Thank you for making my Grandad happy!

Subject: Lyr Add: MORE WORK FOR THE UNDERTAKER
From: GUEST,Tracey (TAnnison)
Date: 14 Jun 00 - 06:15 AM

Thank you to all the Mudcatters that helped me collect all the old lyrics to make a songbook for my Granddad - I really appreciate you help! Grandad used to sing to all of us when we were children, and I owe almost every song I know (not that I can sing!) to him. These were a strange mix of traditional and folk songs, music-hall songs, popular tunes and soldier's songs, many of which we shouldn't have been singing at such a tender age! I fogot much of the words over time, and sadly so did Grandad, and one day I had the idea of researching them for him. With your help, the DT, and s few other sites, I managed to dig up the words to all the songs below, making a book of almost 200 pages. I live in London (UK), over 100 miles from my family in Norfolk, and was working in Sweden on Grandad's birthday, but I sent it to him in the post. Apparently he was quite overcome, and rather amazed at the amount of words we never knew (I certainly was) and he's been singing to all and sundry ever since!

Just in case anyone's interested, I was able to find all these songs that he taught to us :

AIN'T IT GREAT TO BE CRAZY? 1
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS (IS MY TWO FRONT TEETH) 2
ALOUETTE 3
AMAZING GRACE 4
ANNE BOLEYN 5
ANY OLD IRON 6
THE BALLAD OF JED CLAMPETT 7
BANKS O' LOCH LOMOND 8
BARBARA ALLEN (1) 9
BARBARA ALLEN (2) 11
BARBARA ELLEN (3) 13
BARBARA ALLEN (4) 15
BARBARA ALLEN (5) 17
BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC 18
THE BATTLE OF JERICHO 19
THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS 20
THE BIG ROCK CANDY MOUNTAIN (1) 22
THE BIG ROCK CANDY MOUNTAIN (2) 24
THE BLAYDON RACES 25
BLESS 'EM ALL 27
BOILED BEEF AND CARROTS 28
BOMBED LAST NIGHT 29
BOTANY BAY 30
A BOY NAMED SUE 31
BRING BACK MY JOHNNY TO ME 33
BRITISH GRENADIERS 34
BY THE LIGHT OF THE SILVERY MOON 35
CAMP GRANADA 36
CAMPTOWN RACES 37
CLEMENTINE (1) 38
CLEMENTINE (2) 39
COMING 'ROUND THE MOUNTAIN (1) 40
COMING 'ROUND THE MOUNTAIN (2) 40
COMIN THRO' THE RYE 41
COUNTRY ROADS 42
DADDY WOULDN'T BUY ME A BOW-WOW 43
DAHN THE PLUG'OLE 44
DAISY, DAISY (DAISY BELL, OR A BICYCLE BUILT FOR TWO) 45
DANCE TO YOUR DADDY (1) 46
DANCE TO YOUR DADDY (2) 47
O DANNY BOY 48
DIXIE LAND 49
DON'T DILLY DALLY (MY OLD MAN) 50
DON'T GO DOWN IN THE MINE, DAD 52
DRINK TO ME ONLY WITH THINE EYES 53
THE DRUNKEN SAILOR 54
EARLY ONE MORNING (1) 55
EARLY ONE MORNING (2) 56
ENGLISH COUNTRY GARDENS 57
ERNIE 58
THE FOX 60
FROGGY WENT A-COURTIN' 62
THE GAS-MAN COMETH 64
GOOD-BYE-EE 65
GREEN GROW THE RUSHES-O 66
LADY GREENSLEEVES (1) 67
LADY GREENSLEEVES (2) 69
HALLELUJAH! I'M A BUM 70
HANGING ON THE OLD BARBED WIRE 71
HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN 72
HERE WE GO 'ROUND THE MULBERRY BUSH 73
HOLE IN THE GROUND 74
THE HIPPOPOTAMUS SONG 75
HITLER HAS ONLY GOT ONE BALL 76
I DON'T WANT TO JOIN THE ARMY (1) 77
I DON'T WANT TO JOIN THE ARMY (2) 77
IF YOU WERE THE ONLY GIRL IN THE WORLD 78
I'M HENERY THE EIGHTH I AM 79
I'M LEANING ON A LAMPPOST 80
