Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys

Subject: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: GUEST,One of working Few
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 02:23 AM

Can anyone think of some gooduns

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: Lin in Kansas
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 02:42 AM

George Thorogood's "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" has several comments about his landlady.

Lin

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: manitas_at_work
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 04:06 AM

There's the Drunken Landlady. http://trillian.mit.edu/~jc/cgi/abc/tunefind?P=drunken+landlady&find=FIND&m=title&W=wide&limit=1000&thresh=5

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: Charley Noble
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 08:08 AM

Well, there's this one but it's about a different kind of landlady:

LANDLADY

The rental housing lease – who could forget their first lease? Like a bill of rights in reverse. Like signing your life away before your life even begins. I remember thinking that some of these clauses must date back to medival times, if not before. Singer-songwriter Peter Berryman from the university town of Madison, Wisconsin, captures the spirit of this experience in one incredible diatribe, to be chanted as rapidly as possible.

Words by Peter Berryman © 1980
No tune

Landlady

You signed your lease, I see,
Before I let you go
You'd better listen to me,
There's some things you ought to know:
Don't stack shit in the hall,
Don't stack shit in the hall;
Keep it in the closet
Or lose your deposit;
And just one thing:
No dogs, no cats,
No snakes, no bats,
No kangaroos, no drinkin' booze,
No marmosets, no cigarettes,
And keep that fridge defrosted,
Oh, keep that fridge defrosted;
Give me the first month's rent
And the last month's rent,
A cleaning deposit and a damage deposit;
It's more for the furniture,
More for the driveway;
No parkin' in the street
And you pay for the heat,
For the lights, for the gas, and cut the grass;
Shovel the snow or out you go;
And keep them baseboards free of dust,
Oh, keep them baseboards free of dust;
No bookshelves of bricks and boards,
And no goddamn extension cords,


And one more thing:
No overnight guests, no sublets,
No kinky sex, no waterbeds;
Don't lose your key 'cause I won't let you in;
Take out the garbage once a week,
Clean them windows till they squeak;
No parties after ten, no children under ten,
No gatherings over ten;
No tacks in the walls, no bikes in the halls;
And lock the doors, and mop the floors;
And one more thing:
I'm comin' over now and then
With a white glove on my hand;
Gonna run it all over your
Windowsill, stovetop, molding, shelving, 'frigerator,
And, if I want, up your tenant's hinder;
Be clean as a church and quiet as a mouse;
It's your home but it's my house;
Rent's due on the 31st;
Might be steep but could be worse;
Break it down and you will see,
I'm a reasonable landlady;
This is all you have to pay:
One thousand eight hundred eighty-two dollars and sixty-five cents
Every day!

The above is from the working draft of THE HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZING SONGBOOK.

Landlady's Daughter

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 08:13 AM

Mrs. Crandell's Boarding House - Irish Rovers - a little grim though

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: GUEST,JohnB
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 10:22 AM

Hulla Balloo Belay sp? is in the DT here. A quick search on "boarding house" came up with 17 songs and 93 threads.
JohnB

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: EBarnacle
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 10:56 AM

How about Paddy West?
or Joan's Ale
or Wild Rover

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: Bunnahabhain
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 11:14 AM

The Black Freighter?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: GUEST,cookie
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 11:41 AM

How about "Ludgin Wi Big Aggie", which can be found in a variety of Scots collections?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: Paul Burke
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 11:43 AM

Just to point out that Hullabaloobelay and Paddy West are about MALE landladies.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: Charley Noble
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 01:07 PM

Paul-

You aren't suggesting that the "Landlady" in Hullabaloo-Belay was in drag:

Me mother kept a boarding house...

When Jone's Ale Was New has several verses about a landlord's daughter.

And there's this miscallenous music hall verse:

If you've never been the lover
Of the landlady's daughter
Then you can't have another
Piece of pie.

