The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #46712   Message #1283686
Posted By: Jim Dixon
28-Sep-04 - 11:17 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: The Laughing Song
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Laughing Song
The Glowing Dial website contains a biography of Cal Stewart (1856 - 1919), an entertainer who portrayed a comical character called Uncle Josh Weathersby. He was famous for comic songs and monologues, and made many recordings. He recorded several "laughing songs." ("Laughing song" seems to be the generic term for any song whose chorus consists mainly of laughter). One was actually called LAUGHING SONG (Berliner 046, 1899). Others were TICKLISH REUBEN (Victor 1637), AND THEN I LAUGHED (Victor 5101) and I LAUGHED AT THE WRONG TIME (Columbia A2923), and I'M OLD BUT I'M AWFULLY TOUGH (1898).

Cal Stewart's recording of I'M OLD BUT I'M AWFULLY TOUGH appears in the collection "1890s, Vol. 1: Wipe Him Off the Land" Archeophone CD 9004, 2001. A sound sample from allmusic plus a quote at the Glowing Dial page gave me this:

The belles they do say
"Uncle Josh-u-way [Joshua],
You're old but you're awfully tough."
Ha-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha, ha!
Ha-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha, ha!
Ha-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha, ha!
I'm old but I'm awfully tough.
Ha-ha-ha...

The Library of Congress American Memory Collection has a field recording of I'M OLD BUT I'M AWFULLY TOUGH made in California in 1939. It consists of only one verse:

Oh, I came to your city this night for to see
A look at your great Union Square.
I came for to ride on your 'lectric streetcars
And to wink at your pretty young girls.
Oh, I'm old but I'm awfully tough, ha-ha!
I'm old but I'm awfully tough;
And the girls they all say in a jolly old way:
"He's old but he's awfully tough."

The Folk Music Index says that TICKLISH REUBEN was also recorded by Uncle Dave Macon under the title SOMETHING'S ALWAYS SURE TO TICKLE ME. It appears on the album "Keep My Skillet Good and Greasy,"

Oh, my name is Ticklish Davy and I came from Tennessee,
Where ev'rything seemed ticklish to me.
I've been tickled by an undershirt, been tickled by a wasp,
I've been tickled by a yaller [yellow] bumblebee.
I was always getting tickled by someone about the house,
So why did....

[I'm tickled in the morning?] I'm tickled in the night,
For something's always sure to tickle me.
Ha-ha ha-ha ha-ha! Ha-ha ha-ha ha-ha!
Ha-ha ha-ha ha-ha ha-ha ha-ha!
Yee, ha-ha ha-ha! Ha-ha ha-ha ha-ha ha!
Ha-ha ha-ha ha-ha ha-ha ha!

Oh, I once did put some pepper [and Tabasco?]....

Wade Mainer also recorded WADE'S LAUGHING SONG.

MY NAME IS TICKLISH REUBEN, performed by The Smyth County Ramblers, appears on the collection " Music From the Lost Provinces: Old Time String Bands 1927-1931," Old Hat CD 1001, 1999.

I once put some snuff in my aunt's tobacco box.
How she acted was a sight [to see?]...