Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Lighter
Date: 15 May 25 - 09:44 AM

Quite interesting that she varied the ending that way. Unsure of the original words? Experimenting with her own ending?

BTW, I see no reason to capitalize "Gray." Though either is possible, I imagine he'd an "old gray-headed rogue," not an "old rogue named Grey."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: GUEST,Kevin W. aka Reynard the Fox on Youtube
Date: 15 May 25 - 09:29 AM

Thank you Lighter, that's got to be it, it makes perfect sense. The Scottish pronunciation of "blouse" threw me off.

I can add a small detail I noticed yesterday. I listened to four different recordings of Lizzie Higgins singing "Auld Roguie Grey" and she sang a different ending verse in one of the recordings.

On the album "Up and Awa' Wi' the Laverock" (1975) Topic 12TS 260. Recorded by Tony Engle in Lizzie Higgins' home, Aberdeen, January 1975. And again on the album "In Memory of Lizzie Higgins" (2006) Musical Traditions MTCD337/8. Recorded by Peter Hall in the 1970s.

Lizzie's final verse was:

Nine months has passed,
I'd a bairnie on my knee,
Nine months has passed
And the roguie's merried me,
And the end of ma tale aboot
The aul roguie Grey.

In a recording made by John D. Niles in 1986 her final verse was:

Six weeks is passed,
And this maid grew very pale,
Six months is passed
And the roguie's merried me,
And the end of ma tale aboot
The aul roguie Grey.

Not a huge difference, but interesting. In another 1986 recording made by Stephanie Smith Perrin Lizzie went back to singing it like in earlier performances again, with the "bairnie on my knee".

Doris Rougvie's version is distinct from Lizzie's, I assumed it was a cover at first because the Tobar an Dualchais / Kist o Riches website titled it "Auld Roguie Grey". Perhaps just "Roguie" would've been a more fitting title for it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Lighter
Date: 13 May 25 - 09:55 AM

Kevin, the missing word sounds to me like "blouse."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Lighter
Date: 13 May 25 - 08:50 AM

Art Homer, The Drownt Boy: An Ozark Tale (1994), referring to 1950s: “Sonny MacNeil…taught me my first bawdy song:

        I went to town like a good girl should.
        That sucker followed me like I knew he would.
        Come and let me tell you what he done to me.

        I went to the store like a good girl should….

        I went back home….

        I went on my porch….

        I went to the parlor….

        I went upstairs….

        I got into bed….

        None yer [sic] damn business what he done to me.”

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: GUEST,Kevin W. aka Reynard the Fox on Youtube
Date: 13 May 25 - 08:46 AM

I forgot to mention it yesterday. In the recording Dorman Ralph says he learned it from a man named Henry Camden from Jackson's Arm, Newfoundland in 1943.

I can also add the following Scottish text which was sung by Doris Rougvie at a Traditional Music and Song Association Kirriemuir Folk Festival Singing Competition in Kirriemuir, Angus, Scotland. Recorded by Dr. Margaret Bennett in 1985.

The recording can be listened to here:
https://www.tobarandualchais.co.uk/track/91852?l=en

Transcription as follows:

Well, I went tae a dance like a decent lady would,
He asked me hie tae dance, now the auld roguie did,
But I'll gie him roguie if he tries tae roguie me,
And I'll tell you by and by what the rogue he did tae me.

Well, I went fae the dance like a decent lady would,
He followed me fae the dance, now the auld roguie did,
But I'll gie him roguie...

Well, I went in the house like a decent lady would,
He followed me in the house, now the auld roguie did,
But I'll gie him roguie...

Well, I went up the stairs like a decent lady would,
He followed me up the stairs, now the auld roguie did,
But I'll gie him roguie...

Well, I took off me ...[*] like a decent lady would,
And he took off his trousers, now the auld roguie did,
But I'll gie him roguie...

Well, I took off me skirt like a decent lady would,
And he took off his shirt, now the auld roguie did,
But I'll gie him roguie...

Well, I took off me slip like a decent lady would,
And he took off his socks, now the auld roguie did,
But I'll gie him roguie...

Well, I climbed intae bed like a decent lady would,
And he climbed in beside me, now the auld roguie did,
And I gied him roguie when he tried tae roguie me,
And ye aa' ken yersel' what the roguie did tae me.

[*] There's one unfamiliar word here, perhaps someone can help me. I'm not a native English speaker, let alone Scots, I couldn't get that word.

The tune of this version is nearly the same as Dorman Ralph's above. There's no information on where Doris Rougvie learned it. At first I assumed it was a cover of Lizzie Higgins' traditional Aberdeenshire version, but text and tune are different enough to be worth posting here. I never heard the opening verse about the dance before, and Lizzie didn't sing the verses about taking off various clothing items.

For comparison, here's Lizzie Higgins' text again which she learned from her mother Jeannie Robertson:

I walked on the street
Like a decent woman should dae1
Fan the aul roguie follyd me,
The aul roguie Grey,
An I'll tell yez by and by
Fat the roguie done to me.

I went up the stairs
Like a decent woman should dae,
Fan the aul roguie followed me,
The aul roguie Grey,
An I'll tell yez by and by
at the roguie done to me.

I gaed intae ma bed l
Lke a decent woman should dae,
Fan the aul roguie followed me,
The aul roguie Grey,
An I'll tell yez by and by
Fat the roguie done to me

Aa nicht he slept ben me,
The aul roguie grey,
Aa nicht he slept ben me,
The dirty roguie Grey,
An I'll tell yez by and by
Fat the roguie done to me.

