Lyr Req: Barnyard Dance (Carl Martin)

Subject: Barnyard Dance?
From:
Date: 27 Dec 96 - 05:12 PM

I believe this was done by Martin, Bogan, & Armstrong back in the late 60s or early 70s. Do you know the lyrics and chords? Thanks, Red

Subject: RE: Barnyard Dance?
From: Bill
Date: 28 Dec 96 - 12:49 AM

Jay Ungar and Molly Mason have a more recent recording of it. I heard them do it a couple of years ago and didn't try to learn it right away, so I forgot that I wanted to add it to the repertoire. Thanks for reminding me.

Allinkausay,

Bill

Subject: RE: Barnyard Dance?
From: Bill Day
Date: 30 Dec 96 - 11:22 AM

I have the B,M & A record...(got it when they performed at the Smithsonian festival about 1974-5...they didnt even have the cover printed yet)...but I don't play guitar...I could make a tape of it, if no better solutions arise...

Subject: Lyr Add: BARNYARD DANCE (Carl Martin)
From: Red
Date: 04 Jan 97 - 01:21 PM

Hi Bill,
Thanks for the offer, but let's just check to see if I've remembered the lyrics correctly. I think I remember the chords.

Late last night in the pale moonlight
All the vegetables give a spree.
They put out a sign saying "dancing at nine"
And all the admissions was free.
There were peas and beans, and cabbages and greens.
It was the biggest crowd you ever seen.
And when old man cucumber struck up his number,
You should 'a' heard them vegetables scream.

Well the little turnip top was doin' the backwoods flop.
The carrot shook the shimmy and she would not stop.
The little red beet kicked off his feet
And the watermelon died in a cockeyed heap.
Red tomata, agitata,
Shook up the shimmy with the sweet potata.
And old man garlic dropped dead of the colic
Down at the Barnyard Dance.

What a great tune!
Any corrections?

From the Ragwagon,
Red Riley

Subject: Lyr Add: Barnyard Dance, diff lyrics
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Nov 09 - 12:25 PM

The lyrics I have for BARNYARD DANCE differ a bit from the ones I found here at Mudcat. Lyrics get changed like the messages whispered down the line in the children's game of 'telephone.'

It was late one night, in the pale moonlight,
when all the vegetables went on a spree,
They put out a sign that said "Dancin' At Nine
and all the refreshments are free",
Well there were peas and beans, and cabbages and greens,
It was the biggest crowd you've ever seen...
Then when old man Cucumber, struck up his number,
You should'a heard those vegetables scream!
Well the little turnip top did the backwards flop,
The cabbage shook the shimmy and she would not stop,
The little red beet stamped his feet and
The watermelon dived to the cockeyed beat,
The red potato, that agitator, [pronounced:red potatUH,that agitatUH]
Shook the shimmy with the sweet tomato,
And old man garlic dropped dead of the colic,
down at the Barnyard Dance - this mornin'!
Down at the Barnyard Dance!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Barnyard Dance, diff lyrics
From: Charley Noble
Date: 02 Nov 09 - 09:01 AM

It's not at all surprising that such a song would undergo some changes:

"The red potato, that agitator, [pronounced:red potatUH,that agitatUH]
Shook the shimmy with the sweet tomato,"

Here the "potato" and the "tomato" have been tossed about, and I would urge restoring them to the original order.

Where did you pick up the song?

I first heard a version on a Steve Goodman recording back in the 1970's, but the original lyrics go way back to the early 1900's with the original Holy Molly Rounders.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: ADD Version: Barnyard Dance (Carl Martin)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 May 16 - 02:29 PM

I found these lyrics in Sing Out! Magazine, Volume 27, No. 5 (Sept/Oct 1979), page 78.

BARNYARD DANCE
(Carl Martin)

It was late one night In the pale moonlight
And all the vegetables went on a spree
They put out a sign that said "Dancin' at Nine"
And all the admission was free

It was peas and beans Cabbage and greens
Well it was the biggest sight you've ever seen
And when old man cucumber struck up his number
You oughtta heard the vegetables scream

Well the little turnip top did the backwoods flop
The cabbage tried to shimmy and it could not stop
Little red beet she took his feet
And the watermelon dived with the cockeyed beat

Little tomato, agitator
Shook the shimmy with the sweet potato
And old man garlic dropped dead with the colic
Down at the barnyard dance
This morning
Down at the barnyard dance


Words and Music by Carl Martin ©Beechwood Music, 6255 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood CA 90028

Performance by Bruce Hutton and Bill Schmidt:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYYv-1BJ3IM

Performance by John McCutcheon:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stewoTKztZQ

Performance by Tish Hinojosa (male singer unidentified)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3dheusFSio

I have found Sing Out! song transcriptions to be pretty good, but not infallible. I couldn't find a Carl Martin recording, or a printed source that was more closely tied to Martin.

---

For comparison, here are the lyrics from the Digital Tradition (quite possibly taken from Red Riley's post above):

BARNYARD DANCE

Late last night in the pale moonlight
All the vegetables give a spree
They put out a sign saying dancing at nine
And all the admissions was free.
There were peas and beans, and cabbages and greeens.
It was the biggest crowd you ever seen
And when old man cucumber struck up his number,
You shoulda heard them vegetables scream.

Well the little turnip top was doin' the backwoods flop.
The carrot shook the shimmy and she would not stop.
The little red beet kicked off his feet
And the watermelon died in a cockeyed heap.
Red tomata, agitator, shook up the shimmy
With the sweet potata.
And old man garlic dropped dead of the colic
Down at the Barnyard Dance.

@plant @dance
filename[ BARNYARD
RR
APR99

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barnyard Dance (Carl Martin)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 May 16 - 02:39 PM

Anybody have Tish Hinojosa's Spanish lyrics?

---

YouTube has many examples of another song, also called "Barnyard Dance" (Bow to the horse, bow to the cow...), apparently written by Sandra Boynton and published by Workman Publishing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J32R614gfR0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsisM9cwBIw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3-eWS_ieLA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cOSt2QVJf4

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barnyard Dance (Carl Martin)
From: GUEST,bailey w
Date: 06 Nov 16 - 03:57 PM

I know this was published by Beechwood Music. Do they still exist? Do they hold the copyright?

Thanks,
Bailey

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barnyard Dance (Carl Martin)
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 06 Nov 16 - 10:12 PM

The Delaware Water Gap recorded Barnyard Dance on their album, String Band Music, in 1977. Henry Sapoznik, later known for his work in reviving klezmer music, was in the band. A track listing is at https://www.discogs.com/The-Delaware-Water-Gap-String-Band-Music/release/6732074

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barnyard Dance (Carl Martin)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 07 Nov 16 - 12:32 PM

Hi, Bailey,
The Harry Fox agency website, songfile.com lists the publisher as Happy Valley Music. You can license the song for a recording through the Harry Fox agency website.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barnyard Dance (Carl Martin)
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Nov 16 - 06:27 PM

The late Bob Baldwin (Downeast Bob)and I and Ragtime Jack Radcliffe spent a post-gig jolly evening in the 1970s writing new lines for the song. One that has caught on, and all are welcome to use it, is:
Three rutabagas
Flew in from Vegas
Down at the barnyard dance...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barnyard Dance (Carl Martin)
From: Cool Beans
Date: 07 Nov 16 - 06:29 PM

Last post was me.