Joe, the main problem with quoting associated tunes from songbooks is what I call the problem of "prescriptive" tunes. Say the songbook compiler doesn't know the tune to a song but wants to sing the lyrics, then the compiler choses a tune that was never "traditional". This is a completely new tune which was never before used with the song. They lyrics may never have been sung to the tune listed in the songbook. An example of this is in the Hot Vagina thread. This song, as far as I know, has never been sung to "Yellow Rose of Texas" though that is what is listed universially in online hash house harrier songbooks.

Clearly "Itsy Bitsy Spider" is not the name of tune in the two mp3s. But this does give my something else to track down. I need to try to find people who actually use this tune for the lyrics.

Q, thanks for the "Don't Send My Boy to Prison" reference. I don't really think the tune or lyrics are close enough to qualify as a parody or derivative. I will track down different versions of "...My Boy to Prison" to see if there variation in this song with some closer to "...My Boy to Harvard".

Joe, thanks for the mp3 of "...My Boy to Prison". I have ordered a CD and will purchase a few 78 records of the song. As I say above, perhaps there is variation to the tune.

Everyone, I included two versions of "Don't Send My Boy to Harvard" because of the variantion in the tune. Please make sure to listen to the second mp3.

Thanks everyone for your help. Please keep a lookout for references to the song and keep an ear out for the tune.

Yours,

John Mehlberg
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Notes: The person singing in the first MP3 learned his version at Princton in ~1929. The second person learned his in ~1950 at Indiana University.