Lyr Req: The party at Newport

Subject: The party at Newport
From:
Date: 30 Mar 02 - 04:19 PM

I wonder if anyone else remembers an old song about three drunk ladies having a party at Newport and having to carry Carrie (possibly because she was fat, pregnant, or drunk) around the place. My mom used to sing it and I found myself singing it today. I always assumed it referred to Newport, RI, but it might have been from Newport, Wales. A cursory search of the Internet discovered a couple of drinking/football songs (parodies) with male protagonists in Newport Beach, CA. I assume this is a music-hall song or from an early twentieth century musical comedy. My Mom's version had three women, but maybe the male (or mixed-company) version is older.

We had a little party down at Newport
There was Mary, There was Carrie, There was Grace
...
All We did was carry Carrie round the place.
We had to carry Carrie to the ferry
We had to carry Carrie to the shore,
And the reason that we had to carry Carrie
Was that Carrie couldn't carry any more.

Any history or additional lyrics of the all-girl version would be greatly appreciated!

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 1-Apr-02.

Subject: Lyr Add: CALIFORNIA DRINKING SONG
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 01 Apr 02 - 08:56 AM

This is the most authoritative-looking version I could find. I suspect the other versions I found on the Internet were derived from this one:
Copied from http://www.calband.berkeley.edu/calband/multimedia/calsongs/drinkingsong.html

CALIFORNIA DRINKING SONG

Compilation of various songs (California, Oh Didn't He Ramble, Rambled Into) circa 1939, arranged by Larry Austin.
© University of California Marching Band. All Rights Reserved.

Sound Clip: MP3 (1277 KB)

(speaking start)
The steward went below. (Shhh!)
To light the captain's lamp. (Shhh!)
The lamp it would not light. (Why not?)
Because the wick was damp. (Oh!)
The captain went below. (Shhh!)
To kick the steward's... (Shhh!)
He said, "So fire it up you son-of-a-bitch,
The Golden Gate is passed!"

(singing start)

Oh, they had a little party down in Newport;
There was Harry, there was Mary, there was Grace.
Oh, they had a little party down in Newport,
And they had to carry Harry from the place.

Oh, they had to carry Harry to the ferry,
And the ferry carried Harry to the shore;
And the reason that they had to carry Harry to the ferry
Was that Harry couldn't carry any more.

For California, for California,
The hills send back the cry,
We're out to do or die,
For California, for California,
We'll win the game or know the reason why.

And when the game is over, we will buy a keg of booze,
And drink to California 'till we wobble in our shoes.

So drink, tra la la,
Drink, tra la la,
Drink, drank, drunk last night,
Drunk the night before;
Gonna get drunk tonight
Like I never got drunk before;
For when I'm drunk, I'm as happy as can be
For I am member of the Souse family.

Now the Souse family is the best family
That ever came over from old Germany.
There's the Highland Dutch, and the Lowland Dutch,
The Rotterdam Dutch, and the Irish.

Sing glorious, victorious,
One keg of beer for the four of us.
Sing glory be to God that there are no more of us,
For one of us could drink it all alone. Damn near.
Here's to the Irish, dead drunk. The lucky stiffs....

The "California Drinking Song" is one of the most popular Cal songs among students and alumni - everyone knows the words to this song! One of Cal's most unusual songs, over the years, no less than five different songs have been melded together to form today's current rendition. The core element of "California Drinking Song" is "Rambled," otherwise known as "California." The tune is based on the song "Oh, Didn't He Ramble," by Cole and Johnson (copyright 1906). The words were changed to what we know as "For California, for California, The hills send back the cry, We're out to do or die...," and first appeared in printed form in 1906. The author of the text is unknown.

For a long time, the Band often played "Rambled" at football games, playing the chorus twice. When the "Drinking Song" element that follows was also played, it was known as "Rambled Into." In Rochelle Paul's master thesis, "Song Traditions of the University of California at Berkeley," she mentions that "in 1939, the University Band and the Glee Club went down to Los Angeles for the UCLA vs. California football game. When they returned, both groups had joined additional verses of a whole new song to the old 'California' song. [Since then] even more verses have accumulated." The verses Paul refers to follow the "Rambled" part of "California Drinking Song." Titled "One More Drink for the Four of Us," this part of "California Drinking Song" is a traditional song of conviviality, sung throughout the United States (for example, Ohio State University has its own version of this song).

