Origin: Away, Away with Rum, by Gum

Subject: RE: Origin - Away away with rum
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 01:08 PM

The song appears (?) on the Mike Harding album, "Mrs 'ardin's Kid.

This is what Mike gives for it's origin:

"Learnt from a Barnsley Lighthouse Keeper called Aurthur Parrot who was a onetime Salvation Army Provisional adept at feeding Brewers drayhorses with senna pods. I once knew a Salvation Army girl, she'd got a square navel through carrying the flag without a pole bucket. It didn't look nice but it was great for putting salt in when we were having fish and chips in bed. Thanks to Frank Duffy."

Whilst I have no reason to doubt any of this, I suspect that Frank Duffy had more to do with the song than the alleged Aurthur Parrot.

Subject: RE: Origin - Away away with rum
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 12:52 PM

A somewhat earlier version (I heard it in the late 1940s) was called "Demon Fruitcake". The chorus was:

Away, away, with rum, by gum
It's the song of the Salvation Army.

The verses were:
We're marching, we're marching our brave little band
Against Demon Fruitcake we'll all take our stand

cho:

Oh can you imagine an awfuller sight
Than the man who eats fruitcake until he gets tight

cho:

The man who eats fruitcake goes down to his death
With the odor of raisins and rum on his breath

cho:

The man who eats fruitcake lives a terrible life
He mistreats his children and he beats his wife.

cho:

The man who eats fruitcake goes down in disgrace
As he rolls in the gutter with crumbs on his face.

cho

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Note from Joe: the Guest who posted this message was either Dick or Susan of the Digital Tradition, not logged in (I'm guessing it was Dick). See the link above to the DT entry, "Demon Fruitcake."
Thanks, Dick (or Susan).
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Origin - Away away with rum
From: GUEST,The Mole Catcher's North Atlantic Apprentice
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 12:16 PM

"The North Atlantic Squadron"
been known to play a verse or two on the piano *LOL*


Joe, I googled "North Atlantic..." and the Digital Tradition link was the first up..thanks for adding it here as well.

Charlotte (doesn't own a fife or drum, but piano doesn't scan into the lyrics)

Subject: RE: Origin - Away away with rum
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 12:14 PM

I dunno, Les. Listen to the MIDI - I'd say it's more-or-less the same tune.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Origin - Away away with rum
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 12:10 PM

Thanks Charlotte,

This song "The North Atlantic Squadron" pops up in the search for Away with rum but the verses don't scan to the tune that I know for 'Rum' and it is quite clearly a different song.

Subject: RE: Origin - Away away with rum
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 12:08 PM

Indubitably astute, Charlotte - I added The North Atlantic Squadron to the crosslinks above (your link got it from the Digital Tradition).
-Joe Offer-

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Here's the entry from the Traditional Ballad Index:

Rum By Gum (Temperance Union Song)

DESCRIPTION: "We're coming, we're coming, our brave little band, On the right side of temperance we do take our stand.... Away, away with rum, by gum, The song of the (Salvation Army/Temperance Union)." Various verses on the value of sobriety
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1921 (Welch & Moore, Michigan's Favorite College Songs)
KEYWORDS: drink political nonballad
FOUND IN: US(So)
REFERENCES (6 citations):
Randolph 317, "Temperance Song" (1 text, 1 tune -- a fragment without the chorus)
CrayAshGrove, pp. 36-37, "Away, Away" (1 text, 1 tune)
Pankake-PHCFSB, pp. 6-7, "Away With Rum" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber-FSWB, p. 233, "Away With Rum" (1 text)
DT, (AWAYRUM*) (AWAYRUM2*) (AWAYRUM3*) (AWAYRUM4*) (AWAYRUM5*)
ADDITIONAL: Roy Dickinson Welch & Earl Vincent Moore, _Michigan's Favorite College Songs_, Sixth Edition, University Music House, 1921 (available on Google Books), p. 224, "Away with Rum" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #12765
NOTES [57 words]: Warning: All the Digital Tradition versions are parodies of one sort or another (AWAYRUM5 is 35 verses, almost all silly, almost all modern). Many singers today sing this as a joke. But the roots of this piece are almost certainly serious (compare Randolph's version).
Thanks to Jim Dixon for pointing out the Wallace & Moore version. - (JD), RBW
Last updated in version 4.3
File: R317

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Subject: RE: Origin - Away away with rum
From: GUEST,The Mole Catcher's naughtycal Apprentice
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 12:02 PM

It reminds me very much of this

Charlotte (all at sea)

Subject: RE: Origin - Away away with rum
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 11:48 AM

So far so erm, good then?

Subject: RE: Origin - Away away with rum
From: Mr Happy
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 11:42 AM

.........it's only the black ones that make me go mad!'

Subject: RE: Origin - Away away with rum
From: GUEST,Obie
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 10:48 AM

Now that's what I call a real tear jerker!

Subject: Origin - Away away with rum
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 10:38 AM

Away, away with rum by gum
With rum by gum, with rum by gum
Away, away with rum by gum
It's the song of the salvation Army.

I first heard this song around 1964 and had forgotten all about it until the other day. The L & R has lots of references and dozens of verses but no clear idea of where it comes from.

By the sheer number of verses many people must have contributed but I guess somebody started it off.

Any ideas?