Nine months has passed,
I'd a bairnie on my knee,
Nine months has passed
And the roguie's merried me,
And the end of ma tale aboot
The aul roguie Grey.

Lizzie's version can be heard here:
https://www.tobarandualchais.co.uk/track/82139?l=en
And a slightly later recording here:
https://www.tobarandualchais.co.uk/track/81955?l=en

And finally, here's another short traditional text "The Body He Cam Wi Me", as sung by James Laurenson of Fetlar, Shetland. Recorded by John Graham in 1959.

It can be listened to here:
https://www.tobarandualchais.co.uk/track/98440?l=en

Song transcription as follows:

I gied tae the well an the body he cam wi me
An then I never kent what the body wanted o me.

I gied tae the stack an the body he cam wi me
An yet I never kent what the body wanted o me.

I gied tae the byre an the body he cam wi me
An then I never kent what the body wanted o me.

I gied tae me bed an the body he cam wi me
An then I cam tae ken what the body wanted o me.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 12 May 25 - 10:38 PM

Ralph Dorman recording was done 20 August 1981. He learned his
version in 1943. The recording is in the Kenneth Goldstein.
Song is at the 40 min mark.


Listen here: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/kgreels_can/182/

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 12 May 25 - 07:22 PM

"Roguey" reminded me of the opening of "She Was A Rum One" as sung by her mother Jean Redpath.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Lighter
Date: 12 May 25 - 04:28 PM

Thanks for posting, Kevin.

Ralph's tune has a mixolydian quality like that of Lizzie Higgins's "Aul' Roguey Gray," though it isn't quite the same.

Trad music in Newfoundland owes a lot to Scots influence.

BTW, I think the tune that "Roguey" reminded me of was the one used by A. L. Lloyd for his "Three Drunken Huntsmen," a different song about a more acceptable form of stalking.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: GUEST,Kevin W. aka Reynard the Fox on Youtube
Date: 12 May 25 - 02:19 PM

I came across another traditional text of this song to add.

A blind singer and accordion player, Dorman Ralph of St. John's, Newfoundland sang it for the folk song collector Prof. Kenneth S. Goldstein in 1981. Dorman Ralph's version is quite bawdy and straightforward.

Transcription as follows:

Oh, the woman went in the house like an honest woman would,
The boy went in behind her but she wouldn't think he would,
Boys may be boys, and wherever they may be,
And I tell you by and by what the boy did to me.

The woman took off her coat like an honest woman would,
The boy took off his coat but she wouldn't think he would,
Boys may be boys...

The woman went in the hall like an honest woman would,
The boy went in behind her but she wouldn't think he would,
Boys may be boys...

Oh, the woman went up the stairs like an honest woman would,
The boy went up behind her but she wouldn't think he would,
Boys may be boys...

The woman went in the room like an honest woman would,
The boy went in behind her but she wouldn't think he would,
Boys may be boys...

The woman took off her pants like an honest woman would,
The boy took off his but she wouldn't think he would,
Boys may be boys...

The woman got in the bed like an honest woman would,
The boy got in behind her but she wouldn't think he would,
Boys may be boys...

The woman began to slew like an honest woman would,
The boy began to screw but she wouldn't think he would,
Boys may be boys...

The woman began to cuff like an honest woman would,
The boy didn't went off but she wouldn't think he would,
Boys may be boys, and wherever they may be,
And now I have told you how the boy ...... me.

I uploaded the recording to my Youtube folk archive channel. It can be heard here:
https://youtu.be/lqZDgpmZ-7c

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Lighter
Date: 03 May 25 - 08:15 AM

Vancouver Sun (Apr. 22, 1947):

“He repeated stanzas of the song [sung by a stripper onstage] (‘I walked down the street like a good girl should – He followed me as I knew he would’) from memory. When he was finished, several spectators in the court started to clap.”

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 01 May 25 - 03:11 PM

As the approached the house they heard a number of rather
unmusical voices engaged in shouting--for it could not be called
singing--in chorus a song, the character of which may be imagined from
the burthen, as follow--

Mankind are rogues of every degree,
So, as long as we have breath we jolly rouges will be.

1850. Vice and Its Victim: Or, Phoebe, the Peasant's Daughter. A Romantic Tale.


See here: https://books.google.com/books?id=bj1WAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA431&dq=%22rogues+of+every+degree%22

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 01 May 25 - 09:41 AM

Ballad Index entry #2: https://balladindex.org/Ballads/MHAp028.html

---

Honest Girl (I Went to Church Like an Honest Girl Should)

DESCRIPTION: "I went to church like an honest girl should, And the boys come too, Like other boys would." I come home like an honest girl should, And the boys came too.... She ends up pregnant and has a baby, "And the boys denied it, just like boys would."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1933 (Henry, collected from Mrs. Samuel Harmon)
KEYWORDS: courting pregnancy abandonment lie
FOUND IN: US(Ap)
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Henry-SongsSungInTheSouthernAppalachians, pp. 28-29, "Honest Girl" (1 text)
ADDITIONAL: Roger deV. Renwick, _Recentering Anglo/American Folksong: Sea Crabs and Wicked Youths_, University Press of Mississippi, 2001, p. 86, "Honest Girl" (1 text)
Roud #27679
NOTES [16 words]: This may be the best five-stanza summary of the relationship between the sexes I've ever seen. - RBW
Last updated in version 5.0
File: MHAp028

---

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography

The Ballad Index Copyright 2025 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 01 May 25 - 09:34 AM

