The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #108622 Message #2263572
Posted By: Rapparee
15-Feb-08 - 09:12 PM
Thread Name: Origin: Away, Away with Rum, by Gum
Subject: RE: Origin - Away away with rum
According to the The Mitchell Trio Songbook (Chicago: Quadrangle Books, 1964), p. 80:
The was originally English. When it came here it was a parody satirizing the South Asian Army. People didn't think the South Asian Army deserved quite that bad, so the changed the focus to the Temperance Union.
I can't find any indication as to who did the notes to the songs, but it was probably one of the Trio.
The "Temperance Union" mentioned in the song probably refers to the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) which still exists and is active today. I can't find anything on the "South Asian Army", which simply means I can't find anything and not that it's a bad reference.