Lyr Add: Old She-Crab

Subject: Lyr Add: OLD SHE-CRAB-II
From: Charley Noble
Date: 12 Nov 05 - 12:59 PM

I would best characterize this as the Ipcar Family version of a fine old traditional song which we originally learned from Richard Dyer-Bennet during one of the many song parties we had at our farm in the 1940's and 1950's. There is a similar song in the DT and several others that refer to crayfish, lobsters, or or other nautical edibles


OLD SHE-CRAB-II
(Ipcar Family version)

Now the old she-crab was sittin' on a post,
Shallow-who, shallow-who,
Now the old she-crab was sittin' on a post,
Along come the fisherman,
Took her home to roast,
Singing ring-a-long, ring-a-long, roo!

Now when he got home his old woman was asleep,
Shallow-who, shallow-who,
Now when he got home his old woman was asleep;
He put the crab in the chamber pot
The better for to keep…

His old woman got up for to do her dew,
Shallow-who, shallow-who,
His old woman got up for to do her dew,
The crab reached up
And grabbed her by the flue…

The old woman hollered as she lept in the air,
Shallow-who, shallow-who,
The old woman hollered as she lept in the air,
The Devil's in the pisspot,
Grabbed me by the hair…

The old man knocked the crab off with the handle of the broom,
Shallow-who, shallow-who,
The old man knocked the crab off with the handle of the broom,
And he and the wife chased the crab around the room…

That old-she crab scuttled out the door,
Shallow-who, shallow-who,
The old-she crab scuttled out the door,
Dropped into the cove and swum from the shore…

Now the old-she crab's at the bottom of the sea,
Shallow-who, shallow-who,
Now the old-she crab's at the bottom of the sea,
Sayin' I might get caught
But they'll never eat me…

Here's a link to my website where you can listen to a MP3 sample of how I sing it: Click here!

As children we always delighted in the escape of the old she-crab! Of course, we were supposed to be fast asleep upstairs while the adults were singing.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: OLD SHE-CRAB
From: GUEST,Joe_F
Date: 12 Nov 05 - 09:41 PM

I have added yet another version to the "Lobster" thread.

--- Joe Fineman    [e-mail]

||: A little good luck, a little bad luck, and you lose your underwear. :||

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: OLD SHE-CRAB
From: Charley Noble
Date: 12 Nov 05 - 10:04 PM

Joe-

Thanks for providing links to the related threads.

I'm impressed with the length of "A Combat Between an Ale-Wife and a Sea Crab." Clearly an evening's entertainment in a single ballad.

For the record Richard Dyer-Bennet's last name is spelled "Dyer-Bennet." At least that's how his widow spells it.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old She-Crab
From: Charley Noble
Date: 10 Mar 10 - 02:22 PM

Here's a transcription of how Dyer-Bennet sings "The Old She-Crab" as recorded on Mark Twain's 1601, Dyer-Bennet Records, © 1962; now re-released by Smithsonian Folkways, © 2006, as a CD

Old She-Crab

The old she-crab was a-sittin' on a post,
Shallow-who, shallow-who
The old she-crab was a-sittin' on a post,
When along came a fisherman,
And took her home to roast,
Singing ring-a-lah, ding-a-lah, doo!

When he got home the old woman was asleep,
Shallow-who, shallow-who
When he got home the old woman was asleep;
So he put it in the piss pot there for to keep,
Singing ring-a-lah, ding-a-lah, doo!

The old woman got up for to do her dew,
Shallow-who, shallow-who
The old woman got up for to do her dew,
And the damn ol' she-crab grabbed her by the flue
Singing ring-a-lah, ding-a-lah, doo!

"What ho!" said the woman, "as sure as you're born"
Shallow-who, shallow-who
"What ho!" said the woman, "as sure as you're born,
There's a devil's in the pisspot, a-stickin' up his horn!"
Singing ring-a-lah, ding-a-lah, doo!

So she tossed the crab in the old man's bed
Shallow-who, shallow-who
She tossed the crab in the old man's bed,
And it bit out a chunk of the old man's head
Singing ring-a-lah, ding-a-lah, doo!

Then the old she-crab's scuttled off to the sea,
Shallow-who, shallow-who
Then the old she-crab's scuttled off to the sea,
Says I might get caught but they'll never eat me…
Singing ring-a-lah, ding-a-lah,
Ding-a-lah, ding-a-lah, doo!

As children my brother and I always took delight in the escape of the old she-crab.

Here's an updated link to how I sing this song: click here for lyrics and MP3 Sample!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old She-Crab
From: Joe_F
Date: 10 Mar 10 - 06:04 PM

The Lobster

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old She-Crab
From: GUEST,David Dyer-Bennet
Date: 12 Mar 10 - 01:24 PM

Jumping back to Nov. 2005 -- Yes, Charlie, that's how I was taught to spell it too (I started to say "how I'm used to seeing it spelled", but like Richard I've gotten used to seeing it spelled quite a variety of ways by other people, in addition to the one correct way). Always a pleasure to see it spelled correctly :-).

(I grew up on his music, he was my uncle.)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old She-Crab
From: Joe Offer
Date: 12 Mar 10 - 02:23 PM

I knew we had threads on other songs along this line. Thanks for finding it, Joe. I combined them all with crosslinks - did I miss any? Oh, and Joe - do you have a recording of your version anywhere that we can hear it?

Dan Milner has entirely too good a time singing a version of this. For me personally, it's the kind of song that makes me really nervous....

Ouch!!

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old She-Crab
From: Charley Noble
Date: 12 Mar 10 - 03:06 PM

David-

Welcome aboard!

Where are you based now? My part of the family is still here in Maine.

Father's sister Melvene married Dyer-Bennet back in 1940 or so.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old She-Crab
From: Joe_F
Date: 12 Mar 10 - 06:24 PM

Joe Offer: Alas, I did not take a tape recorder to St Andrews in 1958. However, I have posted on that thread the tune in solfa.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old She-Crab
From: GUEST,David Dyer-Bennet
Date: 14 Mar 10 - 05:23 PM

I'm in Minnesota, since 1960 when my parents moved here (my father John was Richard's next-younger brother). So there was a concentration of the other three siblings out in Berkeley and surroundings for a long time, us in Minnesota, and Richard in Massachusetts. We got around to see people now and then, Dick stopped by when he was in the area on tour, and so forth. Only Miriam, the youngest of that generation, is around still (up in Vancouver); she was my mother's nursing school roommate, which was how my parents met.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old She-Crab
From: Charley Noble
Date: 14 Mar 10 - 05:34 PM

David-

Growing up I was quite unaware of Uncle Dick's other family members.

It is wonderful that the Dyer-Bennet family has made successful arrangements with Smithsonian Folkways to re-release the recordings.

I still correspond with Uncle Dick's widow Melvene.

Charlie Ipcar, aka Charley Noble