Ballad Index entry #1: https://balladindex.org/Ballads/RL187.html

---

Rogue, The

DESCRIPTION: The girl walks down the street "like a good girl should" followed by a rogue, a sailor, a knave or some such. She rather coyly seduces him. (He coyly gets her pregnant.)
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: before 1750 (Percy Folio)
KEYWORDS: bawdy sex seduction pregnancy
FOUND IN: US(So) Britain(Scotland(Aber))
REFERENCES (6 citations):
Gardham-EarliestVersions, "AS I GAED TO THE WELL AT E'EN"
Kinloch-TheBalladBook XXVII, p. 82-83, "The Knave" (1 text)
Randolph/Legman-RollMeInYourArms I, pp. 187-190, "The Rogue" (2 texts, 1 tune)
DT, KNAVEKN NAVENAVE*
ADDITIONAL: Frederick J. Furnivall, _Bishop Percy's Folio Manuscript: Loose and Humorous Songs_, printed by and for the Editor, London, 1868, p. 108, "A Dainty Ducke" (1 fragment)
MANUSCRIPT: {MSPercyFolio}, The Percy Folio, London, British Library, MS. Additional 27879, page 487
Roud #8156 and 5132
RECORDINGS:
Lizzie Higgins, "Auld Roguie Grey" (on LHiggins01)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
A Gob Is a Gob
Knaves Will Be Knaves
NOTES [41 words]: I think [Roud #5136 and #8156] are really the same song, and if I were calling the shots I would lump them under "The Rogue." Lizzie Higgins' version ends up after her "bairnie" is born with the "auld Roguie" returning to her and marrying her. - DGE
Last updated in version 6.8
File: RL187

---

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography

The Ballad Index Copyright 2025 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 30 Apr 25 - 07:08 PM

Most folk songs, on the other hand, follow an AAAA-AAAAA
pattern. "On Top of Old Smoky," for instance, repeats the melody and
pattern of the first verse for all subsequent verses. Consequently,
when the folk songs first began to appear in the mart of popular
melody, publishers required that "B's" be added to them.

In 1942, I learned at Fort Dix and ancient bawdy song which used in
its twentieth-century incarnation the refrain, "A Gob Is a Slob."
It derived much of its comic flavor from its AAAA form:

I walked down the street like a good girl should,
He followed me down the street like I knew he would,
CH: A gob is a slob wherever he may be
Listen and I'll tell you what a sailor did to me,
I walked to my house like a good girl should,
He followed me to my house like I knew he would,
CH: A gob is a slob wherever he may be
Listen and I'll tell you what a sailor did to me,
I opened the door like a good girl should,
He followed me through the door like I knew he would,
CH: A gob is a slob wherever he may be
Listen and I'll tell you what a sailor did to me,
I walked up the stairs . . . etc . . . etc . . . etc . . . etc.

As a result of the folk song revival, I was asked for some "folk songs
which might become popular." I offered the above retitled, "A Guy Is
a Guy." Mitch Miller, an important A. and R. man, agreed that the
centuries-old song had merit, but asked for a "B." And so, I
interrupted the "A's" with the following:

I never saw the boy before, so nothing could be sillier,
At closer range
His face was strange,
But his manner was familiar.

The song was recorded by popular singer Doris Day and was the number
one song of the year. I always wonder whether the "release" had
anything to do with the success of the old folk tune.

1962. The Ballad Mongers by Oscar Brand. pp. 99-100.


See here: https://archive.org/details/balladmongers0000unse_w9b6/page/99/mode/1up?q=%22gob+is+a+slob%22

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Lighter
Date: 30 Apr 25 - 05:12 PM

Most odd that the 1965 Aussie text is identical to the 1933 Georgia text!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 30 Apr 25 - 02:39 PM

As I gaed to the well at e'en,
As any honest auld woman will do,
The carl then he follow'd me,
As auld carles will do.

He woo'd me and loo'd me,
A wally how he woo'd me!
But yet I winna tell to you,
How the carl woo'd me.

As I sat at my wheel at e'en,
As any honest auld woman shou'd do,
The carl he came in to me,
As auld carles will do.
        He woo'd me and loo'd me, &c.

As I gaed to my bed at e'en.
As any other honest auld woman wou'd do,
The carl then he came to me.
As auld carles will do.
        He woo'd me and loo'd me, &c.

1776. Ancient and Modern Scottish Songs, Heroic Ballads, Etc. Vol. 2. pp. 220-221.


See here: https://books.google.com/books?id=jkAr7ccTzHgC&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&dq=%22woman%20shou'd%20do%22&pg=PA220

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 30 Apr 25 - 12:57 PM

Like a nice girl should. Emogene Arthur Atkinson.

1946. Catalog of Copyright Entries.

Oscar Band never did say who sued him for violating copyright. Quite possibly this is who sued Band.


See here: https://books.google.com/books?id=NAFIJO1J5RkC&pg=PA365

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 30 Apr 25 - 12:43 PM

There are three Roud numbers for this song: 5132, 8156, and 27679. These need to be combined.


#5132: https://archives.vwml.org/search/all:combined/0_50/all/score_desc/extended-roudNo_tr:5132

#8156: https://archives.vwml.org/search/all:combined/0_50/all/score_desc/extended-roudNo_tr:8156

#27679 https://archives.vwml.org/search/all:combined/0_50/all/score_desc/extended-roudNo_tr:27679


The #27679 is the "I Went to church like an honest girl should" variant. The ballad index description:

"I went to church like an honest girl should,
And the boys come too,
Like other boys would.
I come home like an honest girl should,
And the boys came too...."
She ends up pregnant and has a baby,
"And the boys denied it, just like boys would."