The origins of other elements of "California Drinking Song" are more difficult to pinpoint. It is believed that the "Speaking Start" (The steward went below...,) is from a traditional Navy drinking song; the origins of the "Singing Start" (Oh, they had a little party down in Newport...,) are unclear. "California Drinking Song" ends on a dominant seventh chord, which leaves a sense of unresolution. Consequently, the song beckons for additional lyrics which band members and students have been more than willing to supply. Many different versions currently circulate through campus. This song is often sung (with accompaniment) by the Band.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Steward Went Below
From: GUEST,Bob Coltman
Date: 14 Jul 08 - 09:11 PM

In the recently published Fantagraphics volume: Bill Blackbeard, ed., Krazy & Ignatz: A Ragout of Raspberries, 1941-1942, appears a different version of the "speaking start" quoted above, which must once have been a separate song or recitation. George Herriman, creator of Krazy Kat, used a cleaned-up bit of it in a strip.

Here's the original quoted by Jeet Heer in the Introduction (he gives no source):

The steward went below, whoo-oo-oo,
To light the cabin lamp, whoo-oo-oo,
The lamp it would not burn, whoo-oo-oo,
Because the wick was damp, whoo-oo-oo. whoo-oo-oo...
The captain went below,
To kick the steward's ass,
Fire up, you son-of-a-bitch,
The Golden Gate is past.

Though the other version was made part of the "California Drinking Song" c. 1939, clearly both go back further, and there's at least a chance that once upon a time the original "Steward Went Below" had more verses, and its own tune.

Does anyone know any more about this song, further verses, history before 1939, etc.?

Bob

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The party at Newport
From: and e
Date: 16 Jun 20 - 12:38 PM

They had to carry Carrie to the ferry;
The ferry carried Carrie to the shore.
They had to carry Carrie to the ferry
'Cause Carrie couldn't carry any more.

From pg 70 of White Mortar Board 1929

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The party at Newport
From: and e
Date: 16 Jun 20 - 01:06 PM

Song #60 (pgs 307-309), An Annotated Field Collection of Songs from the American College Student Oral Tradition

HAD A LITTLE PARTY DOWN IN FREEPORT

The lyrics of "Had a Little Party Down in Freeport" are often
combinded with other songs of a "pop" nature, "Coney Island Baby"
and "The Souse Family" evidently being the two most common.
Texts have appeared in the IOCA Song Fest (1948, pp 38-39;
beinging with the refrain "Oh we had to carry Carry from
the ferry...), Air Force Airs (1957, p 191 as "The
Party in Tacoma," combined with "The Souse Family"), and in
Songs for Swingin' Housemothers (1961, p 83; the same
segment as in the ICA Song Fest). Seven variants were collected
at Michigan State University and one at Indiana University
prior to this field collection, which are now in the Idianan
University Folklore Archive. The earliest trace of this song
that I can find is a 1944 Michagan State text, although the
lyrics smack of a 1920's flavor.

The name of the principal individual varies from Harry to Carey
(usually pronounced "Carry") or once in a while, Mary, and the
town involved is most commonly Freeport or Newport, although
other names may be used. A text collect by Sally Mrphy at
Michigan State in 1956 has an additional stanza which does
not appear to be too well known judging from the other extant
texts available; and which perhaps is strictly of "pop" origins:

We all fall for some girl that dresses neat;
Some girls that's got big feet.
We meet then on the street.
Then we'll join the army of barried boobs
To the alter (just like leading lambs to the slaughter)
When it's over, oh boy, we get it good.
Bach'lor days we then recall (we then recall).
Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief,
Doctor, lawyer, merchant, chief.
We are all bound for __________.