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HOUSE 81
IT AIN'T GONNA RAIN 83
IT'S A LONG WAY TO TIPPERARY 85
I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE RAILROAD 86
I'VE GOT A LOVELY BUNCH OF COCONUTS 87
I WENT TO THE PICTURES TOMORROW 87
JERUSALEM 88
JOHN PEEL 89
JIM CRACK CORN (1) 90
JIMMY CRACK CORN (BLUE-TAIL FLY) 91
JOHN BROWN'S BODY 92
JUMP DOWN, TURN AROUND, PICK A BALE OF COTTON 93
K-K-K-KATY 94
KISS ME GOOD-NIGHT, SERGEANT-MAJOR 95
KNEES UP MOTHER BROWN 96
THE LAMBTON WORM 97
LAVENDER'S BLUE 99
LAZYBONES 101
LILLI MARLENE 102
LILY THE PINK (1) 103
LILY THE PINK (2) 104
LONDONDERRY AIR 105
MADEMOISELLE FROM ARMENTIERES 106
THE MERMAID (1) 108
THE MERMAID (2) 109
THE MERMAID (3) 110
THE MERMAID (4) 111
THE MERMAID (5) 112
THE MERMAID (6) 113
MICHAEL FINNEGAN 114
MICHAEL ROW THE BOAT 114
MOLLY MALONE (COCKLES AND MUSSELS) 115
MONDAY'S CHILD IS FAIR OF FACE 116
MORNING HAS BROKEN 117
MY BONNIE LIES OVER THE OCEAN 118
MY BOOMERANG WON'T COME BACK 119
MY OLD MAN'S A DUSTMAN 121
NELLIE DEAN 123
NELLIE THE ELEPHANT 124
NEVER MIND 125
A NIGHTINGALE SANG IN BERKELEY SQUARE 126
NUTS IN MAY 128
OH I DO LIKE TO BE BESIDE THE SEASIDE 129
OH IT'S A LOVELY WAR! 130
OH SUSANNA 131
ON ILKLA MOOR BAHT HAT 132
ONE FINE DAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT 133
ON THE BANKS OF THE OHIO 134
ON TOP OF OLD SMOKY 135
PACK UP YOUR TROUBLES 136
PADDY MCGINTY'S GOAT 137
THE PARACHUTIST SONG 140
PUFF, THE MAGIC DRAGON 141
PUTTING ON THE STYLE 142
PUT YOUR SHOES ON LUCY 143
THE QUARTERMASTER'S STORES 144
RIGHT SAID FRED 145
ROLL OUT THE BARREL
(BEER BARREL POLKA, OR ROSAMUNDE) 147
THE RUNAWAY TRAIN 148
RUN RABBIT 150
SCARBOROUGH FAIR (1) 151
SCARBOROUGH FAIR (2) 152
SHE SAT ON A HILLSIDE 153
SHE WAS POOR BUT SHE WAS HONEST 154
SHORT'NIN' BREAD 155
SHOW ME THE WAY TO GO HOME (1) 156
SHOW ME THE WAY TO GO HOME (2) 156
SIDE BY SIDE 157
THE SIEGFRIED LINE 158
SKIP TO MY LOU 159
THE SKYE BOAT SONG 160
SPANISH LADIES (FAREWELL AND ADIEU) 161
THE SUN HAS GOT HIS HAT ON 162
SWEET VIOLETS (1) 163
SWEET VIOLETS (2) 164
SWING LOW SWEET CHARIOT 165
THERE'S A HOLE IN MY BUCKET 166
THERE IS A TAVERN IN THE TOWN 167
THREE OLD LADIES 168
TIE ME KANGAROO DOWN 169
TOM PIERCE (WIDDICOMBE FAIR) 170
THE TRAIL OF THE LONESOME PINE 171
TWO LITTLE BOYS 172
TWO LOVELY BLACK EYES 173
UNDERNEATH THE ARCHES 173
WABASH CANNONBALL 174
WALTZING MATILDA 175
WHITER THAN THE WHITEWASH 176
WHEN FATHER PAPERED THE PARLOUR 176
WHEN JOHNNY COMES MARCHING HOME AGAIN 178
WHEN THE BOAT COMES IN 179
WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN 180
WHEN THIS BLOODY WAR IS OVER (2) 181
WHERE DID YOU GET THAT HAT 182
WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE 182
WHISKEY IN THE JAR 183
WILD COLONIAL BOY 184
THE WILD ROVER 185
WILL YOU STOP YOUR TICKLING JOCK 186
A WINDMILL IN OLD AMSTERDAM 187
THE WRAGGLE-TAGGLE GYPSIES 188
YANKEE DOODLE 190
YES! WE HAVE NO BANANAS 192
YOU'LL NEVER GET TO HEAVEN 193

UNKNOWN FRAGMENTS 196
There were RC's, C of E's
My Mother Said
More Work For The Undertaker

I'd be more than happy to post anything from this lot that anyone wants!