And there's this song that I harvested some time ago from Mudcat:

From the sound track of "The Wicker Man" as composed or arranged by Paul Giovanni

The Landlord's Daughter

Much has been said of the strumpets of yore,
Of wenches and bawdy-house queens by the score,
But I sing of the baggage that we all adore:
The Landlord's Daughter!*
You'll never love another,
Although she's not the kind of girl to take home to your mother.

Her ale it is lively and strong to the taste,
It is brewed with discretion, never with haste;
You can have all you like if you'll swear not to waste
The Landlord's Daughter!
And when her name is mentioned
The puds of every gentleman do stand up at attention.

Now there's Jane of The Blossom and Doll of The Crown,
Wenchy Kate of The Garter and Star in town,**
Fat Dorrie who keeps her Red Heart of Renown,
But I'll take the Landlord's Daughter!
For nothing can delight so
As does the part that lies between her left toe and her right toe!

*There is an additional verse that didn't make it into the movie:

Her lips are as roses, her wine is a treat,
Her whiskey is good and her figger is neat,
And while she is serving her bitter, she's sweet -
The Landlord's Daughter!

**At least one person in the movie seems to sing, "When she takes off her garter it's all undone." It may just be that they have thick
accents and are supposed to be very drunk in this scene!^^

Posted by Guest JeffK

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: mandoleer
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 01:17 PM

Hullabaloo Balay: Version I know is
Me father kept a boarding house
Hullabaloo Balay

It then brings in 'a flash young fellow named Shallow Brown' (who may or may not be the same one as in the song 'Shallow Brown') who 'ogled me mother all round the town'. Then mum ran off with Shallow brown, and 'father nearly pined away, 'cos mother came back the following day'.

So it all depends on whether the boarding house was in father's name, or in joint ownership - of which there is no easily accessible record, as the town in question and the family's surname are not listed. I do wish the writers of these songs would pay a bit more attention to such details.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: mg
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 04:24 PM

Wild Rover

there is another at the back of my head.. mg

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: GUEST,ClaireBear
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 04:42 PM

There's a song called "The Beautiful Landlady" in A Taste of Ale, a collection of beverage-related songs edited by Roy Palmer and published by Green Branch Press about 6 years ago. A CD was released at about the same time with Magpie Lane performing many of the songs from the book, including this one. Nice little productions, both.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: JWB
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 10:05 PM

The proprietor is not mentioned in this song, but there's a baby in it. so one can reasonably assume there's a landlady present, no?

Hungry Hash House by Charlie Poole

I'm a boarder and I dwell in that second class hotel
If I stay here long I think I'll go insane
For I lay here on my bunk and I cannot get my trunk
And come mornin' I'm sure to wake with an awful pain

Oh they feed on chicken pie, if you eat it you will die
The beef you cannot cut it with a sword
Oh the undertaker hangs around for there's work here to be found
In that all go hungry hash house where I board

Oh they carried me upstairs one night, I had neither gun nor knife
Something they had never done before
Oh the fleas they held me down while the tsee-tsees crept around
In that all go hungry hash house where I board

Oh the beefsteak it was rare and the butter had red hair
The baby had his feet all/both in the soup
Oh the eggs you could not catch; if you got one it would hatch
In that all go hungry hash house where I board

Jerry

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: Charley Noble
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 10:52 PM

Jerry-

The hungry hash house certainly belongs in the classic set. Here's a more contemporary member with no landlady but a supportive environment:

Words and music by Cathy Fink © 1981
Recorded on Doggone My Time, Rooster 120

The No-Tell Hotel

Chorus:

At the No-Tell (No-Tell), Hotel (Hotel)
The No-Tell (No-Tell), Hotel (two for ten dollars, three for twelve)
It's a hotel (a hotel), not a motel (a motel)
You'll find all the excitement that you like,
At the No-Tell Hotel tonight.