.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 30 Apr 25 - 12:27 PM

I walked down the street like a nice girl should,
A keen man followed like I thought he would.
This keen man whoever he may be.
Listen while I tell you what he did to me.

I went in the house like a nice girl should.
The keen man followed like I thought he would.
This keen man, etc.

I turned on the lights like a nice girl should.
He turned them off like I thought he would.
This keen man, etc.

1 got into bed like a nice girl should.
The keen man followed like I thought he would.
This keen man, etc.

I waited nine months like a nice girl should.
He left town like I thought he would.
This keen man whoever he may be.
It's none of your damn business what he did to me.

Anonymous

c1927. The Gordon Inferno Collection. Part of text #3773.


See here: https://archive.org/details/1917gordoninfernocollection/page/n175/mode/1up?q=%22girl+should%22

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Lighter
Date: 30 Apr 25 - 09:51 AM

Brendan Kennelly, "The Florentines" (1967):

O she followed me up the stairs
Like a good girl should
She followed me into bed
Like I knew she would
O she was a quare one, a gay one, a merry one,
And she was a hot one,
I tell you


The refrain is adapted from the Irish song, "Hand Me Down My Petticoat," supposedly from the Boer War (1899-1902). The sexes are reversed, possibly because singing a song in the voice of the opposite sex/gender now creates embarrassed giggles.
The verse seem not to scan to the same tune.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 30 Apr 25 - 09:04 AM

Standing at the Corner

I was standing at the corner
Like a good girl should--
When a man came along
Like I knew he would.

I didn't know his name
But he smiled at me--
Now listen and I'll tell you
What he did to me

I went home to my flat
Like a good girl should--
And the man followed me
Like I knew he would.

I went into my bedroom
And he smiled at me--
Now listen and I'll tell you
What he did to me.

I put on my nightie
Like a good girl should--
He ripped it off my back
Like I knew he would.

I got into bed
And he smiled at me--
Now listen and I'll tell you
What he did to me

I lay on my side
Like a good girl should--
He put me on my back
Like I knew he would.

I didn't know his name
But he smiled at me--
AND IT'S NONE OF YOUR BLOODY BUSINESS
WHAT HE DID TO ME!

Students' song. The last two lines of the last
verse are shouted.

1964. The Singing Street. pp.99-100.

See here: https://archive.org/details/singingstreet0000jame/page/99/mode/1up?q=%22good+girl%22

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 29 Apr 25 - 10:10 PM

I DON'T KNOW WHAT HIS NAME IS...

CHORUS:
I don't know what his name is and whatever he may be,
Just listen while I tell you what he did to me!

I went through the front gate
Like a good girl should,
And e slipped round the back way
Like I knew he would.
                        --CHORUS

I went in the front door
Like a good girl should,
And he slipped in behind me
Like I knew he would.
                        --CHORUS

I went up the stairs
Like a good girl should,
And he came up behind me
Like I knew hew would.
                        --CHORUS

I went to my bedroom
Like a good girl should,
And he slipped behind me
Like I hoped he would.
                        --CHORUS

I took all my cloths off
Like a good girl should,
And he took off his trousers
Like I knew he would.
                        --CHORUS

I put on my 'jamas
Like a good girl should,
And then he took them off again
Like I knew he would.
                        --CHORUS

I got into bed
Like a good girl should,
And he got in beside me
Like I knew he would.
                        --CHORUS

I laid on my side
Like a good girl should,
But then he turned me over
Like I knew he would.
                        --CHORUS

CHORUS:
I don't know what his name is and wherever he may be,
It's none of your damned business what he did to me!

1976. Rugby Reveals...Hugger Rugger Presents. pp.26-27


See here: https://www.horntip.com/html/books_&_MSS/1970s/1976_father_rugby_reveals_(PB)/1976_father_rugby_reveals.pdf

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 29 Apr 25 - 09:32 PM

I GOT OFF THE BUS

I got off the bus like a good girl should,
He followed me like I knew he would,
'Cause a girl's a girl, a boy's a boy,
That's what he done to me.

I walked up the stairs like a good girl should,
He followed me like I knew he would,
'Cause a girl's a girl, a boy's a boy,
That's what he done to me.

I got undressed like a good girl should,
He done it too like I knew he would, etc.

I put on my nightdress like a good girl should,
He took it off like I knew he would, etc.

I got into bed like a good girl should,
He got in like I knew he would, etc.

I opened my leges like a good girl should,
He popped it in like I knew he would, etc.

Kentish Town [London], 1983.

Printed version Ritchie, GC, pp.99-100.

Quoted in Games, Rhymes, and Wordplay of London Children by N. G. N. Kelsey


See here: https://books.google.com/books?id=3HSKDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA692&dq=bus+like+a+good+girl+should


Cant find the book quoted.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Lighter
Date: 29 Apr 25 - 09:23 PM

Coll. by W. Amos Abrams from "Mrs. Samuel Harmon, Vernell, Georgia, December, 1933." Evidently a relative of Halpert's Mrs. Harmon of Maryville.

          HONEST GIRL

I went to church,
Like an honest girl should.
And the boys come too,
Like other boys would.

            Chorus:

Boys are boys,
Wherever they may be.
I will tell you bye and bye,
How the boys treated me.

I come home,
Like an honest girl should.
And the boys come too,
Just like boys would.

