Lyr Req: Midnight on the Ocean / Crazy Mixed Up...

Subject: Lyrics
From: Richard
Date: 04 Aug 98 - 01:40 PM

Looking for the words to an old nonsense song that starts;

"It was midnight on the ocean, not a streetcar was in sight...."

Can't find it on the database

Any ideas?

Richard

Subject: Lyr Add: MIDNIGHT ON THE OCEAN
From: Earl
Date: 04 Aug 98 - 03:02 PM

MIDNIGHT ON THE OCEAN
(Tune: "Silver Threads Among the Gold")

It was midnight on the ocean, not a streetcar was in sight.
While the sun was shining brightly, for it had rained all the night.
'Twas a sumnmer's day in winter, and the rain was snowing fast,
As the barefoot boy with shoes on stood there sitting in the grass.

It was evening and the sunrise was setting in the west,
And the fishies in the tree-tops were all cuddled in their nests.
As the wind was blowing bubbles, lightning shot from left to right.
Everything that you should see had been hidden out of sight.

While the organ peeled potatoes, lard was rendered by the choir.
When the sexton rang the dish rag, someone set the church on fire.
"Holy smoke!" the preacher shouted, as he madly tore his hair,
Now his head resembles heaven, for there is no parting there.

Subject: Lyr Add: MIDNIGHT ON THE OCEAN
From: Gene
Date: 04 Aug 98 - 03:13 PM

Found another version at DEJANEWS - Search for: midnight AND (ocean AND streetcar)

MIDNIGHT ON THE OCEAN

'Twas midnight on the ocean. Not a streetcar was in sight,
So I stepped into a cigar store to ask them for a light.

The man behind the counter was a woman, old and gray,
Who used to peddle doughnuts on the road to Mandalay.

She said, "Good morning, stranger." Her eyes were dry with tears,
As she put her head between her feet and stood that way for years.

Her children all were orphans except one tiny tot
Who had a home across the way above a vacant lot.

As I gazed through the oaken door, a whale went drifting by,
Its six legs hanging in the air, so I kissed her goodbye.

This story has a moral as you can plainly see:
Don't mix your gin with whiskey on the deep and dark blue sea.

Subject: Lyr Add: MIDNIGHT ON THE OCEAN
From: Ferrara
Date: 05 Aug 98 - 01:11 AM

Here's what we sang.

MIDNIGHT ON THE OCEAN

Tune of verse: I don't recognize any source. Will try MidiText. Tune of chorus: Stars & Stripes Forever March

1. Twas midnight on the ocean
Not a streetcar was in sight
The sun was shining brightly in
The middle of the night
A barefoot boy with shoes on
Stood there sitting in a tree
And as I put my glasses on
I heard this melody:

CHORUS
Be Kind to your web footed friends
'Cause a duck may be somebody's mother
Be kind to the denizen of the swamp
He's a "Dilly" through and through
You may think that this is the end,
Well it isn't cause there is another chorus.

... There may have been other verses, but I think one just repeated the first verse ad nauseum. When you got tired, you changed the last lines of the chorus to read,

You may think that this is the end,
Well it is.

Subject: RE:
From: BSeed
Date: 05 Aug 98 - 01:52 AM

I've seen the following attached, as well:

One fine day in the middle of the night, Two dead boys got up to fight. Back to back they faced each other, Drew their swords and shot each other.

A deaf policeman heard the noise, And came and killed the two dead boys.

--seed

Subject: RE:
From: murray.mpce.mq.edu.au
Date: 05 Aug 98 - 05:27 AM

The version that uses the tune to Stars and Stripes was a popular record in the 50s--I can't remember who did it. It was a man and wife and I want to say Les Paul and Mary Ford; but I don't think so. Anyway it has a chorus

Be kind to your web-footed friends
For a duck may be somebody's mother
Be kind to the denizen of the swamp
He's a dilly through and through
You may think that this is the end
But its not 'cause there is another chorus

Except at the end you sing

You may think that this is the end
Well it is

Murray

Subject: Lyr Add: AIN'T WE CRAZY? (Harry McClintock)
From: mafreeh
Date: 05 Aug 98 - 11:36 AM

AIN'T WE CRAZY?
Written by H. McClintock [as credited on the record label]
As recorded by Harry McClintock ("Radio Mac"), on Victor V-40101-A, 1928. [Listen at the Internet Archive.]

