Lyr Req: The Owl and the Pussycat (Edward Lear)

Subject: Lyr Req: Owl and pussycat
From: Vixen
Date: 24 Apr 03 - 10:28 AM

D'Cats--

I can't believe this one isn't in the DT...A friend and I were jamming last night, and all we could recall between us was

"The Owl and the Pussycat
Went to sea
In a beautiful pea-green boat.
They took some honey and plenty of money
Wrapped up in five-pound note.

They sailed away
for a year and a day
to the land where the bong-tree grows..."

All we could remember of the chorus is...

"O lovely pussy, o pussy my love"

This whole ballad is actually a children's song, so it's not as salacious, avaricious, or addictive as these words might indicate.

Thanks in advance!

V

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Owl and pussycat
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 24 Apr 03 - 10:33 AM

Try this Click on the hyperlink for the song.
Giok

Subject: Lyr Add: THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT (Edward Lear)
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 24 Apr 03 - 10:38 AM

Oddly enough Pip and I went through the words last night. It was written by Edward Lear. I'm not sure how the tune came about.

The Owl and the Pussy-Cat
(Edward Lear)

The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea
In a beautiful pea green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money,
Wrapped up in a five pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
And sang to a small guitar,
'O lovely Pussy! O Pussy my love,
What a beautiful Pussy you are,
You are,
You are!
What a beautiful Pussy you are!'

Pussy said to the Owl, 'You elegant fowl!
How charmingly sweet you sing!
O let us be married! too long we have tarried:
But what shall we do for a ring?'
They sailed away, for a year and a day,
To the land where the Bong-tree grows
And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood
With a ring at the end of his nose,
His nose,
His nose,
With a ring at the end of his nose.

'Dear pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling
Your ring?' Said the Piggy, 'I will.'
So they took it away, and were married next day
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon,
The moon,
The moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Owl and pussycat
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 24 Apr 03 - 10:40 AM

Oh and as a sidetrack here is my favourite verse by Edward Lear.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT (Edward Lear)
From: MMario
Date: 24 Apr 03 - 10:46 AM

THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT
(Edward Lear)

The Owl and the Pussy-Cat went to sea
In a beautiful pea-green boat:
They took some honey, and plenty of money
Wrapped up in a five-pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
And sang to a small guitar,
"O lovely Pussy, O Pussy, my love,
What a beautiful Pussy you are,
You are,
What a beautiful Pussy you are!"

Pussy said to the Owl, "You elegant fowl,
How charmingly sweet you sing!
Oh! let us be married; too long we have tarried:
But what shall we do for a ring?"
They sailed away, for a year and a day,
To the land where the bong-tree grows;
And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood,
With a ring at the end of his nose,
His nose,
With a ring at the end of his nose.

"Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling
Your ring?" Said the Piggy, "I will."
So they took it away, and were married next day
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mince and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand on the edge of the sand
They danced by the light of the moon,
The moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.

Subject: Tune Add: THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT (Edward Lear)
From: MMario
Date: 24 Apr 03 - 10:57 AM

X:1
T:The Owl and the Pussycat
I:abc2nwc
M:6/8
L:1/8
K:G
z4[Q:1/4=95]zD|G3/2A/2B AGF|G2E D2D/2D/2|BBB c2d|
w:The Owl and the Pus-sy-Cat went to sea In a beau-ti-ful pea-green
A4zD|G2G AAB|cBA GFD|BcB (AG)F|
w:boat:They took some ho-ney, and plen-ty of mo-ney Wrapped up in a five_-pound
G2E D2D|B3/2c/2B (AG)F|G4zD|G3/2(A/2B) AGF|
wnote.__ (wrapped up in a five_ pound note)The Owl looked_ up to the
G2E D2D|B3/2B/2B c2d|A4zD|G2G AAB|
w:stars a-bove,And sang to a small gui-tar,"O love-ly Pus-sy, O
cBA GFD|BcB AGF|G2E D2D/2 D/2|
w:Pus-sy, my love,What a beau-ti-ful Pus-sy you are,You are,What a
B3/2c/2B AGF|G4z2
w:beau-ti-ful Pus-sy you are

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Owl and pussycat
From: michaelr
Date: 24 Apr 03 - 07:26 PM

The poem was set to music and recorded by Donovan on his double album "HMS Donovan" (Dawn Records, 1971). I have that record! It's brilliant.