I made a light,
Like an honest girl should.
And the boys put it out,
Just like boys would.

I went to bed,
Like an honest girl should.
And the boys come too,
Just like boys would.

I bare my baby,
Like an honest girl should.
And the boys denied it,
Just like boys would.

No tune. The plural "boys" is unique, here and in most other songs.


https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/items/show/14773


From "Campfire Songs":

https://www.scribd.com/doc/92872007/Campfire-Songs

                I DON'T KNOW WHAT HIS NAME IS..

I went through the front gate, like a good girl should
And he slipped round the back way, like I knew he would

Chorus:
I don't know what his name is and wherever he may be
Just listen while I tell you what he did to me

I went in the front door, like a good girl should
And he slipped in behind me, like I knew he would

I went up the stairs, like a good girl should
And he came up behind me, like I knew he would

I went in my bedroom, like a good girl should
And he slipped in behind me, like I knew he would

I took all my clothes off, like a good girl should
And he took off his trousers, like I knew he would

I put on my 'jamas, like a good girl should
And then he took them off again, like I knew he would

I got into bed, like a good girl should
And he got in beside me, like I knew he would

I laid on my side, like a good girl should
But then he turned me over, like I knew he would

I had a child like a good girl should
And he went off to sea, like I knew he would

Final Chorus:
I don't know what his name is and wherever he may be
It's none of your damned business what he did to me

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Lighter
Date: 29 Apr 25 - 08:22 PM

Good finds, John.

The tune of Brand's "like a good girl should" couplets reminds me of the (no longer heard) sing-songy tune accompanying Lomax's "Old Chisholm Trail" (1910) - which is the only tune Lomax gives for it!

Lizzie Higgins's tune rings a bell stronglym but I can't quite place it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 29 Apr 25 - 08:02 PM

...With this determination in mind, I strove to pay some
attention to the merry songs and wild legends which Shamus poured
forth, with a verbosity and profusion that astonished me. Ever and
anon he would burst out in such snatches as--

        Cush la ma chree,
        Did you but see,
        How the rogue served me?
He broke my pitcher and spill'd my water,
Kiss'd my wife and married my daughter.
        Cush la ma chree, cush la ma chree.

1844. The Old Sailor's Jolly Boat, Laden with Tales, Yarns, Scraps, Fragments, etc.

Perhaps a cleaned up relative.


See here: https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_old_sailor_s_jolly_boat_steered_by_M/deUDAAAAQAAJ

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 29 Apr 25 - 07:27 PM

DUET.--Nicholas and Lisette.

Nic.        I came to woo, as an honest man should.
Lis.        You prov'd untrue, as all rogues would.
Both.        Rogues! rouges! of every degree;
                And I'll tell you buy and by what rouges there be.
Lis.        I gave you my hand, as an honest girl should.
Nic.        And I bought a ring, as a bridegroom would.
Both.                Rogues! rouges! &c.
Lis.        I went to the church, as an honest woman should.
Nic.        And I say'd away--
Lis.                        As all rogues would.
Both.                Rogues! rouges! &c.
Nic.        I borrow'd of my rival--
Lis.                                As most fools would.
Nic.        So he lock'd me up--
Lis.                        As All rogues would.
Both.                Rogues! rogues! &c.
Nic.        He tied me up quite fast, and far away from town.
Lis.        What! tied you up!
Nic.                        Yes; but I knock'd him down.
Both.                Rogues! rogues! &c.
Nic.        Here's my hand--
Lis.                        Not while this moral hold good.
Nic.        He that won't when he many--
Lis.                                Never shall when he would.
Both.        For rogues are rogues in every degree,
                And now I've told you how the rogue served me.

c1830. The Man and the Marquis. Undated. London: John Cumberland.


See here: https://archive.org/details/manmarquisorthre0000dibd/page/28/mode/1up?q=%22honest+woman+should%22

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Lighter
Date: 29 Apr 25 - 07:21 PM

Coll. in Co. Mayo, 1937-1938:


He is a rogue and a robber
And a rogue he may be
All will tell you by and by
What the rogue did to me

https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4427806/4345819

The Roud No. of this family of songs is 5132.

England, Scotland, Ireland, North America, Australia, ca1650 - ca2000.
You don't get more trad than that.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: cnd
Date: 29 Apr 25 - 07:14 PM

Related is Doris Day's 1952 hit, A Guy Is A Guy, though obviously sanitized. Lyrics copied from Genius without verification.

I walked down the street like a good girl should
He followed me down the street like I knew he would

Because a guy is a guy wherever he may be
So listen while I tell you what this fellow did to me

I walked to my house like a good girl should
He followed me to my house like I knew he would

Because a guy is a guy wherever he may be
So listen while I tell you what this fellow did to me

I never saw the boy before, so nothing could be sillier
At closer range his face was strange but his manner was familiar

So I walked up the stairs like a good girl should
He followed me up the stairs like I knew he would

Because a guy is a guy wherever he may be
So listen while I tell you what this fellow did to me

So I walked to my door like a good girl should
He stopped at my door like I knew he would

Because a guy is a guy wherever he may be
So listen while I tell you what this fellow did to me

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 29 Apr 25 - 07:02 PM

"I went to the church like a honest girl should..."

Sung by Ether Harmon. Maryville, Tenn. Herbert Halpert (collector),
April 1939.

Probably our song.


