Origins: Ten Green Bottles...

Subject: RE: Origins: Ten Green Bottles...
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 24 Jun 25 - 06:51 AM

I remember from schooldays (1950s/60s)

Ten bluebottles on a piece of meat.
Ten bluebottles on a piece of meat.
And if one bluebottle should wipe his dirty feet
There'd be Monday's dinner hardly fit to eat

Nine bluebottles on a piece of meat.
Nine bluebottles on a piece of meat.
And if one bluebottle should wipe his dirty feet
There'd be Tuesday's dinner hardly fit to eat

. . .

Subject: RE: Origins: Ten Green Bottles...
From: Johnny J
Date: 17 Jun 25 - 12:39 PM

An amazing "blast from the past".

I didn't even remember posting that one!

:-))

Subject: RE: Origins: Ten Green Bottles...
From: Lighter
Date: 17 Jun 25 - 11:25 AM

"The Sun" (Baltimore), Nov. 23, 1895:

"[In a college initiation prank] the blindfolded young woman...stood in the centre of the room and began to warble, in a strong soprano voice, the melody of 'Forty-nine blue bottles hanging on the wall.'"

Subject: RE: Origins: Ten Green Bottles...
From: Lighter
Date: 17 Jun 25 - 09:22 AM

Earliest mention?"

Falls City (Neb.) News (May 24, 1889):

"Professor Gilmore and his female minstrel orchestra....After this followed songs, duets and recitations by the individual females, closing with the Italian opera '99 Green Bottles Hanging n the Wall.' This was the climax, and before the sixtieth bottle had been 'sung from the wall,' the exhausted members of the troupe fainted away, one by one, until only Mrs. Powell and the professor remained, seemingly determined to get the last bottle off. A [comic stage-business] telegram...brought the entertainment to a close."

Subject: RE: Origins: Ten Green Bottles...
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 17 Jun 25 - 08:35 AM

Ummm

Subject: RE: Origins: Ten Green Bottles...
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Jan 24 - 05:48 AM

cum

Subject: RE: Ten Green Bottles...
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 18 Jul 11 - 02:16 PM

If this song indeed refers to the Metropolitan Police, there are now only EIGHT green bottles, as the Chief and his Deputy have fallen on their swords over the hacking Scandal.

Subject: RE: Ten Green Bottles...
From: CapriUni
Date: 18 Jul 11 - 01:44 PM

Perhaps it depends on which species of biting fly is in your neighborhood -- there are green flies, too.

(and meanwhile, this song will now be stuck in my head -- at least it's a good deal shorter than "100 bottles of beer.")

Subject: RE: Ten Green Bottles...
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 18 Jul 11 - 01:14 PM

Depends what light you look at them in?
Quote from slang dictionary

bluebottle

Definition
noun British
a police officer. A term popular in the 1950s and still heard. It has been used in Britain since the 16th century, well before policemen wore uniforms, and indeed existed in any organised form, which suggests that the original reference was to an annoying pestilential presence.
Citation 'Before you could turn round the place filled up with bluebottles.' (Recorded, pub habitué, London, 1987)

Subject: Lyr Add: TEN GREEN BOTTLES
From: Johnny J
Date: 18 Jul 11 - 06:55 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak7kedzR8bg

Apparently, one suggestion as to the origins of this song is related to The Metropolitan Polce.

"Like many folk songs the origin of "Ten Green Bottles" is lost to antiquity, it was believed to be of English, more specifically of Yorkshire origin, although one suggestion is that greenbottles refers to officers of the Metropolitan Police, apparently underworld jargon for the new force founded by Act of Parliament in 1829. This could explain why the bottles were said to be hanging on the wall rather than sitting on it. "

http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=19006

How appropriate.

---

And here are the lyrics, just in case you really need to know. -Joe Offer-

TEN GREEN BOTTLES

Ten green bottles hanging on the wall
Ten green bottles hanging on the wall
And if one green bottle should accidentally fall
There'd be nine green bottles hanging on the wall