The link provided by Giok leads to a page about someone named Elton Hayes, claiming it was his song. Did he use the same tune as Donovan?

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Owl and pussycat
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 24 Apr 03 - 08:28 PM

At the Elton Hayes site (well-known in Great Britain), lyrics authorship is clearly indicated as Edward Lear.
Ian McQueen wrote music for children's choir and orchestra. Stephen Owens also wrote music for childrens choir. Since Lear wrote it in 1871, there have been many vocal arrangements.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Owl and pussycat
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Apr 03 - 09:00 PM

I've just tried MMario's tune and note that it is very different to the one I know. I will try to post abc for the tune I know in the next couple of days.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Owl and pussycat
From: Sorcha
Date: 24 Apr 03 - 09:01 PM

I didn't know there were tunes......learn something everyday!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Owl and pussycat
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 24 Apr 03 - 09:06 PM

Elton Hayes died in 1981. His obituary was posted by Roger the Skiffler, 16 Nov. 01, thread 41201. In the same thread, McGrath of Harlow said "I can't read the 'Owl and the Pussycat' without hearing his voice. He specialized in folk songs, but his BBC programs, "The Childrens Hour," and "Songs for a Small Guitar," brought him the most fame.
One biography says he was the first popular singing artiste to feature the guitar as an accompanying instrument in England. He also had parts in films.
Obit at 41201: Elton Hayes
Also see Elton Hayes

Hayes singing the "Owl and the Pussycat" may be heard on the cd (2002 release by EMI) "Hello Children Everywhere," available from Amazon UK. It is unfortunate so much of his childrens material is not available.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Owl and pussycat
From: MMario
Date: 25 Apr 03 - 08:14 AM

I found the tune I posted on the internet - very similar to the one I knew as a child - not sure *how* similar as it has been over three decades!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Owl and pussycat
From: MMario
Date: 25 Apr 03 - 09:13 AM

Music by Mrs. J. Worthington Bliss

Music by charles Ingram


both at the Levy Sheet Music site.

Subject: Tune Add: THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT (Edward Lear)
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 25 Apr 03 - 10:01 AM

Thanks MMario. I don't think either of those look like the tune I know so here's another tune...

X:1
T:The Owl And The Pussy-cat
M:3/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=150
K:C
z4G,2|G4GG|GG G4|G4G2|G4
w:The Owl and the Pus-sy-cat went to sea
GF|E2D2C2|D4B,2|C6-|C2z
w:In a beau-ti-ful pea green boat,
2G,2|G4G2|G2G2G2|G2G2G2|G2G2
w:They took some ho-ney, and plen-ty of mon-ey,
F2|E2D2C2|D4B,2|C6-|C2z
w: Wrapped up in a five pound note.
2C2|F4F2|E4DC| A4A2|G4
w:The Owl looked up to the stars a-bove,
F2|E4EE|^F4F2|G6-|G2z
w:And sang to a small gui-tar,
2G2|_B4A2|G2G2F2|E2E2F2|G2
w:'O lov-ely Pus-sy! O Pus-sy my love,
A2F2|E2D2C2|D2C2B,2|C4
w:What a beau-tif-ul Pus-sy you are,
E2|C4E2|G4
w:You are, You are!
GF|E2D2C2|D2C2B,2|C6-|C2z4|]
w:What a beau-ti-ful Pus-sy you are!'

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Owl and the Pussycat (Edward Lear)
From:
Date: 20 May 05 - 04:57 AM

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Owl and the Pussycat (Edward Lear)
From: Flash Company
Date: 20 May 05 - 10:08 AM

Remember Elton Hayes singing this (to a small guitar, naturally).
He played Will Scarlet in one of the Robin Hood (Richard Todd as Robin, James Robertson Justice as Little John). Sang the title song,
A Tale of Robin Hood, and two songs in the action, Whistle My Love, and Feign would I a minstrel be.
Just about the most memorable part of the film!

