A Treasury of American Ballads: Gay, Naughty, and Classic edited with an Introduction and Notes by Charles O'Brien Kennedy, The McBride Co., New York, ©1954, First Edition, page 366.

LYDIA PINKHAM
Anonymous
The fame of this obscure but enterprising woman of New England became nationwide. Her product still marches on.

1. Let us sing of Lydia Pinkham
And her love for the human race:
How she sells her veg'table compound,
And the papers publish her face.

2. Mrs. Brown had female weakness;
Couldn't have a child at all,
Till she took some veg'table compound;
Now she has triplets every fall

3. Oh, it sells for a dollar a bottle,
Which is very cheap you see,
And if it doesn't cure you
She will sell you six for three.

4. Now she's dead and gone to Heaven,
Mourned by all the human race;
Still they sell her veg'table compound,
And the papers publish her face.

The American Songbag Carl Sandburg, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich: Harvest Books Series, ©1927, ISBN 0-15-605650-X, notes:

"Only two of the many verses of this song are presented here. As a satire the piece has its points and touches more than the surface of current life, manners and morals."

The two verses given are the first and third from Kennedy above.

Sandburg includes a "piano/lyric score" in 9/8 time, but it does not "scan well" with the lyric given.

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Click to play Sandburg Tune

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Volume II, Folk Song Encyclopedia, Jerry Silverman, ©1975, Chappel & Co, dist Hal Leonard, has the same first verse, uses the Kennedy third verse as the second, and a modified third verse,

3. Mrs. Jones, she had no children,
Though she loved them very dear.
So she bought some vegetable compound,
Now she has them twice a year.

Silverman gives a tune, in 3/4 time, with guitar chords.

The "vulgar" version posted - From: Bob Landry 03-Jun-97 - 06:44 PM is from:

A Book of Vulgar Verse, "by A Man About Town," ©1981 Checkerbooks, Inc, Toronto, dist by Book Sales, Inc, Secaucus N.J., ISBN 0-89009-411-X (in my copy).

John