1. Now, I know a little ditty; it's as crazy as can be.
The guy who wrote it said he wanted it, and handed it to me.
I found I couldn't use it, because it sounded blue,
And that's the very reason why I'm handing it to you.

2. It's a song the alley-gators sing while coming through the rye
As they serenade the elephants up in the trees so high.
The iceman hums this ditty as he shovels in the coal,
And the monkeys join the chorus up around the northern pole.

CHORUS: Ain't we crazy? Ain't we crazy?
This is the way we pass the time away.
Ain't we crazy? Ain't we crazy?
We're going to sing this song all night today.

3. It was midnight on the ocean; not a streetcar was in sight,
And the sun was shining brightly, for it rained all day that night.
'Twas a summer night in winter, and the rain was snowing fast,
And a barefoot boy with shoes on stood a-sitting in the grass.

4. It was evening, and the rising sun was setting in the west.
The little fishes in the trees were huddled in their nest.
The rain was pouring down, and the moon was shining bright,
And ev'rything that you could see was hidden out of sight.

5. While the organ pealed potatoes, lard was rendered by the choir.
The sexton rung the dishrag; someone set the church on fire.
"Holy smoke!" the preacher shouted; in the rain he lost his hair.
Now his head resembles Heaven, for there is no parting there.

6. The cows were making cowslips, and the bells were ringing wet,
And the bumblebees were making bums, and smoking cigarettes,
And a man slipped in a stable, and came out a little horse,
So he hopped upon his golf sticks, and drove all around the course.

CHORUS: Ain't we crazy? ...

7. It was midnight on the ocean; not a horse-car was in sight
As I stepped into the drugstore to get myself a light.
The man behind the counter was a woman old and gray
Who used to peddle shoestrings on the road to Mandalay.

8. "Good evening, sir," the woman said, and her eyes were bright with tears*
As she put her head beneath her feet, and stood that way for years.
Her children six were orphans, except one tiny tot
Who lived in the house across the street above a vacant lot.

CHORUS: Ain't we crazy? ...

- - -

[* My family sang a variant:
"My husband's dead," the woman said, and her eyes were dry with tears

MaryBeth

Subject: RE:
From: Bill D
Date: 05 Aug 98 - 08:19 PM

And, I think, all of these are related to the old song "Nottamun Town" and perhaps to songs like "Benjamin Bownameer" , too ..there is a theme there that does not require 'detailed' memory, and as we see, new verses and arrangement happen all the time...(my family did not sing, but my Father recited this as a poem...very close to a couple of those versions..)

Subject: RE: dux
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 05 Aug 98 - 09:05 PM

Web-footed friends appeard first, as I recall, on a Fred Allen radio show, sung, with feeling, by Portland Hoffa. A couple of weeks later, a less successful variant was aired:

...Be kind to the jackass and the donkey and the mule, Remember, Brooklyn is also a burro.

Subject: RE:
From:
Date: 05 Aug 98 - 09:15 PM

Dick, does the version sung by Portland Hoffa have the "midnight on the ocean" verse as its first verse? If so It must be a predecessor to the one I am thinking of.

Murray

Subject: RE:
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 06 Aug 98 - 11:46 AM

Murray- Nope. Just started out with Be kind to your web-footed friends. Circa 1942.

Subject: RE: "midnight on the ocean"
From: GUEST,S.Burns
Date: 24 Jun 03 - 02:12 PM

My Dad always said this bit.

"And if you don't believe me,
ask old blind Joe, who saw it all
through a Knot hole in a picket fence."

Subject: RE: midnight on the ocean
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 06 Jul 03 - 09:16 AM

MaryBeth:

The Sons of the Pioneers also recorded a version of AIN'T WE CRAZY. It appears on the 5-CD Bear Family set "Songs of the Prairie." I transcribed this from a couple of sound samples:

...on the road to Mandalay

Ain't we crazy? Ain't we crazy?
We're gonna sing this song all night today.

She said, "Good morning, stranger," and her eyes were dry with tears.
She stuck her head beneath her foot and stood that way for years.
Her children six were orphans, except one tiny tot
Who lived in a house across the street above a vacant lot.

Ain't we crazy? Ain't we crazy?
We're gonna sing this song all night today.

"Women and children first," he cried as he passed his plate for more.
He took his hat from off the door and hung it on the floor.
An ax came walking through the air as the clock struck twenty-six.
I turned my eyes upon the skies and saw a cloud of bricks.

