The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #93148 Message #1789572
Posted By: Azizi
21-Jul-06 - 10:16 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: The Biggest Aspidistra in the World
Subject: RE: Req: Hang Ol Hitler From the Very Highest Bough
Off-Topic. Sorta
I was struck by Ferrara's comment that "The properly improper way to sing it, as Gargoyle said above, (this is a music hall song after all) is to hold that first syllable -- "the biggest Assss... pidistra in the world."
That comment reminded me of a sub-genre of children's rhymes in which the children pretend to avoid saying profanity or making other 'naughty' or bad references at the end of a line by using a very close substitute for that word or reference in the beginning of the next line.
One line that is widely used in these types of rhymes is "ask me no questions" [though, in children's rhymes I've seen in mostly as "ask me no more questions."] Of course, the word "ask" is a clear substitution for "ass" [meaning 'butt' meaning 'behind' meaning-oh, you know what I mean...]
By far what appears to be the most widely occurring example of this technique is found in "Miss Suzie Had a Steamboat" [which is also known as 'Miss Lucy', 'Miss Molly' or some other female name-'Had a Tugboat'].
"Miss Suzie had a Steamboat" appears to usually be recited while performing partner handclap routines. There are numerous versions of this rhyme. Here's one of my favorites:
"Ms. Suzy had a steamboat. The steamboat had a bell. Toot, toot! The steamboat went to heaven. Ms. Suzy went to— Hello operator, please give me number nine, And if you disconnect me, ill chop of your— Behind the 'fridgerator, there lay a piece of glass. Ms. Suzy sat upon it and broke her little— Ask me no more questions, tell me no more lies. The boys are in the bathroom zipping up their— Flies are in the meadows. The bees are in their hives. Ms Suzy and her boyfriend are kissing in the D-A-R-K D-A-R-K, dark, dark Dark as in the movies, the movies like a show. The show is like a TV screen and that is all I know. I know my ma. I know I know my pa. I know I know my sister with the 40-acre bra. My mom gave me a penny. My dad gave me a dime. My sister gave me a boyfriend, who kissed me all the time. He made me wash the dishes. He made me scrub the floor. He made me clean his underwear so I kicked him out the door. I kicked him over London. I kicked him over France. I kicked him over China, and stole his underpants. Broccoli makes you smell good. Carrots help you say Bananas make you constipate and water makes you pee. My mother is a burglar. My father is a spy. And I'm the little bugger that told the F.B.I. Hello, operator. Please give me number 10, And if you disconnect me, I'll sing this song again!!"