The last 3 titles aren't complete, but here's what I was able to find :


There were RC's

There were RC's, C of E's
The medics and the Infantry
The Sargeant, the Brigadier
And Mademoiselle from Armentiers
Inky, pinky, parlez-vous

There were Burmese, Singhalese
Chinese and Japanese,
Norfolk's and the Grenadiers
And the Lancashire Fusiliers
Inky, pinky, parlez-vous


My Mother Said

My mother said, I never should
play with the gypsies in the wood;
If I did, she would say,
'Naughty girl to run away.'

My mother said, I never should
Play with the gypsies in the wood.
And if I did, she would say:
"Naughty little girl to disobey."


More Work For The Undertaker

Sambo had an auntie, an auntie very rich,
One day she said to Sambo, "I'l give you two-and-six."
Sambo feeling thirsty, went inside a shop;
Six Lemonades, Two Ginger Beers and Sambo went off, Pop!

Cho: More work for the undertaker,
Another little job for the tombstone maker,
There in the local cemet'ry,
On a tombstone you will see;
"Sambo, V.C." (or "Sambo, the brave and free")

Sambo had an auntie, an auntie very poor,
One day she said to Sambo, "Go and clean the floor."
Sambo feeling tired, tried to go to bed,
Tried to climb the bannister and fell down on his head! (Crash! Bang!)

Maybe part of –

Now listen to the tale I'm going to tell you.
You'll laugh until you feel you want some breath,
For people often think it very funny
When you tell them of a vi-hi-o-lent death!

More work for the Undertaker,
Another little job for the Tombstone Maker,
At the local cem-e-tary they've
Been very, very busy on a brand new grave:
He won't be cold this winter!

History : Music Hall song sung by the late T.E. Dunville, circa 1890.


Thank you all so much for your help, in enabling me to give Grandad a Happy Birthday!

---

---Line breaks added---

Subject: RE: Thank you for making my Grandad happy!
From: GUEST,Tracey
Date: 14 Jun 00 - 06:26 AM

Sorry for the duplication - my browser evidently went mad there for a minute. This later one is the "real" one! Also sorry for the lack of formatting - it looked OK, with CR's & tabs, but that was before I sent it...

Subject: RE: Thank you for making my Grandad happy!
From: JedMarum
Date: 14 Jun 00 - 08:10 AM

Tracey - what a thoughtful and loving gift!

Subject: Lyr Add: MY MOTHER SAID
From: sophocleese
Date: 14 Jun 00 - 08:32 AM

Tracey, I learned My Mother Said years ago, I can't remember who wrote it but the words were...

My mother said, I never should
Go with the gypsies in the wood,
"Your hair shan't curl and your shoes shan't shine,
You naughty girl you shan't be mine."
And my father said that if I did
He'd rap my head with a teapot lid!

My mother said I never should
Go with the gypsies in the wood,
The wood was dark, the grass was green
By came Sally with a tambourine,
I jumped on his back and was off in a flash,
Sally tell my mother I shall never be back!

Actually now that I try and remember it again there is a line missing in the middle of the second verse about a white horse, but I can't get it. I'll keep thinking about it and it may appear in my brain eventually. Sorry for missing this request earlier.

Subject: RE: Thank you for making my Grandad happy!
From: sophocleese
Date: 14 Jun 00 - 08:39 AM

Got it! ...Sally with a tambourine, I went to sea, no ship to get across, I paid ten shillings for a blind white horse, I jumped on his back and was off in a flash...

Subject: Lyr Add: MY MOTHER SAID
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 14 Jun 00 - 09:10 AM

Sophclese, according to The Faber Book of Nursery Verse, you are still a few words missing. So here is theirversion of the rhyme. BTW according to this book, it is anon.

My mother said, I never should
Play with the gypsies in the wood
If I did she would say
"Naugthy girl to dissobey
Your hair shan't curl and your shoes shan't shine,
You naughty girl you shan't be mine."
My father said that if I did
He'd bang my head with a teapot lid!

The wood was dark, the grass was green
Up comes Sally with a tambourine,
Apalca frock, new scarf shawl,
White straw bonnet and a pink parasol
I went to the river - no ship to get accross
I paid ten shillings for an old blid horse;
I up on his back and was off in a crack
Sally tell my mother I shall never come back!