We've got a businessman's special every Monday night;
On Tuesday there's a deal on purple strobe lights;
Wednesday from noon to two,
Messages with Betty Lou;
Since Thursday is the maid's day off,
The room is free if you clean it yourself;
No obligation, you pay in advance;
You've got nothin' to lose but your pants. (CHO)

Now some folks say a hotel's not right,
To bring your date and stay all night;
And for those folks we've got something new,
For an extra two dollars we'll monitor the view;
The newlyweds get the bridal suite,
With one less cockroach at their feet;
We've got something for everyone, if you like these kinds of things,
Drive in and give us a ring. (CHO)

One Friday we suggest you reserve in advance;
Saturday's special is a raffle ticket chance
To win a free Sunday evening with Betty Lou
But the Hotel is extra when she's finished with you;
Flowers in the room and a bottle of wine,
A Greek sauna bath that works on a dime,
No obligation to return but we bet
You'll be back in a flash for the rest. (CHO)

There's one more service that we provide,
For the incognito customer who likes to hide;
Before you check in, use our courtesy phone
To dial a costume, dress like Al Capone;
You can rent them by the hour or by the day;
You can mix and match costumes and by the way
We've got blind dates in costume or not;
Sign up on the line with the dots! (CHO)

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: Ernest
Date: 13 Apr 06 - 01:53 PM

"Lift your glass to the Landlady" by Brian McNeill (formerly of the Battlefield Band) - notation published in their songbook "Forward with Scotlands Past" (ISBN 09511204 1 7)

Best wishes

Ernest

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: Joybell
Date: 13 Apr 06 - 07:18 PM

"Bell-Bottomed Trousers" , although about a "serving maid", makes brief mention of the "Mistress". Presumably it's set in a boarding house of some kind. Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 13 Apr 06 - 07:48 PM

Here's one (the landlady isn't actually mentioned, but her presence is, I feel, strongly implied):

At the boarding house where I lived,
Things were getting green with mould
The landlord's hair was in the butter,
Silver threads among the gold.

When the dog died, we had hotdogs
When the cat died, catnip tea,
When the landlord died, I left there,
Spare ribs were too much for me.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: Charley Noble
Date: 13 Apr 06 - 09:06 PM

McGrath-

Certainly a classic ditty and I agree that the presence of the landlady is extremely subtle.

Here's another boarding house ditty where the lady of the house serves up something special to her lodger:

Our Lodger's Such a Nice Young Man
(By Fred Murray & Laurence Barclay, © As sung by Vesta Victoria)

At our house not long ago a lodger came to stay,
At first I felt as if I'd like to drive him right away;
But soon he proved himself to be so very good and kind,
That, like my dear mamma, I quite made up my little mind.

He made himself at home before he'd been with us a day,
He kissed mamma and all of us, 'cos papa was away;
Before he goes to work he lights the fires and scrubs the floor,
And puts a nice strong cup of tea outside ma's bedroom door.

At night he makes the beds and does the other little jobs
And if the baby hurts itself he really cries and sobs;
On Sunday when ma's cooking and papa is at the club,
He takes the kids and baths us all inside the washing tub.

We usually go to Margate, in the sea to have a splash,
This year Pa said, "I'm busy!" but I think he had no cash;
The lodger took us down instead, mamma and baby too,
And never charged Pa anything- now there's a pal for you!

CHORUS:

Our lodger's such a nice young man, such a good young man is he;
So good, so kind, to all our family!
He's never going to leave us
Oh dear, oh dear no!
He's such a good, goody, goody man,
Mamma told me so.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 14 Apr 06 - 12:12 AM

I've not heard words to it, but for tradition, there's the tune Carolan's Quarrel with the Landlady, that pops up in the occasional session book. There's supposedly an explanation for the title; but if I've seen it I've forgotten where.

John

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: Susan of DT
Date: 14 Apr 06 - 07:34 AM

Pity the Downtrodden Landlord, in the DT, figure "landlord" as gender neutral.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: mandotim
Date: 14 Apr 06 - 08:03 AM

Modesty forbids, but...one of my songs has a passing reference to the gradual demise of the seaside landlady; it's called 'Shabby Seaside Towns'and you can hear it at http://www.myspace.com/bit_on_the_side
Tim from Bit on the Side

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: Charley Noble
Date: 14 Apr 06 - 05:32 PM

Tim-

Not too shabby, as they say in Maine.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: GUEST,JohnB
Date: 15 Apr 06 - 01:32 AM

Never heard of a "male" landlady, if you follow the link to the DT words it says.
HULLABALOO BELAY
Me mother kept a boarding house,
JohnB

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: Charley Noble
Date: 15 Apr 06 - 08:44 AM

Very true, John B, but the words in the DT may not be the ultimate version of this ditty and it may not even matter if you accept the premise that more than one version of a song passed by oral tradition can exist.