Link to card catalog only: https://www.loc.gov/item/afc9999005.35233/

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Lighter
Date: 29 Apr 25 - 07:01 PM

Eugene O’Brien, "One Way Ticket" (1940), a novel about the U.S. Navy. Apparently fragments of two different songs mashed together:


"I knew he was a sailor
By the buttons on his pants,
His shoes were neatly polished,
His hair was neatly combed,
I knew he was a sailor
By the buttons on his pants.

"He took me in his arms
Like I knew he would,
I let him do it
Like a good girl should,
Oh, ta te ahhh,
Ta te ahh ahhhh!"

Caroline Lassalle, "Breaking the Rules" (1986), a novel about women in London:

        I marched up the stairs like a good girl should,
        He followed me up the stairs like I knew he would,
        Tumti, tumti, tumti. Tumti tumti tee,
        Now listen while I tell you what that fellow did to me.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Lighter
Date: 29 Apr 25 - 05:26 PM

Collected by Donagh MacDonagh in Ireland between 1939 and 1975 [http://members.tripod.com/~songbook1/Rogue.html] (no melody given):

                                        The Rogue

                        I walked down the road
                        Like a decent girl should.
                        The Rogue he walked down after me,
                        I knew the Rogue he would;
                        For he was a bad Rogue, a bold Rogue,
                        A rogue of high degree,
                        And listen and I'll tell you what
                        The Rogue he said to me.

                        I went into my house
                        Like a decent girl should,
                        The Rogue followed in after me,
                        I knew the Rogue he would,
                        For he was a bad Rogue, a bold Rogue,
                        A Rogue of high degree,
                        And listen and I'll tell you what
                        The Rogue he said to me.

                        I climbed up to my room
                        Like a decent girl should,
                        The Rogue he crept up after me,
                        I knew the Rogue he would,
                        For he was a bad Rogue, a bold Rogue,
                        A Rogue of high degree,
                        But divil the word I'll tell you what
                        The Rogue he said to me.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Lighter
Date: 29 Apr 25 - 05:25 PM

Kevin Mitchell of Derry and Glasgow recorded this atypical version in 2000. See

https://www.mustrad.org.uk/articles/mitchell.htm

                      THE BOLD ROGUE

Oh come listen to me story and I'll sing to you me song,
And I'll tell you all about the man who tried to do me wrong.
He was a bold rogue, a bad rogue, a rogue of low degree
And I'll tell you in a minute what the rogue he did to me.

Oh he came to my door, a-peddling pots and pans,
He asked me if I'd buy from him a couple of new tin cans.
He was a bold rogue, a bad rogue, a rogue of low degree
And I'll tell you in a minute what the rogue he did to me.

He put his foot inside the door and he wouldn't go away,
He said that he would stay a while if I would make him tay.
He was a bold rogue, a bad rogue, a rogue of low degree
And I'll tell you in a minute what the rogue he did to me.

Well, he sat by the fireside 'til the light was growing dim,
He made me sit upon his knee, so very close to him.
He was a bold rogue, a bad rogue, a rogue of low degree
And I'll tell you in a minute what the rogue he did to me.

Now I'm a decent woman and I told him for to go,
But the rogue he only smiled at me, and softly answered "No".
He was a bold rogue, a bad rogue, a rogue of low degree
And I'll tell you in a minute what the rogue he did to me.

Well, I went up the stairs like a decent woman should,
The rogue he followed after, like I knew the rogue he would.
He was a bold rogue, a bad rogue, a rogue of low degree
And I'll tell you in a minute what the rogue he did to me.

Well, I put out the lamp, and I turned and locked the door,
Undressed meself, got into bed - but the rogue was in before.
He was a bold rogue, a bad rogue, a rogue of low degree
And I don't think I will tell you what the rogue he did to me.


Mitchell "had a set of words for this song for years, waiting for the tune. As none appeared, I put a tune to it myself from 'folk memory' of other versions of the song."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 29 Apr 25 - 03:27 PM

Honest Girl

I went to church
Like an honest girl should
And the boys come too
Just like boys would.

Boys are boys
Wherever they may be
I will tell you by and bye
How the boys treated me.

I come home
Like an honest girl should
And the boys come too
Just like boys would.

I made a light
Like an honest girl should
And the boys put it out
Just like boys would.

I went to bed
Like an honest girl should
And the boys come too
Just like boys would.

I bare my baby
Like an honest girl should
And the boys denied it
Just like boys would.

1966. The Combined Universities Songbook p.46.   Australian universities songbook.

See here: https://archive.org/details/1965-the-combined-universities-songbook/page/45/mode/1up?q=%22honest+girl+should%22

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 29 Apr 25 - 01:44 PM

Lighter, thank you oh so very much for the references and texts.   

The first one collected by Lomax in 1934 is found in Caffery's Traditional Music in Coastal Louisiana, pp.27-29.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Lighter
Date: 29 Apr 25 - 01:01 PM

"Aul' Roguey Gray" sung by Lizzie Higgins. She said this was the last song she learned from her mother, Jeannie Robertson (1908-1975):


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8o7C5zaAow&list=OLAK5uy_miv9K4nJFVi2qtD8TJjuhp48Tk0RZx2pg&index=8

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Lighter
Date: 29 Apr 25 - 11:50 AM

Hans Hecht, ed. Songs from David Herd’s Manuscripts (1904), pp. 136-137 [Herd died in 1810]:

As I gaed to the well at e'en,
As ony honest auld woman will do,
The carl then he follow't me,
As auld carles will do.

            [Chorus:]
He woo'd me and loo'd me,
A wally, how he woo'd me!
But yet I winna tell to you.
How the carl woo'd me.

