49 PM toadfrog, Re: "Power in the blood" Something makes me think that this could be a Salvation Army song (I don't know why, I just "hear" it, in my head, played by a "Sally Ann" band. Walrus |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: JudeL Date: 16 Jul 01 - 03:01 AM alternative chorus we used to sing as kids: my eyes are dim I cannot see; I left them in the lavatry; I left them in the lavatry. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: Liz the Squeak Date: 16 Jul 01 - 02:04 AM Buns buns, used as ammo for the guns - was the version my dad came up with, from his army days.... one of only 3 songs he ever taught me. LTS |
Subject: Lyr Add: POWER IN THE BLOOD From: toadfrog Date: 15 Jul 01 - 04:54 PM The original song is: POWER IN THE BLOOD(Lewis E. Jones)Would you be fee from the burden of sin? There is Power in the blood, power in the blood! Would you be free from your passion and pride? There is Power in the blood, power in the blood! There is power, power, Wonder working power, In the blood, Of the Lamb! There is power, power, Wonder working power, In the precious blood of the Lamb. Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow? Would you do service to Jesus, your King? Would you o'er evil a victory win? Come for a cleansing to Calvary's tide. This appears to be a hymn, but I can't find it on Cyber-Hymnal, or with the Pentecostals. Maybe a bit off the beaten track. Or maybe it was once more common than today. For the Joe Hill version, klik here. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: artbrooks Date: 15 Jul 01 - 04:13 PM If I remember correctly, this was on an Oscar Brand album, which might have been called "Bawdy Barracks Ballads". This version focused on various potables, and the verses listed the type of booze and effect: "Oh, it's rye, rye, rye that makes you want to cry, In the Corps, in the Corps, in the Quartermaster Corps." Other sets were gin/want to sin, brandy/feel so handy, and scotch/gets you in the crotch. I'm not sure if my daughter invented "coke/makes you want to choke" or if we picked it up someplace. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: toadfrog Date: 15 Jul 01 - 04:09 PM The song may be found on DT as QUARTERMASTER CORPSOut here, we sing O it's whiskey whiskey whiskey, That makes you feel so frisky, On the farm, on the farm. O it's whiskey whiskey whiskey, That makes you feel so frisky, On the Leland Stanford Junior Farm. O it's beer, beer, that makes you feel so queer. O It's wine, wine, wine, That makes you feel so fine. O it's cold roast duck, [forgot the rest]. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: GUEST,Willa Date: 15 Jul 01 - 03:37 PM I think every family had their own version of this. We always sang the chorus a couple of other 'catters have metioned My eyes are dim, I cannot see I have not brought my specs with me I have not brought my specs with me. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: Mr Red Date: 15 Jul 01 - 02:08 PM My first encounter with this song was in the scouts each verse referred to a person and something about them (or their car etc) was generally a bit of light hearted fun. It was only later I realised it's vintage. I guess this was the tradition with this song - to sing about local personalities or conditions. from the "Songs R Us" stable. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: JudeL Date: 15 Jul 01 - 11:17 AM There were rats, rats, as big as bloomin' cats
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: GUEST,Penny S (elsewhere) Date: 15 May 00 - 01:26 PM There was sherry, making the staff feel merry There was whisky, making the staff feel frisky school version Penny |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: Scabby Douglas Date: 15 May 00 - 10:59 AM IN Glasgow, as kids, we sang the "Co-operative Store" pronounced "Co- per- aytive" ( don't ask me why) The Co-op movement started in the Victorian era to provide local value stores and dividends to working people... anyway Does everyone sing the "My eyes are dim, I cannot see..." bit? A fun song... may sing at the next session... Byeee |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: Jacob B Date: 15 May 00 - 10:47 AM This is great - I never realized before that there are two distinctly different songs, with two distinctly different ideas. The Quartermaster's Stores is about how all the food supplies are rotten, while The Quartermaster Corps is based on the idea that the Quartermasters get good stuff into the stores, but keep all the good stuff for themselves. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: Billy the Bus Date: 14 May 00 - 08:13 AM G'day MudGuard, For the life of me, I can't remember what we sang for "buns" apart from they were "hard as ????" - maybe "guns"... it was longer tho'... Hold on..... "hard as bleedin' stones" (pronounced "stuns") think that was it - it would work, anyway. If all else fails, make it up as yer go along in the true QM store tradition.
