The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #14114 Message #3315157
Posted By: Charley Noble
29-Feb-12 - 01:05 PM
Thread Name: Origin: Bill Johnson, the Monkey, and the Dago
Subject: RE: Origin: Bill Johnson, the Monkey, and the Dago
Maybe we can tease out some more lyrics.
Here's what I harvested from the link above:
BILL JOHNSON, THE MONKEY, AND THE DAGO
Bill Johnson, he was a desperate man; he come to town one day; And he sold a herd of cattle that he raised out in the west. And standin', on a corner, was a dago and his monkey, And the monkey tickled Johnson way down in his chest.
Then they passed the hat around, and Johnson put some in; And when he found out his mistake, it was then that the trouble begin. 'Cause he thought it was a quarter, but it was a five and gold. That's when they started in just like brave warriors of old.
Chorus:
They had it in and out, Lordy, up and down In the alley and on the ground, I swear I never seen such carryin' on before. I do not know that monkey's name, but he got there just the same. Bill Johnson, the monkey, and the dago.
Well the dago, he threw a brick at Bill; Johnson let it go past. It hit a dutchman on the head and broke a chinaman's window glass. Then the chinaman, he come runnin' out; imagine what he found. Old Johnson, he'd picked up the monkey by the tail and he knocked that Dago down.
Chorus:
Then the dago he drew a stilletto, old Johnson went for his gun; The dutchman whipped out a razor, and the chinaman broke into a run. He ran into a policeman, and knocked him right offa his pins. The cop, he sent for the big patrol and they run that whole crew in.
Chorus:
People who were offended by the Taco Bell commercial probably won't like this little song very much either, but I think it's pretty neat. As far as I know, this song exists only in oral tradition. A friend of mine, a retired newspaper columnist named R.C. Smith, who lives in Guilford College, N.C., recorded this song in about 1960 at a party in Raleigh where it was sung by an aging state employee. He and I used to sing it together at parties in the 60s. I have the old man's name somewhere, but can't find it at the moment. DEB