FC

Subject: Chord Req: the owl and the pussycat
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Mar 06 - 12:35 PM

im looking for the chords to this song....i remeber it as a child as a poem.....but have heard people make it to music....

thanks

The owl and the puss-y-cat went to sea
in a beau-ti-ful pea green boat;
They took some hon-ey and plent-y of mon-ey
wrapped up in a five pound note.
The Owl looked up to the moon a-bove
and sang to a small guit-ar,
"O love-ly Puss-y! O Puss-y my love!
What a beau-ti-ful Puss-y you are, You are,
What a beau-ti-ful Puss-y you are!"

Puss-y said to the Owl, "You el-e-gant fowl!
How won-der-ful sweet you sing!
Oh, let us be mar-ried, too long have we tar-ried,
But what shall we do for a ring?"
They sailed a-way for a year and a day
To the land where the Bong-tree grows,
And there in a wood a pig-gy-wig stood
With a ring on the end of his nose, His nose
With a ring on the end of his nose.


"Dear Pig are you will-ing to sell for one shill-ing
Your ring?" Said the pig-gy, "I will."
So they took it a-way and were mar-ried next day
By the tur-key who lives on the hill.
They dined up-on mince and slic-es of quince,
Which they ate with a run-cib-le spoon,
And hand in hand on the edge of the sand
They danced by the light of the moon, The moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: the owl and the pussycat
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 19 Mar 06 - 12:39 PM

Elton Hayes version, anyone?

Subject: Chords Add: OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT
From: GUEST,Kenny B Sans Kuki at Work
Date: 19 Mar 06 - 04:12 PM

Try These


The Owl and the Pussycat
By Edward Lear

The (D) Owl and the Pussycat went to (A) sea
in a (D) beautiful (A) pea green (D) boat,
(A) They took (D) plenty of money and (A) honey
wrapped (D) up in a (A) five pound (D) note,
The (G) Owl he (D) looked at the (G) stars a- (D) -bove
and he (E) sang to small gui- (A) -tar,
Oh (G) Pussy, oh (D) Pussy, oh (G) Pussy my (D) love
what a (A) beautiful Pussy you (D) are...
You are ... you (A) are ...
what a (D) beautiful (A) Pussy you (D) are.

PS I find this song can be sung with the occasional suggestive "Lear"
KB

Subject: Chords Add: OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT (from Donovan)
From: michaelr
Date: 19 Mar 06 - 04:14 PM

Donovan version:

The (C)owl and the puss-y-cat (G)went to sea
in a (C)beau-ti-ful pea green (G)boat;
They (Am)took some (Em)hon-ey and (Am)plent-y of (Em)mon-ey
wrapped (Am)up in a (F)five pound (G)note.
The (C)Owl looked up to the (G)moon a-bove
and (C)sang to a small guit-(G)ar,
"O (Am)love-ly (Em)Puss-y! O (Am)Puss-y my (Em)love!
What a (Am)beau-ti-ful (F)Puss-y you (G)are, You (F)are, You (G)are
What a (F)beau-ti-ful (G)Puss-y you (C)are!"

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Chord Req: the owl and the pussycat
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Mar 06 - 05:28 PM

thanks the donovan version was the one i heard and was looking for....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Owl and the Pussycat (Edward Lear)
From: michaelr
Date: 19 Mar 06 - 11:47 PM

yer welcum

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Owl and the Pussycat (Edward Lear)
From: GUEST,Brian
Date: 31 May 07 - 08:01 AM

Elton Hayes was, without doubt, the inspiration for the character 'Rambling Sid Rumpo' portrayed by Kenneth Williams (with a small guitarist) on the BBC Radio comedy show 'Around The Horne'. Elton's songs included 'RIDDLE DE DIDDLE DE-DAY', 'THE MILLER'S DAUGHTER', 'THE BROOM, THE SHOVEL, THE POKER AND THE TONGS', 'THE QUANGLE WANGLE'S HAT', 'THE PHANTOM STAGE-COACH', 'BOLD BLACK KNIGHT', 'COURTIN' IN THE KITCHEN' – all crying out for spoof songs with double entendre.

