The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #71083   Message #1213936
Posted By: Joe Richman
25-Jun-04 - 12:46 AM
Thread Name: Origins: Moses Ri-Tooral-I-Ay
Subject: DTCorr: Moses Ri-Tooral-I-Ay
To help all understand this discussion here are the words from the "Cat"

MR. MOSES RI-TOORAL-I-AY
(Brian O'Higgins)

The policeman walked out, oh, so proud on his beat
When a vision came to him of stripes on his sleeve;
"Promotion," he whispered, "I'll try for today,
So come with me Mister Ri-tooral-i-ay."

"Come tell me your name," says the limb of the law
To the little fat man selling wares on the straw.
"What's that, sir? Me name, sir? Why 'tis there on display
And it's Moses Ri-tooral-i-ooral-i-ay."

Now, the trial it came on and it lasted a week.
One judge said 'twas German; another, 'twas Greek-
"Prove you're lrish," said the policeman "and beyond it say nay;
And we'll sit on it, Moses Ri-tooral-i-ay."

Now the prisoner stepped up there as stiff as a crutch.
"Are you Irish or English or German or Dutch?"
"I'm a Jew, sir; I'm a Jew, sir," that came over to stay.
And my name it is Moses Ri-tooral-i-ay."

"We're two of a kind." said the judge to the Jew;
"You're a cousin of Briscoe and I am one too.
This numbskull has blundered and for it will pay."
"Wisha that's right," says Moses Ri-tooral-i-ay.

There's a garbage collector who works down our strset;
He once was a policeman, the pride of his beat.
And he moans all the night and he groans all the day,
Singing,"Moses Ri-tooral-i-ooral-i-ay. "


Joe