Lyr Req: Pittsburgh Pennsylvania (...a pawnshop...

Subject: RE: Word to Pawnshop in Pittsburg
From: Genie
Date: 21 Aug 07 - 05:49 PM

Go for it.

Stephen Foster - How original was he?

G

Subject: RE: Word to Pawnshop in Pittsburg
From: Azizi
Date: 21 Aug 07 - 08:05 AM

Genie, re your 21 Aug 07 - 02:21 AM post.

I'm not in a Stephen Foster mood at the moment {though I'm gonna be driving past his home in about 20 minutes to get to downtown Pittsburgh..His home is about 5 minutes by car from where I live}.

But if you or someone else start a thread on do people sing Stephen Foster songs and if not why,, I'll visit that thread and post to it.

**

Yeah, JJ. I know exactly which statue your talkin about. And yes, that statue is open to interpretation {which is a polite way of saying that's controversial}.

Subject: RE: Word to Pawnshop in Pittsburg
From: JJ
Date: 21 Aug 07 - 07:45 AM

There used to be a pawnshop on the corner of Federal and ?, just south of the railroad overpass, near where I lived on the North Side about 55 years ago. I liked to think it was the one that inspired Bob Merrill, although what he might have been doing in Pittsburgh I have no idea.

There is a statue of Stephen Foster in Okalnad, in that area that's more or less the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. It was designed by a committee and looks it.

One interpretation of this piece of sculpture is that Foster, notebook in hand, is being inspired by a tune being played on the banjo by an aging gentleman of African-American extraction.

Another is that he's stealing a song from a slave.

But perhaps these are topics for another thread...

Subject: RE: Word to Pawnshop in Pittsburg
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 21 Aug 07 - 04:30 AM

I remember the first line from the radio in the 50's when I was around 8. It seemed to evoke an image that "Strangers in Paradise" and all the sophisticated pre- skiffle and rock popular music did not. I really liked it long before I discovered skiffle and later folk.

Subject: RE: Word to Pawnshop in Pittsburg
From: Genie
Date: 21 Aug 07 - 02:21 AM

That sounds like an interesting 'nuther story, Azizi.   Got a thread for that 'un?

G

Subject: RE: Word to Pawnshop in Pittsburg
From: Azizi
Date: 20 Aug 07 - 09:53 PM

And btw, though I've lived in Pittsburgh for 38 years, I never heard of tge song "There's A Pawnshop In Pittsburgh" before reading about it on Mudcat. And I dare say that few people living in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania region nowadays know this the words to or even know of this song.

But then again, few Pittsburghers know tbat the 19th century songwriter Stephen Foster was a Pittsburger. And nowadays few Pittsburgers sing Stephen Foster's songs. But the reasons for that are a whole 'nuther story.

Subject: RE: Word to Pawnshop in Pittsburg
From: Azizi
Date: 20 Aug 07 - 09:42 PM

These lines of the song "There's a Pawn shop on a corner in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania/And I walk up and down 'neath the clock" probably refer to Kaufmann's clock .

There's a century old tradition of meeting people under the clock that is attached to what used to be Kaufmann's department store, which is still located in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsyvania, And even though the store is now Macys, I still call that landmark clock "Kaufmann's clock", and I know alot of other Pittsburghers do too.

Subject: RE: Word to Pawnshop in Pittsburg
From: Charley Noble
Date: 20 Aug 07 - 09:24 PM

Absolutely frightening! Here's a song that I have no memory of and someone inquires about the lyrics and out comes:

There's a pawn-shop on a corner in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...

I probably never knew any more of it but that was the brain-worm line for me.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Word to Pawnshop in Pittsburg
From: JJ
Date: 20 Aug 07 - 07:41 AM

Simon, I believe he was bringing his Truly, Truly Fair "trinkets."

"Drinkets" suggests something else entirely...

Subject: RE: Word to Pawnshop in Pittsburg
From: Flash Company
Date: 19 Aug 07 - 10:15 AM

Don't remember Guy singing 'The Railroad runs thruogh the Middle of the House', Alma Cogan springs to mind.

FC

Subject: RE: Word to Pawnshop in Pittsburg
From: oldhippie
Date: 18 Aug 07 - 10:13 AM

or, "The Railroad Comes Through The Middle of The House"--

Subject: RE: Word to Pawnshop in Pittsburg
From: M.Ted
Date: 18 Aug 07 - 09:24 AM

Let's not forget his biggest hits: "Heartaches by the Number" and "Singing the Blues"--

Subject: RE: Word to Pawnshop in Pittsburg
From: GUEST,Simon de Goede, the Netherlands
Date: 17 Aug 07 - 07:22 AM

I am old too (74!!!).
In 1950/1958 I sung in a small band and played guitar.
Guy Mitchell was one of my favorites and I sung those songs of course.
Another song of Guy is: Truly, truly fair, oh I love my truly fair,
ther's songs to sing her, drinkets to bring her....e.s.o.
Good old 50-ties.
When we were young.

Simon

Subject: RE: Word to Pawnshop in Pittsburg
From: Flash Company
Date: 09 Aug 07 - 10:49 AM

There's a Pawn shop on a corner in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
And I walk up and down 'neath the clock,
Of that Pawn-shop on the corner in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania,
'Cos I aint got a thing left to hock!

