Lyr Req: Silly 'Dutch' song Ja Ja Ja?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Silly 'Dutch' song Ja Ja Ja?
From: Lighter
Date: 12 Mar 14 - 09:35 PM

Not that I disagree, Gibb, but what gravels me more is - once again - the bland assumption by all concerned that a new song with little more than "a whiff of something old" can truthfully be passed off on the public as a "traditional song."

At least Lloyd's questionable redactions (and some others one must admit) were in the genuine spirit and style.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Silly 'Dutch' song Ja Ja Ja?
From: Gibb Sahib
Date: 12 Mar 14 - 09:18 PM

Anyone else noticed the sanitized version of 'Rollin'the Woodpile down' performed by Bellowhead on the BBC awards show recently ?

I don't see why Bellowhead doesn't just write their own song rather than do this. The style, the context, the timbres, the spirit, etc. are all very different than that of the older song. But that would be par for the course and dandy for a "cover song" if they were at least using the lyrics and melody (read: the parts narrowly conceived to entail "the composition" in the Western commercial music worldview) of the older song. But they're not even doing that. Who knows what hand-me-down of a folkie source they are getting it from either, and yet they go even further as to change melody and lyrics significantly (IMO).

The is of course nothing "wrong" with doing that. I just don't see the point of taking just a tiny speck of a whiff of something old/"traditional"... Is that whiff so compelling that one couldn't possibly make up their own? Or is it all just a formality, to say that - in some tokenistic way - one is taking a nominally "traditional" (well, it's a coon/minstrel song, but they might think it's "English folk") piece and "modernizing it"? -- so as to say, "Look, we are very English and very 'folk' in our identity because, umm, see: folk-song. And yet look, we're hip too because, erm, electric bass! And how dare you call us up on what we do cause, like, folksong is always changing, man." !

Don't get me wrong; I'm not a sourpuss about popular music. I just think they could write the same melody to make me jump up and down in the crowd, and similar "fine gal o' mine" lyrics with no need to bring in this "traditional material" stuff. I guess I'm not English, so I don't feel that supercharge of John Bull identity affirmation "knowing" that the tune I'm jumping up and down to has been advertised to me as some piece of my heritage.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Silly 'Dutch' song Ja Ja Ja?
From: Lighter
Date: 12 Mar 14 - 07:19 PM

The "bawdy houses" version you quote is likewise bowdlerized.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Silly 'Dutch' song Ja Ja Ja?
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Mar 14 - 05:47 PM

'Dutch' = 'Deutsch', hence Ja Ja Ja. Not sung much these days as it contains the 'n' word, as Guest above hints. The verse about going to the brothel was my favourite;
'We do all the bawdy hooses[x2]
und ve hitchen up der trooses
und ve catchen all der louses'
mit mein ja, ja, ja.

Bowdlerising or not is a can of worms, isn't it ? Anyone else noticed the sanitized version of 'Rollin'the Woodpile down' performed by Bellowhead on the BBC awards show recently ?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Silly 'Dutch' song Ja Ja Ja?
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Mar 14 - 08:53 AM

I think you have Bowlderised that first line Jim.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Silly 'Dutch' song Ja Ja Ja?
From: GUEST,John Clasper
Date: 12 Mar 14 - 05:13 AM

Great version of this song by Jim Mageean & Johnny Collins on the old album Stronrace.If it is still available.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Silly 'Dutch' song Ja Ja Ja?
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 12 Feb 14 - 07:02 AM

To mine inkum stinkum baccerum to mine Ya, ya, ya,
repeat
I will climb upon the steeple ans will piss on all the people
We mine ya, ya, ya

Min Father was a Dutchman
to mine...
Mine mother was a Frennchman
To mine..
We will...

Can't remember any more Martin, but it's included on one of the Critics Group sea albums where it's described as a pumping shanty
You're welcome to them if you wish.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Silly 'Dutch' song Ja Ja Ja?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 12 Feb 14 - 06:58 AM

It's a traditional shanty, ' Jaw Jaw Jaw '

It's in Hugill's ' Shanties From The Seven Seas '

Dave H

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Silly 'Dutch' song Ja Ja Ja?
From: G-Force
Date: 12 Feb 14 - 06:41 AM

Sorry, 'GUEST' above at 5.55 am was me. Don't know why my cookie should expire as I was only posting yesterday.

Anyway, with regard to:

Doesn't really have anything to do with anything 'Dutch', does it?

In those days the term 'Dutchman' was used to refer to northern Europeans generally, hence the obviously German caricaturisation in the song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Silly 'Dutch' song Ja Ja Ja?
From: MartinRyan
Date: 12 Feb 14 - 06:19 AM

Apropos of very little, there is a Northern Ireland May Day song associated with the linen trade which goes:


Our queen's up the river
with your ya, ya, ya
Our queen's up the river
with your ya, ya, ya
Our queen's up the river
And we'll keep her there forever
with your ya, ya, ya ya


which looks like the shanty come ashore.

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Silly 'Dutch' song Ja Ja Ja?
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 12 Feb 14 - 06:12 AM

Doesn't really have anything to do with anything 'Dutch', does it?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Silly 'Dutch' song Ja Ja Ja?
From: GUEST,John Bowden (not a typo!)
Date: 12 Feb 14 - 06:00 AM

Yes, Guest, it probably is: there's a previous thread at http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=124333

There's a performance here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kafmIe4pFxw

and there are others on youtube as well.

John

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Silly 'Dutch' song Ja Ja Ja?
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Feb 14 - 05:55 AM

Sounds like the sea shanty 'Mine father was ein Dutchman'.

Subject: Lyr Req: Silly 'Dutch' song Ja Ja Ja?
From: GUEST,Jenny
Date: 12 Feb 14 - 05:07 AM

Hi, I am trying to find the tune and words to a silly song that I think has a play on supposed Dutch words. Its rather silly and a bit naughty and I thought it would suit my friends well but I'm struggling to find it anywhere. I used to hear it sung a lot around the sessions years ago but not heard it for a long time. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? Thanks.