G'day again,

The words and tune to the Australian version appear to be from Alan Scott's own recollections ... and were included in a letter to the Singabout section of Mulga Wire #32, August 1982. On page 8, lan writes:

"I can't remember when or from whom I learnt these words. My tune is slightly different to the one reported by Ralph Pride*: the pattern of the music is interesting in that the held notes last longer than the beats in between. The only other tune I can think of where that happens is 'When the Saints go marching In'."

* I can't spot where Ralph Pride's tune is ... indeed, I can't see it in the index ... so it may not have been published in Singabout.

Oh, When I Die

Oh, when I die, don't bury me at all,
Just pickle my bones in alcohol -
Put a hand grenade, at my head and feet,
And then I know, my bones will keep.

(Tune in Alan of Oz's "No Longer Supported by Mudcat" MIDItext format. Well, if you don't have MIDItext ... you can read the ABC format- or extract it run it through an ABC to music notation program.)

MIDI file: whenidie.mid

Timebase: 240

TimeSig: 4/4 24 8

Tempo: 128 (468750 microsec/crotchet)

Start

0240 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 59 080 0192 0 59 064 0048 1 62 080 1152 0 62 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 64 080 1152 0 64 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 66 080 0096 0 66 064 0024 1 66 080 0096 0 66 064 0024 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 66 080 1152 0 66 064 0048 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 59 080 0192 0 59 064 0048 1 62 080 1152 0 62 064 0048 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 59 080 0192 0 59 064 0048 1 62 080 1152 0 62 064 0048 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0225 0 69 064 0015 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 64 080 1152 0 64 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 66 080 0192 0 66 064 0048 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 66 080 1152 0 66 064 0048 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 66 080 0192 0 66 064 0048 1 67 080 0768 0 67 064

End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1

T:

M:4/4

Q:1/4=128

K:C

D4E2B,2|D8|-D2G2AAGG|E8|-E2G2^F^FF2|^F8|-^F2D2E2B,2|

D8|-D2DDE2B,2|D8|-D2GGA2G2|E8|-E2G2^F2F2|

^F8|-^F2D2E2^F2|G13/2||

Bob Bolton Note:

Alan would still have been in junior high school at the end of WW II ... so the military flavour suggested by the " ... hand grenade at my head and feet ... " line may suggest he learned it from one of his older brothers - perhaps Bill Scott (another folklorist / collector ... inter alia).

Regards,

Bob