The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #173031 Message #4195818
Posted By: Joe Offer
19-Jan-24 - 05:16 PM
Thread Name: Origins: Old House (Tear It Down)
Subject: ADD: Old House (Tear It Down)
I found this song in the 1956 Silver Burdett Second Grade school songbook, Music in Our Town. Anybody know anything about its background? The songbook says it's an American folk-game song, collected by John W. Work. It's not in Work's American Negro Songs.
OLD HOUSE
Old house, tear it down! Who's going to help me? Tear it down! Bring me a hammer. Tear it down! Bring me a saw. Tear it down! Next thing you bring me, Tear it down! Is a wrecking machine. Tear it down!
New house. Build it up! Who's going to help me? Build it up! Bring me a hammer. Build it up! Bring me a saw. Build it up! Next thing you bring me, Build it up! Is a Carpenter man. Build it up!