http://www.popmusicinfo.com/show_artist.php?participant_id=667970&search_word=elton+hayes

http://www.whirligig-tv.co.uk/tv/children/other/eltonhayes.htm


'THE BALLAD OF THE WOGGLER'S MOOLY'
(Kenneth Williams AKA Rambling Sid Rumpo)

Announcer:
Before the days of newspapers, the events of the day were retailed by the street ballad singers. And here to sing one such eighteenth-century ditty, The Ballad of the Woggler's Mooly, is Rambling Sid Rumpo. Now, what exactly is a woggler's mooly?

Ramblin' Syd:
Well, a mooly is a sort of smoked cuttlefish of the whelk family, or a brother-in-law you might say.

Announcer:
Yes.

Ramblin' Syd:
And they were considered a great delicacy in those days. And of course they had to be woggled before you could eat 'em.

Announcer:
Yes, of course. Nowadays you can get them frozen and pre-woggled, but they don't taste the same, do they?

Ramblin' Syd:
No, no. Now this is a sad story that first appeared in 1738 on a broadsheet, and I've set it to a tune of that time which I found in my ganderbag covered in loom powder and fish paste.

Announcer:
Fish paste. Yes, what exactly is loom powder?

Ramblin' Syd:
If I started explaining that, we'd be here all night. Now, so to the song.

Joe, he was a young cordwangler,
Munging greebles he did go,
And he loved a bogler's daughter
By the name of Chiswick Flo.

Vain she was and like a grusset
Though her gander parts were fine,
But she sneered at his cordwangle
As it hung upon the line.

So he stole a woggler's mooly
For to make a wedding ring,
But the Bow Street Runners caught him
And the judge said "He will swing."

Oh, they hung him by the postern,
Nailed his mooly to the fence
For to warn all young cordwanglers
That it was a grave offence.

There's a moral to this story,
Though your cordwangle be poor,
Keep your hands off other's moolies,
For it is against the law.

http://haddocktwat.blogspot.com/2004_04_01_archive.html

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Owl and the Pussycat (Edward Lear
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 31 May 07 - 10:01 PM

A great poem - as are many of Edward Lear's -- I didn't know it had ever been set to music but I know i can recite it from memory so easily ...... again, along with many others of Edward Lear........

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Owl and the Pussycat (Edward Lear)
From: Janie
Date: 31 May 07 - 10:20 PM

Eric Idle (Monty Python) wrote a quite remarkable and lovely children's story/musical based on the poem. The Quite Remarkable Adventures of the Owl and the Pussycat.

I haven't listened to it in awhile so I don't remember if he used one of the melodies mentioned here or wrote his own. We finally wore out the cassette set we had. This thread has inspired me to go ahead and order it on CD. The link above is the first I came to when I googled just now, but I think it is also available on Amazon.

Janie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Owl and the Pussycat (Edward Lear
From: GUEST,Jason
Date: 16 Oct 08 - 06:34 PM

Burl Ives did the best version of the song on his 1963 Animal Folk Songs for Disney album. I have the 45 vinyl that I'm trying to get converted to an mp3.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Owl and the Pussycat (Edward Lear
From: GUEST,Jason
Date: 16 Oct 08 - 06:42 PM

I have the Elton Hayes version I've discovered. It's not as nice as the Burl Ives version, but probably the one you remember. The Ives version is more American folk, softer and less Alan-a-Dale.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Owl and the Pussycat (Edward Lear)
From: Tig
Date: 16 Oct 08 - 06:52 PM

I've got the words for 'Robin Hood' if you want them Flash

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Owl and the Pussycat (Edward Lear
From: cptsnapper
Date: 16 Oct 08 - 07:43 PM

Desmond Carrington played the Elton Hayes version on his show this week.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Owl and the Pussycat (Edward Lear)
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Jun 12 - 11:12 AM

Is there a sheet music for guitar version of the song as performed by Elton Hayes here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz5NJI0m3eU

available?

We would like ti played at our wedding in September.

irving DAVID
[e-mail]