The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #151842   Message #3548405
Posted By: Joe_F
12-Aug-13 - 10:21 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Vonnegut's Song
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Vonnegut's Song
Cf. Ball of Yarn. Oscar Brand is not quite so filthy:

In a prison cell I sit, with my coattails in the shade,
And the shadow of my nose upon the walls,
And the ladies, as they pass, thrust their hatpins up my coat,
While the little mice play hopscotch on my shoes.

His tune is not quite the same as that of "Tramp! tramp! tramp!", but note that the latter *begins* with the words "In the prison cell I sit, Thinking Mother dear, of you".

The IWW had a song TTTO "Tramp! Tramp! Tramp!" beginning with a stanza (missing from the version in The Big Red Songbook) that went something like

In a prison cell we sit. Are we broken-hearted? Nit!
We're as happy and as cheerful as can be,
For we know that every Wob will be busy on the job
Till they swing the prison gates and set us free.