Collected from Clay McMullen, Ray Brandell, and Forest Redding
on December 6, 1963 [recording]. They said it was a popular number in
their local Kappa Delta Rho fraternity at Indiana University.
This variant combines the lyrics with "Coney Island Baby."

Oh we had a little party down in Freeport,
There was Harry, there was Carey, there was Grace.
Ohe we had a little party down in Freeport,
And we had to carry Carey from the place.
Now we had to carry Carey to the Ferry
And we had to carry Carey from the shore,
Now the reason that we had to carry Carey
Was that Carey coudn't carry any more, boom, boom,

Goodbye my Coney Island baby,
Farewell my own true love, my own true love,
Oh honey, I'm gonna stay away and leave you,
Never gonna se you again--never gonna see you any...
Never to return again.
So goodby, so long, farewell forever,
Barroomm, goodbye my Coney Island--
Barroomm, goodbye my Coney Island Baby.

Here is an MP3 of the Clay McMullen, Ray Brandell, and Forest Redding
on December 6, 1963 recording

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The party at Newport
From: and e
Date: 16 Jun 20 - 01:17 PM

DRUNK LAST NIGHT

Drunk last night, drunk the night before;
Goin to get drunk to-night, if I never get drunk any more.
For when I’m drunk I f m as happy as can be.
For I am a member of the souse family.
Singin' glo-ri-ous, glo-ri-ous.
One keg of beer for the four of us.
Glory be to God that there are no more of us.
For one of us could drink it all alone.

Oh, they had to carry Carry to the ferry
And the ferry carried Carry to the shore.
Now the reason that they had to carry Carry,
Was 'cause Carry couldn't carry any more.

Singin' glo-ri-ous, glo-ri-ous.
One keg of beer for the four of us.
Singin' Glory be to God that there are no more of us
For one of us could drink it all alone.

From pg 25 of the first edition of the IOCA Song Fest. This is not dated [ca 1938].

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The party at Newport
From: and e
Date: 16 Jun 20 - 01:41 PM

...Carry when they had to carry Carry to the ferry and the ferry carried Carry to the Shore because Carry couldn't carry any more (which sort
of simulation without stimulation isn't always so droll")...

A long run-on introductory paragraph introducing the pilot Anita King in Photoplay Magazine. Vol. X, No. 3, August, 1916, pg 143.

Subject: Lyr Req: CARRIE (Carrie Couldn't Carry Any More)
From: and e
Date: 16 Jun 20 - 02:58 PM

CARRIE (Carrie Couldn't Carry Any More.)
Words by Scott Lawrence. Music by Bob Roberts.
Copyright 1901 by F.A. Mills.

Now, Carrie was a pretty girl who lived in Jersey City.
She came to good old New York town; now, wasn't it a pity?
She met a nice young fellow, and he offered her a drink,
He promised that he'd see her home, and now what do you think!

Chorus:
Well, we had to carry Carrie to the ferry,
And the ferry carried Carrie to the shore,--
Now the reason that we had to carry Carrie
Was Carrie couldn't carry any more.--

When muddled Carrie reached her home her escort said "Ta-ta,--
We'll meet again, sometime" said he, but just then her Papa,
Appearing on the scene, exclaimed "My dear, I fear you're sick"
"Not much, Papa; we've been to town; the rest I'll leave to Dick."

Music Division, The New York Public Library. (1901). Carrie (Carrie couldn't carry any more) Retrieved from http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/8da39ecb-f027-380c-e040-e00a180654ab

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The party at Newport
From: and e
Date: 16 Jun 20 - 03:24 PM

Carrie was a pretty girl
Who lived in Jersey City.
She came to the Metropolis;
Now wasn't that a pity?

She met a nice young fellow
Who offered her a drink;
He promised to take her home
And then what do you think?

He had to carry Carrie to the ferry
And the ferry carried Carrie to the shore;
Now the reason he carried Carrie,
Was that Carrie couldn't carry any more.

From The Brand (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 19, No. 3, Ed. 1, Saturday, October 6, 1934, newspaper, October 6, 1934; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth97481/m1/2/: accessed June 16, 2020), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Hardin-Simmons University Library.