Subject: Lyr Add: MIDNIGHT ON THE OCEAN
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 06 Jul 03 - 01:47 PM

Well, none of you seem to have the "original" lyrics (the ones I know, that is!). Can't remember them all, but this is KY circa 1930s, sung to the tune of, "When the Work's All Done This Fall:"

It was midnight on the ocean, not a streetcar was in sight,
The sun was shining brightly but the moon it gave no light;
The dark lit up the cowshed, the cows all chewed their cud,
The lightning struck the prairie afire in the middle of the wood.

A barefoot boy with boots on came strolling down the street,
His boots were full of stockings, his socks were full of feet;
He was born when he was a baby- to his grandma's pride and joy
His only sister was a girl and his brother was a boy.

He never was a triplett, born in one breed of twins,
His feet were fastened to his legs and just below his shins.
His arms were fastened to his neck but just below his shoulder,
And when he was grown he was a man and every day got older.

He married him a woman, who quickly became his wife,
Now you know he couldn't stay single and lead a married life
(Can't remember line....)
They raised a dozen children, all born when they were young.

The youngest was the baby, and the oldest was born first,
The middle one was the best one and the best one was the worst.
They lived their lives until they died, and the truth to you I'll tell
The girls all went to Heaven and the boys all went to_________.

(Note: The word at the end was usually the town or place the singer was in at the time.

There's more, and I haven't remembered the words 100% right, but this will do to set the story! My brother still sings this.

Subject: Lyr Add: BAREFOOT BOY WITH SHOES ON
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 06 Jul 03 - 06:31 PM

The version by Kytrad has verses similar to one called "The Barefoot Boy With Shoes On," by Asa Martin(?). Also called the cowboy version. We sang similar verses in the 1930s and in the Army, verses somewhat similar to the following lifted from this website: Barefoot Boy
We always sang it to a marching tune, the last line of which I remember as Rim, Ram, Goddam, we're the Cavalry. No "Silver Hairs" or other slow tune.

Oh, the night was dark and cloudy
The moon was shining bright
The stars were casting burning rays
On the storm that raged that night
Lightening struck the cowshed
And the cows all chewed their cud
Moonlight set the prairie on fire
In the middle of the woods.

Oh, the barefoot boy with shoes on
Come a-shuffling down the street
His pants were full of pockets
And his boots were full of feet
He was born when he was a baby
His grandma's pride and joy
His only sister was a girl
and his brother was a boy (or reverse the sex in these two lines)

He never was a triplet
But he always was a twin
His legs were fasened to his knees
Just below his chin
And his feet were fastened to his ankles
Several inches from his shoulder
And when he grew up he became a man
And everyday got older

He married him a woman
Who quickly became his wife
For you see he could not marry her
And maintain a single life
Her head was full of notions
And her mouth was full of tongue
They raised a dozen children
All born when they were young.

Six boys, five girls
And then another child
They never tried to raise them right
Just let them grow up wild
And late in the evening
They'd send them off to bed
Not sure if they were living
And they wished all were dead.

The youngest was a baby
But the oldest was one first
The good one was the bad one
And the bad one was the worst
They never knew their ages
No, they never seemed to care
'Cause they knew they had a birthday
And it came 'round once a year (or- twice)

They never knew their father's age
But they always had a hunch
That he was born before their time
And was the oldest of the bunch
And when they died they could not speak
Their names they could not tell
The girls all went to heaven
And the boys all went out West.

The organ peeled potatoes, etc. (see above)

We probably sang all of the verses posted in this thread and more, but never in any particular order. Someone sang a line, and the rest joined in.

Subject: Lyr Add: CRAZY MIXED UP SONG (C Grean, J Javits)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 27 Jul 08 - 11:33 PM

Transcribed from a "video" at YouTube:

CRAZY MIXED UP SONG
As sung by Homer & Jethro

1. 'Twas midnight on the ocean. Not a streetcar was in sight.
The sun was shinin' brightly in the middle of the night.
A barefoot boy with shoes on stood there sittin' in a tree,
And when I put my glasses on, I heard this melody:

CHORUS: Be kind to your web-footed friends,
Fer a duck may be somebody's mother.
Be kind to the denizen of the swamp.
He's a dilly through and through.
You may think that this is the end.
[Well, it isn't, 'cause there is another chorus.]*

2. 'Twas midnight on the ocean when the rain begin to snow.
The cows all started crowin' 'cause the time had come to go.
This crazy mixed-up guy was swimmin' all around the lawn,
Lookin' for the ending of this crazy mixed-up song.