BTW - I did an AltaVista search on "in the quartermasters store" earlier today, and only got 3 hits, none relating to the song - "quartermasters store" returned 26. I was panicing that the armies world-wide were running out of supplies. However, "quartermaster store" gave me 2,000 odd hits. Funny - I've always known the song (and the store) as Quartermaster's..
Cheers - Sgt Sam Reg# 678894 - reporting for words at the QM Store
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: MudGuard Date: 14 May 00 - 07:43 AM Any idea on the buns? I listened to the song again, and it could be something like harleguns/horneguns as well as the hardeguns I wrote down. MudGuard |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: DADGBE Date: 13 May 00 - 11:39 PM The earliest recorded version I've heard is by Pete Seeger and friends. It was probably recorded prior to W.W.II and was released on 78 rpm records (remember them?) by Stinson as "Songs of The Lincoln Brigade." Those lyrics are: There is cheese cheese that brings you to your knees, in the store, in the store, There is cheese cheese that brings you to your knees, in the quartermaster's store. There is tea tea but not for you and me... There are rats rats in bowler hats and spats... There are beans beans that make fill your jeans... There's a chief chief who never brings us beef... |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: Chicky Date: 13 May 00 - 11:20 PM I've never heard it sung the same way twice! Whenever I've encountered it's been ad-lib-the-verses singalong around the campfire (or around the bar). cheers - Chicky |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: Billy the Bus Date: 13 May 00 - 11:03 PM Hi MudGuard
cheese, wafting in the breeze (strong smelling) We also used to make up verses based on people's names. eg..
There was Joe, Joe,
There was MudGuard, MudGuard etc.. etc.. ad nauseum. Yep, Unca' Tom, we sang the same refrain - or ended it with "I left my specs in the WC". Cheers - Sam
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: Joe Offer Date: 13 May 00 - 07:25 PM Hi - take a look at a related song, Quartermaster Corps. As my kids would say, it's the same song, only different. -Joe Offer- |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: Fiolar Date: 13 May 00 - 02:16 PM Thanks to all who replied. Mike |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: Uncle Tom Soberly Date: 13 May 00 - 09:20 AM But I remember from my school days something like a chrous going:- My eyes are dim I cannot see I have not brought my specs with me I have not brought my specs with me A cracking song!!! |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: Pixie Date: 13 May 00 - 08:20 AM There were ants, ants, Crawling up my pants....
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: MudGuard Date: 13 May 00 - 06:02 AM That is what I have on a recording by the Irish Weavers. Some parts (marked in red) I could not understand. MudGuard Well there was cheese, cheese, Oh (ofting ???) in the breeze In the store, in the store In the store, in the store There was ham, ham, Mixed up in the jam In the quartermaster's store Well there was bread, bread Just (a clumps of lead ???) In the store, in the store In the store, in the store There were buns, buns Full of (hardeguns ???) In the quartermaster's store Well there were mice, mice Eating up the rice In the store, in the store In the store, in the store There were rats, rats Big as bloody cats In the quartermaster's store Well there was meat, meat, Meat you couldn't eat In the store, in the store In the store, in the store There were eggs, eggs Nearly growing legs In the quartermaster's store Well there was beer, beer Beer you can't (ganeer ???) In the store, in the store In the store, in the store There was rum, rum For the (general's tum ???) In the quartermaster's store Well there was cake, cake, Cake you couldn't break In the store, in the store In the store, in the store There were flies, flies, Feeding on the pies In the quartermaster's store Well there was fish, fish Stinking in the dish In the store, in the store In the store, in the store There were chickens, chickens Since the times a-digging In the quartermaster's store |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Quartermaster's Stores From: Patrish(inactive) Date: 13 May 00 - 05:08 AM Gravy enough to sink the navy beans as big as submarines chips as big as battleships Patrish I will keep thinking ........ |
Subject: Quartermaster's Stores From: Fiolar Date: 13 May 00 - 04:56 AM Has anyone out there got the words of that hoary old favourite "The Quartermaster's Stores." The Qaurtermaster Corps is listed but is not quite the same. Some of the words I remember go something like this: "There were eggs, eggs that walked about on legs in the stores; In the Quartermaster's Stores. There were rats, rats big as bloody cats in the stores etc." Thanks in advance. Mike. |
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