Lyr Req: Go Wash an Elephant (Baby Gramps)

Subject: Go Wash An Elephant (Baby Gramps)
From: GUEST,Argenine
Date: 10 Sep 01 - 03:58 PM

Seeking this marvelous Baby Gramps song, which I heard on KBOO in Portland, OR. (My initial thread got taken over by the hippopotami.)

Arge

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Go Wash An Elephant (Baby Gra
From: GUEST,KT
Date: 10 Sep 01 - 10:22 PM

Sounds interesting. sorry I can't help, but you've got me curious.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Go Wash An Elephant (Baby Gra
From: Sorcha
Date: 10 Sep 01 - 10:46 PM

Found lots of stuff about Baby Gramps, and a sound file (RA) of the tune, but no lyrics. No lyrics on the RA file, either. Sorry

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Go Wash An Elephant (Baby Gra
From: richardw
Date: 10 Sep 01 - 10:46 PM

It is on his CD. I'm heading out of townfor 3 weeks or I would copy it out for you. Try someone like Dusty Strings or Victory Music is Seattle for the CD. Maybe a net search? It's a great album by a genius.

Richard Wright

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Go Wash An Elephant (Baby Gra
From: GUEST,Argenine
Date: 26 Sep 01 - 04:43 AM

Thanks for the lead, Richard. I'll look for the CD.
If you can post it when you get back, that'll be great!
Arge

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Go Wash An Elephant (Baby Gra
From: GUEST,Argenine
Date: 28 Sep 01 - 07:28 PM

Refresh

Subject: Lyr Add: GO WASH AN ELEPHANT (Baby Gramps)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 02 Nov 09 - 01:00 PM

GO WASH AN ELEPHANT (IF YOU WANNA DO SOMETHING BIG) was written by J Russel Robinson and Arthur Terker in 1927. It was recorded by—
The Caroliners, 1927
Joe Candullo Everglades Orchestra, 1927.
Bob Haring and His Orchestra, 1927.
The Jazz Pilots (Harry Reser's Orchestra), 1927.
Bill Williams & His Gang, 1927

Baby Gramps recorded it on his album "Same Ol' Timeously: Vocalisthenics & Stunt Guitar" 2002. You can hear this recording as part of an archived radio program from WFMU. See the playlist here. The song begins at 1:01:55.

I transcribed this:

Now go wash an elephant if you want to do something big.
Scrub him and rub him till he squeals like a pig.
Get that brush down in that pail. Make that water fly.
Wash him in September. By April he might be dry.
Go wash an elephant if you want to do something big.
But beware! you can drown in an elephant's dimples.
They're much deeper than Shirley Temple's.
Go wash an elephant if you want to do something big.

Go out and find an elephant, white, gray or pink,
Then wash him all over till he's nice and wrinkly.
Go wash an elephant if you want to do something big.

There's one nose longer than Durante's proboscis.
It's a shower hose between ivory faucets
Go wash an elephant if you want to do something big.

But beware! you can drown in an elephant's dimples.
They're much deeper than Shirley Temple's.
Go wash an elephant if you want to do something big.

[A catalog entry at WorldCat.com indicates that there might be a verse beginning '"Papa, papa, papa," said little Willie McGurk.']