Lyr Req: Two Little Boys

Subject: Two little boys
From:
Date: 19 Oct 98 - 12:01 PM

As a small child my twin brother and I were lullabied with a folk song about about two brothers growing up just prior to the Civil War..."Two little boys...had two little toys and each was a..." (don't recall toy)... "gailey they played each summer's day warriors of course". Later... they each went off to fight in the civil war... on opposite sides. As one lay dying the other chanced upon him and the song continued... (instead of "stop your cryin") the brother now urged, "stop your dyin...there's room on my horse for two". etc.

I last heard this song about 1971 as a folk song on radio. Does anybody know who did it and where I can get the words or recording? Thanks, Harris

Subject: RE: Two little boys
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Oct 98 - 12:30 PM

Hi - Click here for one thread on this song, and click here for another.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Two little boys-THNX Joe
From: Harris Capps
Date: 19 Oct 98 - 01:35 PM

Joe, Thanks for the great info. I've been looking fore this kind of info for years. Harris

Subject: RE: Two little boys
From: allan. S
Date: 19 Oct 98 - 03:44 PM

Would you believe that there is an South African Version to this song. One boy is English and the other a Boer. The action takes place in the Anglo Boer war.. Allan S.

Subject: RE: Two little boys
From: Graeme
Date: 20 Oct 98 - 06:12 AM

This song was recorded in the UK by Rolf Harris in the '70's. He is an Australian performer who has worked over here for many years, mostly children's shows on TV.

The song rapidly became very much a "love it or hate it" thing - it entered the pop charts because the older generation loved it, while the younger thought it the height of schmaltz.

Very many ribald and even obscene variations arose, needless to say - and one was even recorded. By substituting a "bleep" at appropriate points the song became loaded with suggestion - for instance........

Two little two boys had two little (bleeps)

Each had a wooden (bleep)

Gayley they'd (bleep)

Each summer's day

(bleepers) both of course!

See what I mean??

Graeme

Graeme, you can't put stuff in angle brackets unless you want it to disappear. I replaced the angle brackets with parentheses, and inserted <br> line breaks at the end of each line
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Two little boys
From: Pete M
Date: 20 Oct 98 - 06:31 AM

Hi Graeme, the Rolf Harris dirty song book -expurgated version (from "I'm sorry I'll read that again") was covered in one of the threads to which Joe has provided links. Also in one of the entries is a link to the ISIRTA site.

Pete M

Subject: RE: Two little boys
From: Graeme
Date: 20 Oct 98 - 06:44 AM

Hey, Pete - don't tell me you're an ISIRTA fan!

God that brings back some meories - and thanks for the tip about the site, I'm going straight there!

I wonder if they'd like the lyrics to the "Angus Prune" theme song in the DT database..........?????

And Joe - sorry about the angled brackets - I'm still a Mudcat amateur - but learning fast!

Graeme

Subject: RE: Two little boys
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 20 Oct 98 - 05:43 PM

The DT would like any song that you'd like to send. If you have a tune, so much the better.

Subject: RE: Two little boys
From: The Shambles
Date: 20 Oct 98 - 06:28 PM

My name is Angus Prune and I never miss ISIRTA.

Subject: RE: Two little boys
From: Pete M
Date: 20 Oct 98 - 07:13 PM

Ah, how I love to be alone in the country.

Subject: RE: Two little boys
From: AndyG
Date: 21 Oct 98 - 05:58 AM

OK I admit it.

Shameless Plug

I'm the Webmaster of the ISIRTA site , and if anyone has any information, particularly unreleased recordings, I'd love to hear from you...

...and yes, the Angus Prune Tune lyrics are on the front page :)

The frames-based site is slicker and can be reached from the above original site. If you're really interested, email me at [e-mail] and I'll keep you in touch. I'm currently rebuilding the site and the new pages should be online before Xmas. The Rolf Harris , Julie Andrews and Des O'Connor Dirty Song Books may have been transcribed (at least in part) by that time.

AndyG

Subject: Lyr Add: ANGUS PRUNE
From: Graeme
Date: 21 Oct 98 - 06:11 AM

OK - Here's the lyrics to the "Angus Prune" song, for what it's worth - a text midi will follow when I've figured out how to do it!

This was the theme song to a very popular British radio show of the Sixties, called "I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again" and featured some of the earliest work of comedy stars like John Cleese, Graeme Garden, Bill Oddie, Tim Brook-Taylor and others. It was, arguably, influential in some of the great classic comedies that followed - "The Goodies". "At last the 1948 Show" and - most notably "Monty Python's Flying Circus"

I guess copyright belongs to the BBC.

My name is Angus Prune
And this is my tune
It goes "I'm sorry I'll read that again"
Angus Prune, and I always listen to
I'm Sorry I'll read that again.

I sit in my bath
And I have a good laugh
At the show that is named after me

My name is Angus Prune
And I never miss........ It goes .....I. S. I. R. T. A.
I'm Sorry I'll read that again!!!!!

I hope I got it right..........but I'm sure somebody will correct it (though I doubt this is one Joe Offer is going to know!)

Regards to all.......

Graeme

Subject: RE: Two little boys
From: Graeme
Date: 21 Oct 98 - 06:33 AM

Hey Andy................

Thanks for the shameless plug - and it's a great site! (Although it proves I cocked up the title song in my last message - oh the memory of 30 years is fading!)

One thing I never realised I'd get out of Mudcat was a return to the comedy of my youth!. I used to have to listen to the show on the radio in my Dad's car - on Sunday at night, ouside on the drive - 'cos everybody else wanted to watch the telly! Something I always remember about the show - being freezing cold when I heard it!

I'll try and trawl my memory for snippets for your site.......

Regards,

Graeme

Subject: RE: Two little boys
From:
Date: 13 Nov 01 - 01:22 PM

I am searching for the lyrics to a folk song "Two Little Boys. It starts "Two little boys had two little toys, each had a wooden horse." The song apparently also has to do with the American Civil War.

Would appreciate any assistance.

Subject: RE: Two little boys
From: MMario
Date: 13 Nov 01 - 01:39 PM

guest - read the messages above and follow the links.

Subject: RE: Two little boys
From: Mrrzy
Date: 13 Nov 01 - 01:52 PM

There are other threads on this, that I haven't found yet. This was one of my first questions to this forum, as a matter of fact. The song is MUCH older than the 70's, we had it on a bluegrass album from the 30's, I think. But I'll look for those other threads, too.

Subject: RE: Two little boys
From: Mrrzy
Date: 13 Nov 01 - 01:55 PM

OK, here is my other thread.

Subject: RE: Two little boys
From: vectis
Date: 14 Nov 01 - 07:02 PM

Terry King of Kent sings a parody on this about the Maxwell Pensions fraud.

Subject: RE: Two little boys
From: vectis
Date: 14 Nov 01 - 07:07 PM

Terry King of Kent sings a parody on this about the Maxwell Pensions fraud.

Subject: RE: Two little boys
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 12:59 AM

I know from personally checking them earlier this year that there are at least two billion and three threads that refer to this song. You can enter "Two Little Boys" in the Digitrad and Forum Search box to get a list of them. Many of them have the original and the alternative lyrics (use the links above for a couple of examples). This thread has (at the bottom) some useful information about the song's origins.

~ Becky in Tucson