3. 'Twas midnight on the ocean as he slowly rushed away.
He thought it was tomorrow 'cause it wasn't yesterday,
And now he lives in Tennessee beside the pyramids,
Raisin' lots of nanny-goats with crazy mixed-up kids.

*ON LAST CHORUS, SUBSTITUTE: "Well, it is."

[I found a sound sample of the same song, with the same title, performed by Billy Cotton & His Band.

ASCAP attributes CRAZY MIXED UP SONG to Charles R. Grean and Joan Ellen Javits.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Midnight on the Ocean / Crazy Mixed Up...
From: GUEST,Mimisan
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 05:09 PM

Here is the version we heard from our Grand-Mother Priscilla.
She is 96 and remembers most of it.
The author is unknown to us.
Enjoy!

MIDNIGHT ON THE OCEAN

It was midnight on the ocean, not a streetcar was in sight.
The sun was shining brightly and it rained all day that night.

T'was a summer's night in winter and the rain was hawling 'n squeeling.
As the barefoot boy with shoes on stood there sitting on the ceiling.


It was evening, the rising sun was setting in the North.
And the little fishies in the trees were gayly flying forth.

While the organ peeled patatoes, lard was rendered by the choir.
When the sexton rang the dishrag, someone set the church on fire.

" Holy smoke!" the preacher shouted, in the rain he lost his hair.
Now his head resembles heaven, were there is no parting there.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Midnight on the Ocean / Crazy Mixed Up...
From: EBarnacle
Date: 09 Sep 08 - 04:48 PM

The chorus as we sang it went:

Be kind to your web footed friends,
For a duck may be somebody's mother,
They live in the cold of the swamp,
Where the weather is very, very domp [That's the way we pronounced it]
You may think that this is the end,
Well it is.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Midnight on the Ocean / Crazy Mixed U
From: GUEST,jones
Date: 20 Aug 09 - 12:00 PM

My dad used to sing, back in the fifties:

"Twas midnight on the ocean, not a streetcar was in sight
The barefoot boy with shoes on stood sitting in the light . . . "

He also sang "be kind to your webfooted friends" exactly as posted above by EBarnacle.
I think my dad was born around 1918.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Midnight on the Ocean / Crazy Mixed Up...
From: GUEST,susiewouke
Date: 08 Oct 09 - 12:18 AM

It was a dark and stormy night and the sun was shining bright and the roses dipped their petals in the mud, in the mud...

And the doctor's lady cited that for sake of Willie's life they should stop the circulation of his blood. So they dipped his little head in a pot of molten lead and they laid my little Willie down to rest, down to rest. And the robbers came that night and they came without a light and they stole the mustard plaster off his chest.

No more to tease the pussycat or to .....can't remember this part
...or to rub his little nose on the red hot kitchen stove....when they laid my little Willie down to rest.

He kicked the bucket, and stubbed his toe, and made it bleed, and it bled blood...the blood was red, and then he said.....Ouch!

That's all I can remember!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Midnight on the Ocean / Crazy Mixed U
From: GUEST,SophiaN
Date: 18 Jan 10 - 02:23 PM

I heard this from my friend

One dark night when all was bright, two dead boys got up to fight. Back to back they faced each other, drew their swords and shot each other.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Midnight on the Ocean / Crazy Mixed Up...
From: and e
Date: 13 Feb 10 - 11:38 AM

Similar to GUEST,susiewouke above

Titled "Poor Willy"

T'was a dark and stormy night
And the moon was shining bright
And the flowers, they were drooping in the mud,
When the doctors, they decided
That to save my darling child,
They'd have to stop the circulation of his blood.

So, they dipped his darling head
In a pot of boiling lead,
And they laid my little Willy down to rest.
But the robbers came at night,
And they came without a light,
And they stole the mustard plaster off his chest.

