Lyr Req: Man with rag in ear

Subject: Please help with lyrics
From: GUEST,Bryan Pearson
Date: 29 Nov 00 - 09:46 AM

I am looking for the name and words to an old song that was sung to me by my grandfather. I know a few words to it but not much more than that. Please help.

???? man had a rag in his ear.... the rag came out the wind blew in and the old man came to life again.

If you do know will you let me know please. Please e-mail me at [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Please help with lyrics
From: alison
Date: 29 Nov 00 - 09:49 AM

Welcome to Mudcat Bryan.... sorry I don't know this one....

you will often get your answers quicker if you start a thread with part of the lyrics in the title (eg. Lyr Req: Rag in his ear).... we get a lot of "looking for lyrics" type threads.. and they can get overlooked.. it also makes it easier for you to find your thread again.......

anyway good luck with your search.. hopefully someone will find it for you.....

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Please help with lyrics
From: alison
Date: 29 Nov 00 - 09:52 AM

I just did a quick search for "rag and "ear"... and there are a lot of songs....... none that look exactly what you are after... but if you want to check it out....

type "rag" or "ear" into Digitrad lyrics search box.. (top left of main page) and see if you can find it....

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Please help with lyrics
From: Brendy
Date: 05 Dec 00 - 03:58 AM

ref

Subject: RE: Help with lyrics - Man with rag in ear
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 06:29 PM

I Googled for the phrase "out, the wind blew in" and found this fragment of a children's poem, which might be related:

Listen, listen and you shall hear
How the old cow died with a bug in her ear.
The bug flew out, the wind blew in,
The old cow's up and gone again.

When I use "rag * out, the wind blew in" (the asterisk is a wild card that stands for one or more words), Google Book Search tells me the phrase occurs in "Roll Me in Your Arms: "Unprintable" Ozark Folksongs and Folklore, Volume 1" by Vance Randolph, on pages 378-379. Unfortunately, those pages can't be viewed online. Someone will have to find a print copy.

Subject: ADD: With a Rag in her Ass
From: masato sakurai
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 08:04 PM

According to Randolph (p. 380), it is "the wholly expurgated and banalized nursery version of the 'Old Woman' song, in Ray Wood's Mother Goose in the Ozarks (1938), p. 52." An "unprintable" version is:

X:1
T:With a Rag in Her Ass
M:4/4
L:1/8
B:Randolph, Roll Me in Your Arms, p. 378
S:Mrs. A.M., Aurora, Missouri, August 18, 1938
K:C
E2E2C2C2|D2C2C2z2|
w:Chick-en foot an' spar-row grass,
E2EEC2CC|D2CCC2z2|E2G2G2GG|
w:Old wom-an died with a rag in her ass, Rag blew out an' the
A2G2G2z2|E3GG3G|G2DCC2z2|]
w:wind blew in, Damned old bitch is liv-in' a-g'in.

---

With a Rag in Her Ass

Chicken-foot and sparrow-grass,
Old woman died with a rag in her ass;
Rag blew out an' the wind blew in,
Damned old bitch is livin' ag'in.

Subject: RE: Help with lyrics - Man with rag in ear
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 08:10 PM

There are a couple of references online:

This one is a relative:
APPLES OF EDEN (1945):

A PRIVATE COLLECTION OF AMERICAN FOLK-LORE

Gathered from cowboys,college boys, and latino americanos by a liberal who does not believe that these choice morsels shoxild be thrown out of American Literature because of their vigorous and unconventional language. After all, a manure pile by any other namew would smell no better! And even a manure pile has its values.



Resurrection
Fire in the mountains, snakes in the grass,
An old man died with a cob up his ass.
The cob flew out and the wind blew in,
And the old man came to life again.



Also this one quotes the words you have: WhatAll

ITS BEEN SAID: Silly North Carolina country ditty from the early 1900s.

From our 93 yr old friend Johnny Winstead. His Uncle Gideon ("Giddy") taught it to him. Its about "The old cow":

"The old cow died with a rag in its mouth.
The rag blew out. The wind blew in.
And the old cow came to life again."

Johnny says Uncle Gideon "had about as big a handlebar mustache as you ever saw."


Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Man with rag in ear
From: GUEST,JDoug 7 Aug 2011
Date: 07 Aug 11 - 04:01 PM

Here is how my Uncle Gene Callais, a wheat farmer in Kansas, said it in the 1940's:

Snakes in the whiskey, rats in the beer,
Old man died with a rag in his ear.
Rag came out, wind blew in,
Old man came to life agin.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Man with rag in ear
From: GUEST,Kenneth Reffeitt
Date: 05 Feb 14 - 05:02 AM

The version my mother, Mae Gill Reffeitt, taught me was:

Snow on the mountains, Snakes in the grass
The Old Man died With a cob in his ass.
The cob blew out, The wind blew in
And the old son-of-a bitch came to again.

Mother was born Dec. 31, 1908 and was a "flapper" in the late 1920's and went to clandestine night clubs. She won a prize for doing The Charleston dance at a fashion store downtown Huntington, West Virginia. Her family was from Mason County, WV, and they all used colorful descriptions and similes.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Man with rag in ear
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Feb 14 - 08:20 AM

If John Melberg (sp?) is still around, let him know about the following site. (It's right up his alley.)

http://www.horntip.com/html/books_&_MSS/1940s/1945ca_apples_of_eden_(mimeo)/index.htm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Man with rag in ear
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Dec 14 - 11:33 PM

Old cow died with a rag in his ass
The rag fell out the wind blew in
And the old cow came back to life again
Eech cheech cheech cheech ohh
Hang nails and boogers is all that I've got
Little strips of cuticles
And little balls of snot
I don't know what I'm gonna do
I this condition I'm losing you
Hangnails and boogers is all that I've got
Little strips of cuticles
And little balls of snot

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Man with rag in ear
From: Jack Campin
Date: 18 Dec 14 - 09:55 AM

"Chickens and Sparrow-Grass" is a 3/2 hornpipe in Henry Atkinson's manuscript from Northumbria in 1694. So it looks like this song started life in Rightpondia. Anyone know comparably early British words for it?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Man with rag in ear
From: GUEST,#
Date: 18 Dec 14 - 10:48 AM

Unprintable Ozark Folksongs and Folklore: Roll me in your arms

Google that and go to p 378. Some of the North American song history there.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Man with rag in ear
From: GUEST,Bill Tadian
Date: 25 Oct 16 - 06:34 PM

My grandfather used to say to my sister

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Man with rag in ear
From: GUEST,Bill Tadian
Date: 25 Oct 16 - 06:41 PM

My grandfather used to say to my sister, cousin, and myself when we were kids to keep us quiet in the backseat of the car:

Fire on the mountain, snow on the grass
An old man died with a rag up his ass
The first one to speak
Gets to pull it out with their teeth.

I hope this helps. Those were the good old days when there was no political correctness.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Man with rag in ear
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Dec 18 - 02:53 PM

Fire in the mountain snakes in the grass the old man died with a rag in his ass the rag popped out air blew in the old man said in alive again I think that's it ??

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Man with rag in ear
From: GUEST,Michael S
Date: 12 Nov 22 - 04:27 PM

My father would say. Rocks in the mountains.. snakes in the grass.. the old man died with a rag up his ass

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Man with rag in ear
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Apr 23 - 11:05 PM

Fire on the mountain,
Snake in the grass.
Old man died with a rag up his ass.
Rag blew out,
Wind blew in,
Old man came to life again!

My dear old Daddy used to recite that to me, but would glance at my Mon and then say Old man died with a rag up his nose.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Man with rag in ear
From: GUEST,Naughty But Nice
Date: 28 Sep 23 - 12:22 AM

A naughty verse sung to the tune of “Stay All Night (Stay a Little Longer) by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys::

Day before yesterday, night before last
The old cow died with a cob in her (ass) mouth.
Cob fell out, the wind blew in,
Old cow come together again.

Stay all night, stay a little longer
Dance all night, dance a little longer.
Pull off your coat and throw it in the corner.
Don’t see why you don’t stay a little longer.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Man with rag in ear
From: GUEST,Naughty But Nice
Date: 28 Sep 23 - 12:22 AM

A naughty verse sung to the tune of “Stay All Night (Stay a Little Longer) by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys::

Day before yesterday, night before last
The old cow died with a cob in her (ass) mouth.
Cob fell out, the wind blew in,
Old cow come together again.

Stay all night, stay a little longer
Dance all night, dance a little longer.
Pull off your coat and throw it in the corner.
Don’t see why you don’t stay a little longer.