She was peaches, she was honey and she cost me all my money.
'Cos a night on the town was her dream,
Took her dancing, took her dining 'til her blue eyes were shining
With the sights that she never had seen.

If you should run into a golden haired angel
And ask her tonight for a date,
She'll tell you somewhere there's a rich millionaire
Who'll be calling again about eight,

Therrs a Pawn-shop on a corner in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
And I've just got to get five or ten,
From that Pawn-shop on the corner in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania,
Got to be with my angel again!

Think that's all of it, God I am OLD!

FC

Subject: RE: Word to Pawnshop in Pittsburg
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 09 Aug 07 - 10:34 AM

I have a midi-karaoke file of this song sequenced by Ron Tilden. It is playable with Van Basco which is a free download. If you PM me with your e-mail address I will send it to you.

                                              SOL

Subject: RE: Word to Pawnshop in Pittsburg
From: GUEST,Babs
Date: 09 Aug 07 - 10:04 AM

Wow! I thought I was the only one who remember that song! I was looking for the lyrics as I could only remember a part of the song & at 7 misunderstood a word or 2. Loved the song though--AND Guy Mitchells Dark & Roving Eye! Got that one on an album!

Thanks for the words!

Subject: RE: Word to Pawnshop in Pittsburg
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Aug 07 - 09:34 AM

Gee, I used to love that song. Later, when I got into folk music, I noticed a similarity with the first line of "The Soldier And The Maid" (...to see the waters gliding, hear the nightengale sing).
Of course "Little Boxes" was written long after "Pawnshop".
I was a big Guy Mitchel fan. He did pop versions of a number of traditional songs including "She Had A Dark And Roving Eye" (from "The Fireship") and "Black Eyed Suzie".
Back in the fifties, it was not unusual to dress up a traditional song and sell it as Pop. I remember hit versions of "Lavender Blue" and "Yellow Rose Of Texas".

                     Mike

Subject: RE: Word to Pawnshop in Pittsburgh
From: JJ
Date: 01 Aug 07 - 09:14 AM

Make sure to put that "h" at the end of Pittsburgh!

The song shares its first phrase with "Little Boxes," but after that the songs part company.

Bob Merrill, who wrote other pop hits including "How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?", went on to Broadway, where he wrote music and lyrics for such shows as NEW GIRL IN TOWN, TAKE ME ALONG and CARNIVAL, despite being unable to read or write music. He composed all his songs on a toy xylophone.

He may best be remembered for the lyrics for FUNNY GIRL (music by Jule Styne), which gave us the song "People," Barbara Streisand's first smash hit.

Subject: RE: Word to Pawnshop in Pittsburg
From: GUEST,Sean
Date: 31 Jul 07 - 11:50 PM

Heinlein just called it the Pawn shop song, sometimes the Pawn shot song, or The Born Loser. The words are a bit different, but it seems that it is ment to be an evolution of that song.

Subject: RE: Word to Pawnshop in Pittsburg
From: belter
Date: 19 Mar 97 - 09:06 AM

shurely you doen't mean Green Hills Of Earth. It's been a while since I read time enough for love, and I don't remember any other songs figuring in the plot.

Subject: RE: Word to Pawnshop in Pittsburg
From:
Date: 18 Mar 97 - 11:41 PM

Also in case nobody noticed, this song is the basis of one that figures prominently in Robert Heinlein's novel Time Enough for Love.

Subject: RE: Word to Pawnshop in Pittsburg
From:
Date: 16 Mar 97 - 02:47 PM

I dug out my old 45's & found this disc. Title: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Artist: Guy Mitchell

The song is credited to B. Merrill. Mitch Miller conducted the orchestra.

Bob S.

Subject: RE: Word to Pawnshop in Pittsburg
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 15 Mar 97 - 07:11 PM

In case nobody noticed, Pawnshop shares a tune with Malvina Reynolds' Little Boxes.

Subject: Lyr Add: PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA (Bob Merrill)
From: Gene Graham
Date: 15 Mar 97 - 02:22 PM

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA
Bob Merrill

There's a pawn-shop on a corner in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
And I walk up and down 'neath the clock
By the pawn shop on a corner in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
But I ain't got a thing left to hock.

She was peaches, she was honey
And she cost me all my money
'Cause a whirl 'round the town was her dream
Took her dancin', took her dinin'
Till her blue eyes were shinin'
With the sights that they never had seen.

If you should run into a golden haired angel
And ask her tonight for a date
She'll tell you somewhere there's a rich millionaire
Who is calling again about eight.

There's a pawn shop on a corner in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
And I've just got to get five or ten
From the pawnshop on a corner in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Gotta be with my angel again.

Copyright 1952 by Oxford Music Corp.

Subject: RE: Word to Pawnshop in Pittsburg
From: Les Blank
Date: 14 Mar 97 - 06:19 PM

The song is vintage 1948-1950, I believe. It was sung by Guy Mitchell, who also did Sparrow in the Treetop and a few other NO. 1's. I don't know whether he wrote it or not. I can dig through my teen years' collection and see if I still have. But try a search on the artist as a last resort. Good hunting !!

Subject: Word to Pawnshop in Pittsburg
From:
Date: 14 Mar 97 - 03:06 PM

I'm looking for words & singer/composer for the song. The only part is know is:

There's a pawnshop On a corner In Pittsburg Pennsylvania where I always Keep my overcoat .....???

Susan Dewey [e-mail]