As I sat at my wheel at e'en,
As ony honest auld woman shou'd do.
The carl he came in to me,
As auld carles will do.

          [Chorus:]
He woo'd me and loo'd me &c.

As I gaed to my bed at e'en.
As ony other honest auld woman wou'd do,
The carl then he came to me.
As auld carles will do.

          [Chorus:]
He woo'd me and loo'd me &c


carl = fellow
"A wally" can mean either "Alas!" or "Goodness!"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Lighter
Date: 29 Apr 25 - 11:24 AM

George R. Kinloch, "The Ballad Book" (1827):

                                        THE KNAVE

                        I GAED to the market,
                         As an honest woman shou'd,
                        The knave followed me,
                         As ye ken a knave wou'd.
                                    
                           (Cho.) And a knave has his knave tricks,
                            Aye where'er he be,
                              And I'll tell ye bye and bye,
                                  How the knave guided me.
                                
                         I boucht a pint ale,
                           As an honest woman shou'd
                         The knave drank it a',
                          As ye ken a knave wou'd.
                                
                         I cam my way hame,
                           As an honest woman shou'd,
                         The knave follow'd me,
                          As ye ken a knave wou'd.
                        
                         I gied him cheese and bread,
                           As an honest woman shou'd,
                        The knave ate it a',
                           As ye ken a knave wou'd.
                                
                        I gaed to my bed,
                           As an honest woman shou'd,
                        The knave follow'd me,
                           As ye ken a knave wou'd.
                                
                        I happen'd to be wi' bairn,
                           As an honest woman shou'd,
                        The knave ran awa,
                          As ye ken a knave wou'd.

                        I paid the nourice fee,
                          As an honest woman wou'd,
                        The knave got the widdie,
                          As ye ken a knave shou'd.
                                    
                        And a knave has his knave tricks,
                                 Aye where'er he be,
                            And I've tamed you now
                               How the knave guided me.

nourice = nurse.
widdie = hangman's rope.

(I haevn't find an appropriate sense of "tamed." Misreading of "tell'd"?)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Lighter
Date: 29 Apr 25 - 10:52 AM

Collected by Samuel Pepys, ca1650-ca1700:

            THE KIND MISTRESS,
                  OR, A
      Good turn done at a time of need.

                
To an Excellent new Tune. Licensed according to Order.

AS I was walking along the Street,
      And a wondering what I could see,
I met with a Lass that was handsome & neat
      as an honest loving woman should be.


I asked her to go and drink,
      and a wondering what she would do,
She answered me with a private wink,
      as an honest loving woman should do.

I went and gave her a bottle of Sack,
      and a wondering, etc.
And she was ready to lye on her back,
      as an honest, etc.

Then I sat her upon the bed,
      and a wondering, etc.
She promis'd me her Maiden-head,
      as an honest, etc.

Then her Petticoats I up did lift
      and a wondering, etc.
And she her self pull'd up her shift,
      as an honest, etc.

When the spot of Love I had spy'd,
      and a wondering, etc.
Come there if thou lovest me Lad she cryd
      as an honest, etc.

Then I flung my Arms about her neck,
      and a wondering, etc.
She hug'd me as if I had been her Mate,
      as an honest, etc.

I gave her a kiss as I laid her down,
      and a wondering, etc.
She gave me Kisses Two for One,
      as an honest, etc.

When I had enjoy'd my hearts delight
      and a wondering, etc.
She beg'd me to stay with her al Night,
      as an honest, etc.

To bed with her I went with speed,
      and a wondering, etc.
She helpt me still at a time of need,
      as an honest, etc.

Then I good folks did what you know,
      and a wondering, etc.
In troth she did the same thing too,
      as an honest, etc.

The truth she then began to dec[l]are,                     
      and a wondering what she would do,
She'd wed an old man but she wanted aneihr      [sic]
      which no honest loving woman should do.

"Aneiher" looks like a late survival of probably regional Middle English forms, which according to Oxford include "a noyer," "a-noyer," 'a-noyir," and "a noyr."   

More interestingly, the song is from the man's point of view, and the woman is entirely willing. Her dissatisfaction with her elderly husband abilities is also unique to this version.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Lighter
Date: 29 Apr 25 - 10:24 AM

Recorded by the Lomaxes from a Mr. Bornu, a fiddler, at Kaplan, La., June, 1934. Bornu’s tune is the common blues line, repeated over and over:

Went downtown, like an honest girl does.
I went downtown, like an honest girl does.
Went down to the store, like an honest girl does.
Got me a pair of drawers, like an honest girl does.
Then I met a pretty boy, like an honest girl does.
And he come home with me, like an honest boy do.    [sic
He took me down in mother’s room, like an honest boy do.
He laid me down on mother’s bed, like an honest boy do.
Raise my dress over my head, like an honest boy do.
And then he done it to me, and he said, “To hell with you little gal.”
Listen to me, little gally, don’t ever give an inch above your knee.
They gone to fuck you, then give you a kick, little girl.


Nothing light-hearted here. The text is bitterly monitory, with the "inch above your knee" phrase in common with other songs.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 29 Apr 25 - 09:29 AM

Very sorry for overlooking the text from 2021.

Thanks for the references. This song is much rarer -- and rarely
mentioned -- than "The Red Light Saloon".

Until Brand's revival, it doesn't show up in any bawdy songbooks.

Heck I had enough problems finding the song in Pills to Purge
Melancholy. Many copies omit the song. The copy linked to above
was my personal copy which I just uploaded.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Lighter
Date: 29 Apr 25 - 08:12 AM

I posted the Reiner/Halpert text in 2021.