Jon

Subject: RE: Thank you for making my Grandad happy!
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 14 Jun 00 - 09:44 AM

I missed that one first time round, too; here is what Iona and Peter Opie have to say about it in The Oxford Book Of Nursery Rhymes (1951):

This rhyme, to which there are numerous appendages, is well known in the present day, often accompanying a hand warming exercise in the manner of "Pease Porridge Hot".  Its literary history, however, is strangely short.  It is first found in Come Hither (Walter de la Mare, 1922).
Subsequently it was discussed in Notes & Queries (1931-4) and the absence of 19th century recordings was remarked upon, though it had been known by correspondents sixty and seventy years previously.  One writer declared that his grandfather, born in 1818, had learnt to play it on the violin, when a boy.  "It was then, and is still, a favourite at village weddings or merry-makings whenever a lively jig of the polka type is needed."  The tune is identical with the first part of The King Pippen Polka (c. 1870), and has also been recognised in a gypsy dance in Smetana's The Bartered Bride.  Versions of the rhyme repeat fragments of singing games, and it is possible that it was once part of some dramatic "joie de vivre."

Apparantly there was an advertising slogan of 1946 based on the song:

My mother said that I never should
Miss my Guiness -as if I would!

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Thank you for making my Grandad happy!
From: GUEST,Tracey
Date: 14 Jun 00 - 12:37 PM

Wow - You know still more things! I admit to not asking about "My Mother said" - I ran out of time to get it printed and bound up as a book. I'll have to make an addenda page! Thanks again, and thanks to whoever reformatted it all, too.

Subject: RE: Thank you for making my Grandad happy!
From: GUEST,Liz the Squeak
Date: 14 Jun 00 - 04:23 PM

So when are you going to publish it? Just add Yellow Submarine and On top of old Smokey, and you have the perfect camp fire collection!!

LTS

Subject: RE: Thank you for making my Grandad happy!
From: GUEST,Tracey
Date: 20 Jun 00 - 05:09 AM

Well, I didn't quite publish it, but I did get an extra 4 copies made for other members of the family - close! It's somewhat of a tradition to do such things in my family - a few years back we collected all the family-written poems and had them printed, too!

Subject: RE: Thank you for making my Grandad happy!
From: GUEST,late 'n short
Date: 23 Jun 00 - 10:57 PM

Hey Tracey,

What a great list! I've got a specific memeory for at least half the songs on your list. If it weren't for the fact that the only grandfather I knew spent his whole life over "here" I'd be wonderin' if we were somehow connected.

"Show me the way to go home" #'s 155 & 156 on your list ( I didn't know there was more than one) is one of the first songs my father taught me. I know the words but I need the chords. Can you help?

Thanks for helping me recall some great times and greater people.

Dan

Subject: RE: Thank you for making my Grandad happy!
From: GUEST,Rob Groves (Guest)
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 08:23 AM

Tracey,

There are quite a few of the songs on your list that I should like the lyrics for, I live in Essex. Can we get in touch? e-mail me: [e-mail] Thanks!

Subject: RE: Thank you for making my Grandad happy!
From: C-flat
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 09:00 AM

I sing a lot of those songs mentioned to my young daughter, especially the nonsense/funny ones. My partner can't believe I know so many silly songs but, like you Tracy, they're passed down from my Grandparents.
I'd like to think that when my little girl has a family of her own she'll sing them to her little ones and ,like you, have some fond memories.(even though she does think I'm a bit nutty)

Subject: RE: Thank you for making my Grandad happy!
From: CapriUni
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 10:12 AM

Found this thread refreshed after over two years (I love Mudcat for that!)... I just gravitate to anything about happiness, and found "My Mother Said"...

As it turns out, this is one of my favorite Mother Goose Rhymes (I learnt it from Raymond Briggs' 1966 edition of "The Mother Goose Treasury", now sadly out of print). But I never knew it was a song.

Is there a midi or sound file floating around somewhere?

Subject: RE: Thank you for making my Grandad happy!
From: GUEST,timbo46
Date: 13 Mar 10 - 06:49 AM

I found myself humming "Sambo had an uncle" etc. this morning and couldn't think of more than a few fragments. We sang this version at Cubs in North London around 1963 and of course it was was slightly different to all the versions I have found posted on the web. Maybe it came from a scouts songbook of the time? I seem to remember thinking it was a bit old-fashioned even then at the age of 8.. Here's what I remember:

Sambo had an uncle
An uncle very rich
One day he said to Sambo
I'll give you 2 and 6
Sambo was delighted
He went off to the shop
(...somehow acquires and eats too many sweets...)
and Sambo went off pop

More work for the undertaker
'nother little job for the tombstone maker
In the local cemetery
On his tombstone you will see
"Sambo paid out" (best as I can remember it)

Sambo had an auntie
An auntie very poor
One day she said to Sambo
I'll make you scrub the floor
etc.

Sambo on the railway....
(... scrubs the line with a bar of Sunlight Soap...)
etc.

Can anyone fill in the blanks?