Lyr Req/Add: The Coupon Song

Subject: THE COUPON SONG
From:
Date: 29 Jan 97 - 02:12 AM

Looking for the lyrics to THE COUPON SONG J. E. Mainer recorded it many years ago. Only remember the tag line: I'm saving up coupons to get one of those. Gene

Subject: Lyrics REQ: Saving up coupons to get 1 of th
From:
Date: 02 Jul 97 - 02:09 PM

My grandpa used to sing "Saving up coupons to get one of those." I would love to find the lyrics to it. Can anyone help?

Subject: Lyr Add: I'M SAVING UP COUPONS (TO GET ONE OF...)
From: Gene Graham
Date: 02 Jul 97 - 03:19 PM

Here's one version - thanks to a friend/KB

I'M SAVING UP COUPONS

The different cigar stores are giving away
Hundreds and thousands of coupons each day
You get good things for nothing and you bet your life
You get things good-for-nothing 'cuz I got a wife.

You can shut up a jack knife, you've all heard it said
I'm sorry that I didn't get one instead
Five million coupons is what my wife cost
I'd give ten million more to get a divorce.

I'm saving up coupons to get one of those
Of coupon-eritis I'll die, I suppose
But a nice little casket the catalog shows
I'm saving up coupons to get one of those.

My brother got married and right off the reel
He started to save for an automobile
And the day that he got it, from smokin' he died
From his house to the graveyard was his only ride.

His wife then got busy, no time did she lose
Till some lucky boob, hopped in poor brother's shoes
And now every evening they both can be seen
As they motor around in poor brother's machine.

I'm saving up coupons to get one of those
When I die, my wife marries and riding she goes
I hope when they're in it the darn thing explodes
I'm saving up coupons to get one of those.

My wife got the habit, she's saving a few
She has sevnteen thousand nine hundred and two
She wants a new hat and I don't know what for
To get it she needs only three thousand more.

We'd been married a year in a nice little flat
And all that we have is a dog and a cat
The lady next door is just chuck full of joy
The stork came and left her a new baby boy.

I'm saving up coupons to get one of those
My wife is now making some cute baby clothes
I don't know who told her but somehow she knows
I'm saving up coupons to get one of those.

Subject: RE: Lyrics REQ: Saving up coupons to get 1 of th
From: Peter Timmerman
Date: 02 Jul 97 - 04:19 PM

Great song. Is there a recording anywhere, Gene? Just to add my irrelevant 2 coupons, there was a splendid Allan Sherman song called "Green Stamps", where the hero goes around buying things just to get more stamps; containing the immortal lines (to the cha-cha): "Green stamps, I love those little green stamps, I pick them and I stick them, in my green green stamp book. Some extract of vanilla, enough to feed Godzilla; a hundred pounds of bird seed, and I don't own a bird..." Yours, Peter

Subject: RE: Lyrics REQ: Saving up coupons to get 1 of th
From: Gene
Date: 03 Jul 97 - 11:25 AM

The posted lyrix xcribed from Peg Moreland VI 40157 via KB

Other version(s) that I recall bits and pieces of was recorded WAY BACK WHEN by J.E. Mainer/ Bill Monroe.... and another group I cannot recall at the moment..

Subject: ADD: THE COUPON SONG - I'm Saving Up Coupons
From: masato sakurai
Date: 30 Oct 01 - 10:12 AM

I'M SAVING UP COUPONS
Recorded by J. E. Mainer
Written by J. E. Mainer and Jimmie O'Neal

The different cigar stores are giving away
Hundreds and thousands of coupons each day
You get good things for nothing and you bet your life
You get things good-for-nothing 'cuz I got a wife.

You can shut up a jack knife, you've all heard it said
I'm sorry that I didn't get one instead
Five million coupons is what my wife cost
I'd give ten million more to get a divorce.

I'm saving up coupons to get one of those
Of coupon-eritis I'll die I suppose
But a nice little casket the catalog shows
I'm saving up coupons to get one of those.

My brother got married and right off the reel
He started to save for an automobile
And the day that he got it, from smokin' he died
From his house to the graveyard was his only ride.

His wife then got busy, no time did she lose
Till some lucky boob hopped in poor brother's shoes
And now every evening they both can be seen
As they motor around in poor brother's machine.

I'm saving up coupons to get one of those
When I die my wife marries and riding she goes
I hope when they're in it the darn thing explodes
I'm saving up coupons to get one of those.

My wife got the habit, she's saving a few
She has sevnteen thousand nine hundred and two
She wants a new hat and I don't know what for
To get it she needs only three thousand more.

We'd been married a year in a nice little flat
And all that we have is a dog and a cat
The lady next door is just chuck full of joy
The stork came and left her a new baby boy.

I'm saving up coupons to get one of those
My wife is now making some cute baby clothes
I don't know who told her but somehow she knows
I'm saving up coupons to get one of those.

SOURCE: here.

According to Folk Song Index, "Saving Up Coupons" is on:
Mainer, J. E.. Legendary J. E. Mainer. Vol 4, Rural Rhythm RRJE 208, Cas (196?), cut#B.10

~Masato

Subject: RE: THE COUPON SONG
From:
Date: 03 Mar 02 - 07:40 PM

The Last verse is:

I'm saving up coupons to get one of those
My wife she keeps making those cute baby clothes
This may seem funny but I don't think she knows
That you don't need those coupons to get one of those

Subject: RE: THE COUPON SONG
From: masato sakurai
Date: 05 May 03 - 03:25 AM

"Savin' Up Coupons" (a different version) was sung by Yodelin' Slim Clark, too. His recording is at The Record Lady's All-Time Country Favorites (click on "In Memoriam - Yodelin' Slim Clark").

