The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #75327 Message #2648637
Posted By: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
04-Jun-09 - 07:29 PM
Thread Name: Origins: 'There's a hole in the bucket, dear Liza'
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The bucket of water song
Harry Belafonte did a version of this with Odetta back around 1959 or so in a Carnegie Hall Concert album.
"Henry; go get the bucket!"
"There's a hole in the bucket dear Liza, dear Liza; a hole in the bucket, Dear Liza, a hole."
"Then fix it dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry;
Then fix it, dear Henry, dear Henry -- fix it!"
And so on, as follows:
"With what shall I fix it?
"With a straw
"But the straw is too long
"Then cut it
"With what shall I cut it?
"With an axe
"But the axe is too dull
"Then sharpen it
"With what shall I sharpen it?
"With a stone
"But the stone is too dry
"Then wet it
"With what shall I wet it
"With water
"In what shall I fetch it
"In the bucket
"There's a hole in the bucket...etc.
With male and female, back and forth, showing increasing consternation on her part, it can be pretty funny - if transparent.