No more, Little Brat,
To tease the pussy-cat,
No more between his teeth
To pull it's tail ...
No more to rub its nose
On the red-hot kitchen stove,
'Cause my Darling Willy's gone and kicked the pail.
[Spoken] Poor Willy!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Midnight on the Ocean / Crazy Mixed Up...
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Mar 10 - 10:12 PM

How about this version, a la Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, around 1955:

Twas midnight on the ocean
Not a streetcar was in sight
The sun was shining brightly
In the middle of the night
A barefoot boy with shoes on
Stood there sitting in a tree
And when I put my glasses on
I heard this melody

Be kind to your web-footed friends
For a duck may be some-bodies mother
Be kind to the denizen of the swamp
He's a lily through and through
You may think that this is the end
Well, it isn't 'cause there is a-nother chorus

Twas midnight on the ocean as the rain began to snow
The cows were all a'crowin 'cause the time had come to go
This crazy mixed up guy was swimming all around the lawn
Lookin' for the ending of this crazy, mixed up song

Be kind to your web-footed friends
For a duck may be some-bodies mother
Be kind to the denizen of the swamp
He's a lily through and through
You may think that this is the end
Well, it isn't 'cause there is a-nother chorus

Twas midnight on the ocean as he slowly rushed away
He thought it was tomorrow 'cause it wasn't yesterday
And now he lives in Tennessee beside the pyramids
Raisin' lots of Nanny Goats with crazy mixed up kids

Be kind to your web-footed friends
For a duck may be some-bodies mother
Be kind to the denizen of the swamp
He's a lily through and through
You may think that this is the end
Well, it is

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Midnight on the Ocean / Crazy Mixed Up...
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Jun 11 - 08:27 AM

The version my dad told me had elements of all of the above mixed together, but I didn't see this verse, which came at some point after the "hero" of our story has a fight & gets killed (he can't remember the verse but I think it had to do with the boys fighting back to back...)

"Oh kill me, kill me, kill me quick, spare my life!" he cried,
And the villain shot him through the head and killed him till he died.
A fair young maid came down the path; her form was bent with years.
Her eyes were full of sunshine and her cheeks were full of tears,
And recognizing the dying man, she quickly yelled, "Who is he?"
The dead man raised his corpseless head and cried, "By the great Gods, 'tis Lizzy!"

And we used the version "be kind to your web footed friends, for a duck may be somebody's mother, be kind to your friends in the swamp, where the weather is very very domp"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Midnight on the Ocean / Crazy Mixed Up...
From: GUEST,Doc Trivia
Date: 09 May 12 - 01:24 PM

The second verse of The Crazy Mix-Up Song I'd heard -- by Peter Lind Hayes and Mary Healy -- went like this:

Twas midnight on the ocean on the day I married him
He didn't know his name was Fred that's why I called him Jim
We settled down in London, France behind the pyramids
And raised a little family of crazy, mixed-up kids.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Midnight on the Ocean / Crazy Mixed Up...
From: GUEST,Amy
Date: 12 Jul 12 - 10:56 PM

My mothers second verse;

Twas midnight on the ocean as the rain began to snow
he hurried to me slowly because the time had come to go
I said I'd wait forever if it didn't take to long, and silently we harmonized this crazy mixed up song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Midnight on the Ocean / Crazy Mixed Up...
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Dec 12 - 11:03 AM

OK this is how my father used to say it when we were kids.

Twas midnight on the ocean not a streetcar was in sight
The sun was shining brightly on a rainy rainy night
A barefoot boy with shoes on stood sitting in the grass
And the fishes in the treetops were climing on their hands and knees

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Midnight on the Ocean / Crazy Mixed Up...
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Jan 13 - 01:33 AM

high in the mountains lying on the grass
i saw a boogeyman sliding on his
ask no questions tell no lies
i saw a boogeyman doing up his
flies are a nusaince, flies are a pest
i saw a boogeyman putting on his vest

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Midnight on the Ocean / Crazy Mixed Up...
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Feb 16 - 10:12 PM

My dad used to sing this crazy song. I can remember part of the words, but not all of them.
Twas moonlight on the ocean, not a street car was in sight
.......for it rained all day that night
I saw a thousand miles away a house just out of sight
Its walls projected backward, the front was round the back
It stood alone with others, the fence was whitewash black.
The stars lay thick upon the ground, the mud shone in the sky
......
I can't put it all together. I wish I had written it down!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Midnight on the Ocean / Crazy Mixed Up...
From: Mark Ross
Date: 07 Feb 16 - 02:44 PM

I think the Homer and Jethro version has Chet Atkins playing lead guitar.

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Midnight on the Ocean / Crazy Mixed Up...
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Jul 16 - 01:23 AM

Here's a link to the Peter Lind Hayes-Mary Healy recording of the song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yqQytUBYNA

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Midnight on the Ocean / Crazy Mixed Up...
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Jul 16 - 01:25 AM

Let's try that link again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yqQytUBYNA