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: THE COUPON SONG
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 10 Jun 11 - 12:32 PM

The British Library has sheet music described thus:

I'M SAVING UP COUPONS (TO GET ONE OF THOSE)
Words by Joe Weston. Music by Billy James, Abe Wilsky.
Philadelphia: Abe Wilsky, ©1914

Subject: ADD Version: The Coupon Song
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Jun 11 - 03:58 PM

The Bill Monroe recording is quite different:

The Coupon Song (ca. 1946)
Bill Monroe and the Monroe Brothers

At a new cigar store, they're giving away
Hundreds of thousands of coupons each day
Things good for nothing you can bet your life:
I tried it out and I got a wife.

You can shut up a jack knife, I've oft heard it said
I'm sorry that I didn't get a jackknife instead
Five million coupons is what my wife cost
I'd give many more now to get a divorce.

I'm saving up coupons to get one of those.
Of coupon-redeeming I'll die I suppose
A cute little casket the catalog shows
I'm saving up coupons to get one of those.

My brother got married and right off the reel
Started saving up coupons to get a new automobile
But the day that he got it, from smokin' he died
From the house to the graveyard was brother's only ride.

His wife then got busy, no time did she lose
Till some lucky boob stepped in poor brother's shoes
And now each evening they both may be seen
Riding around in poor brother's machine.

I'm saving up coupons to get one of those.
And when I die my wife will marry and riding she'll go
And while she is in it, I hope it explodes
I'm saving up coupons to get one of those.

We've been married a year in a cute little flat
And all that we have is a dog and a cat
But the lady next door is chuck full of joy
The stork came and left her a cute baby boy.

I'm saving up coupons to get one of those.
My wife's been making some cute baby clothes
I don't know who told her but somehow she knows
I'm saving up coupons to get one of those.

[Yodel]

source: http://www.poliscijobrumors.com/topic.php?id=20932&page=3
Corrections added after listening to recording.

---

Oh, and if you're in a coupon mood, here's Saving Up Coupons for Mother. Anybody want to transcribe it?

Subject: ADD Version: The Coupon Song
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Jun 11 - 05:35 PM

Here's a version by Roy Shaffer that's quite different. I don't have the date of the recording.

THE COUPON SONG
(as recorded by Roy Shaffer)

Now, the different cigar stores are giving away
Hundreds and thousands of coupons each day,
You get good things for nothing and you bet your life:
I got something good-for-nothing when I got my wife.

You can shut up a jackknife, it's often been said,
I'm sorry that I didn't get one instead;
Five million coupons is what my wife cost
I'd give ten million more just to get a divorce.

Well, I'm saving up coupons to get one of those.
Of coupon-redeemers I'll die I suppose;
A nice little casket the catalog shows,
I'm saving up coupons to get one of those.

My brother got the habit and right off the reel,
He started to save for an automobile;
But the day that he got it, from smokin' he died,
From his home to the graveyard was his only ride.

His wife then got busy, no time did she lose,
Till some lucky guy hopped in poor brother's shoes;
And now every day the two may be seen
A-Riding around in poor brother's machine.

Well, I'm saving up coupons to get one of those.
If my wife starts to travelin' and a-riding she goes,
I hope while they're in it, the darn thing explodes;
So I'm saving up coupons to get one of those.

My wife got the habit, she's saving a few,
She has seven thousand, nine hundred and two;
She wants a new hat, and I don't know what more,
And to get it she needs only four thousand more.

We've been married a year in a nice little flat,
And all that we have is a dog and a cat;
But the lady next door is just chuck full of joy,
The stork just come and left her a big baby boy.

Well, I'm saving up coupons to get one of those;
My wife is now making some cute baby clothes;
I don't know who told her but somehow she knows
That I'm saving up coupons to get one of those.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Coupon Song
From: GUEST,999
Date: 10 Jun 11 - 05:36 PM

It can also be found on Cowboylyrics. There, it's unattributed.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Coupon Song
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Jun 11 - 05:58 PM

Yeah, I think the version on Cowboylyrics was posted by Gene above. I like the idea of posting various versions - and of telling where they came from.
Here's the URL for Cowboylyrics: http://www.cowboylyrics.com/tabs/misc/saving-up-coupons-3337.html - I won't make it into a link because of the popups. It IS the same as Gene's post, even to the spelling of "sevnteen thousand."

If it's an old, interesting song at cowboylyrics or cowpie, you can figure it may have been posted by Gene - and that he may also have posted it here.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Coupon Song
From: topical tom
Date: 11 Jun 11 - 01:49 PM

Not quite in the same vein, but there is a humorous song about a person falling asleep in front of the tv and ending up with many useless articles advertized as specials.. I believe that Christine Lavin sang it. I would love to have the lyrics to it but I don't even remember the title.

Subject: RE: req/ADD: The Coupon Song
From: Joe Offer
Date: 11 Jun 11 - 03:38 PM

Oh, I think you mean Vegematic, tom. I thought it was by Steve Goodman alone, but the Digital Tradition credits it to Steve Goodman, Mike Smith, and Shel Silverstein.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: req/ADD: The Coupon Song
From: topical tom
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 09:51 AM

That's the one, Joe! Thanks!