However, I did make the very same point as you did earlier.

I was thinking that "Let Her Sleep Under the Bar" might have possibilities but its in reference to a homeless or drunk customer rather than the landlady.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 16 Apr 06 - 06:55 PM

MRS CANATELLI

by Gallagher & Lyle

No dogs, no cats and wipe your feet on the mat
No blacks, no blues, the rent is due
Three weeks in advance put it in her hands
If you want to stay at Mrs. Canatelli's

No girls, no men, the doors are locked right on ten
You can't conceive, she believes
Holy water feeds all your naughty needs
Giving liberty at Mrs. Canatelli's

She starts her day with every prayer she can say
Her tea and toast are sanctified
By the Holy Ghost, every lodger knows
Heaven is that close at Mrs. Canatelli's

Repeat 1

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mrs Canatelli
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 16 Apr 06 - 07:02 PM

Apologies - I meant to change the subject line but thought I'd better do a search first, and forgot.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: Charley Noble
Date: 16 Apr 06 - 07:33 PM

Susanne-

That's an unusual one. Is it recent?

I thought I had them all!

Here's one writen by tenant organizers in Ann Arbor in the 1970's to a familiar tune:

Written by Dale Cohen & Hugh McGuinness © 1981
Tenant organizers from the university town of Ann Arbor, Michigan
Tune: inspired by "Love Me, I'm a Liberal" by Phil Oches

Love Me, I'm Your Landlord


I remember when I was a tenant,
I remember the strife and the pain;
I swore to reform the system,
That produced such ill-gotten gain,
So now that I'm your landlord,
You've no reason left to complain –
So love me, love me, love me,
I'm your landlord!

I helped form the first tenants union,
For that I should get a gold star;
I love each one of my tenants,
I even lend them my car;
But this talk about rent control,
That's going a bit too far...

I cried when my tenants had no heat,
Tears ran down my spine;
I mourned when that old furnace broke down,
As though I'd lost a grandparent of mine;
But, you know, they had it coming,
When they were late with the rent last time...

I cheered when old Epstein was rent struck,
My faith in the system restored;
And I'm glad that Trony went bankrupt,
They charged rents no one could afford,
And I love each one of my tenants,
But I hope that they don't move next door...

Oh, those people who work for McKinley,
Should all hang their heads in shame;
I don't understand how their minds work –
Property maintenance is part of the game;
But if you ask me to roll back my rents,
I'll have the cops take down your name...

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 17 Apr 06 - 05:31 PM

Charley, as stated, Mrs Canatelli was written by Benny Gallagher & Graham Lyle. The recording I have is by Iain MacKintosh on his first solo album. The notes simply say:

[1974:] Benny told me they wrote this song about the landlady of their lodgings when they were in London with [their band] 'McGuinness Flint'. (Notes Iain MacKintosh, 'By Request')

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 Apr 06 - 10:14 PM

Susanne-

Thanks for the additional notes. It certainly fits in with several in my collection.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 19 Apr 06 - 06:07 PM

Charley, would you like a copy on tape? Just send me a PM.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: Charley Noble
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 05:25 PM

Sussanne-

I'd love a copy some time. I'm off for a music tour for a week this Friday but I'll plan to PM you when I get back.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 21 Apr 06 - 01:55 PM

McGrath of Harlow - I know that song as "Mrs. Crandell's Boarding House" which I mentioned above. I honestly never heard anyone other thsan The Irish Rovers sing it. What an odd gap in my education, eh?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Any good tunes about Landladys
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Apr 06 - 02:51 PM

Theres a good irish reel called "The lady of the house"