I can't transcribe Reiner's tune, but it's hardly more than a chant.

According to the Toronto "Star Weekly" in 1971: “ ‘A Guy’s a Guy’…Brand says… [is] an adaptation of a Canadian Navy song called ‘A Gob is a Slob.’” I suspect Brand said "navy" and the reporter assumed "Canadian" from the context.

Decades after WW2, Red Cross worker Betty Jane Olewiler (1915-1905) recalled in "A Woman in a Man's War" (2003) a moment when:

"A boy named Ernie stood on one of the long tables singing a song with a vehement expression, gesturing humorously with a long black cigar. The song, whose every verse ended with 'like a good girl should,' was later cleaned up a bit for the 'Hit Parade,' but even then it could only be considered slightly risqué."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 28 Apr 25 - 10:20 AM

"A Gob is a Slob" is in the Herbert Halpert New York City
Collection is at the Archive of Traditional Music at Indiana
University. It is available for streaming with proper off-campus
access. I believe they have reciprocal access with other universities.

Lighter would you want to have a go at getting a copy?


Listen here: https://iucat.iu.edu/catalog/18193285

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 28 Apr 25 - 09:24 AM

A SONG.

[ music ]

I Went to the Ale-house as an honest Woman shou'd,
And a Knave follow'd after, as you know Knaves wou'd,
Knaves will be Knaves in every degree,
I'll tell you by and by, how this Knave serv'd me.

I call'd for my pot as an honest Woman shou'd,
And the Knave crept into't, as you know Knaves wou'd,
        Knaves will be Knaves, &c.

I went into my Bed as an honest Woman shou'd,
And the Knave crept into't, as you know Knaves wou'd,
        Knaves will be Knaves, &c.

I proved with Child as an honest Woman shou'd,
And the Knave ran away, as you know Knaves wou'd,
Knaves will be Knaves, in every degree,
And thus have I told you, how this Knave serv'd me.

1714. Wit and Mirth Pills to Purge Melancholy, Volume 5. p.118.   


See here: https://archive.org/details/1714-wit-and-mirth-pills-to-purge-melancholy-vol-5/page/n130/mode/1up

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 27 Apr 25 - 05:11 PM

Song 175.

I Went to the Alehouse as an honest woman shoo'd,
And a Knave follow'd after, as you know Knaves woo'd
Knaves will be Kanves in every degree
I'le tell you by and by, who this Knave serv'd me.
I call'd for my pot as a honest woman shoo'd,
And the Knave drank it up, as you know Kaves woo'd,
        Knaves will be Knaves, &c.
I went into my bed as an honest woman shoo'd,
And the Knave crept into't, as you Knaves woo'd,
        Knaves will be Knaves, &c.
I prov'd with Childe as an honest woman shoo'd,
And the Knave rany away, as you know Knaves woo'd,
Knaves will be Knaves in every degree,
And thus have I told you how this Knave serv'd me.

1671. The New Academy of Complements.


See here: https://archive.org/details/bim_early-english-books-1641-1700_the-new-academy-of-compl_1671/page/271/mode/1up?q=knave

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 27 Apr 25 - 04:43 PM

A Dainty: Ducke.

[Page 487 of MS.]

A: dainy ducke I Chanced to meete;
shee wondered what I wold doe,
& curteouslye shee did mee greete
as an honest woman shold doe.

I asked her if shee wold drinke;
shee wondred &c.
shee answered me with a sober winke,
as an honest &c.

I tooke . . . . . .

c1640. Bishop Percy's Folio Manuscript: Loose and Humorous Songs. Fragment only.


See here: https://archive.org/details/bishoppercysfoli00perc/page/108/mode/1up?q=ducke

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Lighter
Date: 30 Apr 21 - 09:15 AM

Great work, Carter, and thanks for the tip!

By chance, my library does have access, and here's the song. It was sung by Jerome Reiner for Herbert Halpert in New York City in 1938.
Reiner sounds relatively young.

"We were camping by wet a campfire one night, [and] one of the men decided to sing a few choice songs he’d brought back from Scotland. He’d studied medicine at Edinburgh.   

This is one of the songs.

I went on home like a good girl should;
He followed me like he said he would.
A gob is a slob, wherever he may be,
Listen to what the son of a bitch did to me.

"I went upstairs like a good girl should;
He followed me like he said he would.
A gob is a slob, wherever he may be,
Listen to what the son of a bitch did to me.

"Last verse,

"I got a kid like a good girl would; [sic]
He went away like he said he would.
A gob is a slob, wherever he may be,
And that’s what the son of a bitch did to me."

"The Knave" appears in Kinloch's Scottish "Ballad Book" (1827), but
"gob" and "slob" are a pretty good indication that those lines, at least, weren't made by a Scot!

"Gob" dates back to the turn of the century in the U.S. Navy. It was popularized in 1917-18.

Reiner's tune is not the same as Brand's. In fact, it's not very good at all.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: Mrrzy
Date: 29 Apr 21 - 05:09 PM

Hmmm. I was thinking of singing this on the Singaround but then I thought about the lyrics, and I can't.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: cnd
Date: 29 Apr 21 - 04:48 PM

It's included in Volume 10 of the above mentioned link -- click here ... still no dice in listening to it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Gob is a Slob, Wherever He May Be
From: cnd
Date: 29 Apr 21 - 04:47 PM

He did seem to have a knack for filling in missing fragments.

It looks as if it's included on an online edition of New York songs here, however, my library doesn't have access to that company's materials.