Lyr Req: All by Yourself in the Moonlight

Subject: there ain't no sense
From: Polly carton
Date: 14 Mar 08 - 12:42 PM

has anyone heard of a song that might have been written in the 20s or a little earlier - of which i have neither title, artist or composer!
so this is really a job for the Sherlocks amongst you -
I do have a few lyrics as I remember them from my wild Irish Granny's singing

There ain't no sense sitting on the fence
All by yourself in the moonlight.
There ain't no . . . ( something, something . . . trees?)
Giving yourself a hug, giving yourself a squeeze
There ain't no sense sitting on the fence
All by yourself in the moonlight.

I have a tune and it is more of a popular song than a folk song but perhaps it will strike a chord with someone out there,
thanks

Subject: RE: there ain't no sense
From: Mr Happy
Date: 14 Mar 08 - 12:49 PM

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=EK4_wEvDdj4

Subject: RE: there ain't no sense
From: MMario
Date: 14 Mar 08 - 12:55 PM

There ain't no sense sitting on the fence
All by yourself in the moonlight.
There ain't no thrill by the watermill
All by yourself in the moonlight.
There ain't no fun sitting beneath the trees
Giving yourself a hug, giving yourself a squeeze

Can't find anything on it in Levy or at American Memories - but the site where I found this said that it dated to 1928.

I was also listed as a song from a musical in the 1980's - and credited to "traditional"

Subject: RE: there ain't no sense
From: Peace
Date: 14 Mar 08 - 12:57 PM

Written by Jay Wallis.

Subject: RE: there ain't no sense
From: Mr Happy
Date: 14 Mar 08 - 12:57 PM

There ain't no sense sitting on the fence
All by yourself in the moonlight.
There ain't no thrill by the watermill
All by yourself in the moonlight.
There ain't no fun sitting beneath the trees
Giving yourself a hug, giving yourself a squeeze
Love's a farce, sitting on the grarss
All by yourself in the moonlight

Subject: RE: Lyr req: there ain't no sense
From: The Sandman
Date: 14 Mar 08 - 02:11 PM

leadfingers sings this.

Subject: Lyr Add: ALL BY YOURSELF IN THE MOONLIGHT
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 16 Mar 08 - 12:39 PM

ALL BY YOURSELF IN THE MOONLIGHT
Jay Wallis

There ain't no sense sitting on the fence
All by yourself in the moonlight.
There ain't no thrill by the watermill
All by yourself in the moonlight.
There ain't no fun sitting beneath the trees,
Giving yourself a hug, giving yourself a squeeze.
It's insane, swinging down the lane
All by yourself in the moonlight.

There ain't no sport bein' one girl short
All by yourself in the moonlight.
You can't commence winning arguments
All by yourself in the moonlight.
There ain't no kick takin' a buggy ride
Out on a country road, nobody at your side.
'Taint no joy. Who can you annoy?
All by yourself in the moonlight.

You can't go far in a motorcar
All by yourself in the moonlight.
It ain't so grand in a ninety(?) van(?)
All by yourself in the moonlight.
It ain't so sweet havin' a place to go
Havin' a lot to do, nobody helpin' you.
'Taint no treat in a rumble seat
All by yourself in the moonlight.

[As recorded by Irving Aaronson and His Commanders, 1929. You can find a sound file at The Red Hot Jazz Archive or click to play.

[The Online 78 rpm Discography Project lists other recordings by Billy Jones & Ernest Hare, 1928; Dick Robertson & His Orchestra, 1928; Billy Hayes (or Hays) and His Orchestra, 1929; and Ted Wallace & His Orchestra, 1933.]

Subject: RE: Lyr req: there ain't no sense
From: Leadfingers
Date: 16 Mar 08 - 03:26 PM

I dont , actually Dick ! I sing a silly song that uses SOME of the song as the chorus .

Subject: Lyr Add: ALL BY YOURSELF IN THE MOONLIGHT (Wallis)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 20 Apr 11 - 11:59 AM

YouTube has a wealth of recordings:
Irving Aaronsen & his Commanders
Harry Bidgood
Fred Douglas
Tommy Handley – it's the second of 2 songs in that "video"
The Happiness Boys (Billy Jones & Ernest Hare)
Billy Hays' Cathay Orchestra (They medley this with part of WAL, I SWAN. See verse 5 & chorus 1.)
Johnny Marvin
The New Mayfair Dance Orchestra (Ray Noble)
The Rhythmic Eight
George Sorlie

All transcriptions are mine.

ALL BY YOURSELF IN THE MOONLIGHT
Words and music by Jay Wallis, ©1928.
As sung by Johnny Marvin, 1929 (except as noted)

VERSE 1: Boys were made for girls. Girls were made for boys.
Made to share each other's cares and joys.
Life without a mate is like an empty plate.
Get yourself somebody to cooperate.*

CHORUS 1: There ain't no sense sittin' on a fence
All by yourself in the moonlight.
There ain't no thrill by the watermill
All by yourself in the moonlight.
There ain't no fun sitting beneath the trees,
Givin' yourself a hug, givin' yourself a squeeze.
It's insane, swinging down the lane**
All by yourself in the moonlight.

CHORUS 2: You can't go far in a motorcar
All by yourself in the moonlight.
It ain't so grand in a nice sedan***
All by yourself in the moonlight.
It ain't so sweet havin' a place to go,
Havin' a lot to do, nobody helpin' you.
'Taint no treat in a rumble seat
All by yourself in the moonlight.

VERSE 2: What's the good of parks? What's the good of trees?
What's the good of stars or [a] summer breeze,
If there's no one who will share them all with you?
Summer just another season passin' through.

CHORUS 3: You can't be gay in a Chevrolet
All by yourself in the moonlight.
It don't seem real, both hands on the wheel
All by yourself in the moonlight.
It don't make sense, parking year motorcar,
Hearing nobody say, "Stop it! You're going too far."
Love's a fake. You don't get a break
All by yourself in the moonlight.

SUNG TO LAST HALF OF CHORUS:
When you're alone, it doesn't bring delight
Kissin' yourself hello, kissin' yourself goodnight.
There ain't no kick. Gosh, it makes you sick,
All by yourself in the moonlight.


* or "What did Adam say before he met his fate?" (sung by Fred Douglas and others)
** or "Love's a farce, sitting on the grass" (sung by Fred Douglas and others)
*** or "It don't seem real, both hands on the wheel" (sung by George Sorlie)

ADDITIONAL CHORUS SUNG BY IRVING AARONSEN & HIS COMMANDERS:

There ain't no sport bein' one girl short
All by yourself in the moonlight.
You can't commence winning arguments
All by yourself in the moonlight.
There ain't no kick takin' a buggy ride
Out on a country road, nobody at your side.
'Taint no joy. Who can you annoy?
All by yourself in the moonlight.

ADDITIONAL VERSES SUNG BY FRED DOUGLAS:

Little Mabel Green, she was seventeen,
Saw her favourite film star on the screen.
In the story he was all alone, you see.
Mabel shouted, "Ivor, come and sit with me!"

Hes must have their shes. Shes must have their hes.
Otherwise there'd be no family trees.
Even in the zoos they keep 'em there in twos.
Otherwise there'd be no little kangaroos.

ADDITIONAL VERSE SUNG BY TOMMY HANDLEY:

Shakespeare wrote a lot. Some of it was rot.
Romeo would drive you off your dot.
Think of him today in quite the modern way.
Underneath the balcony you'd hear him say: ...

ADDITIONAL VERSES AND CHORUSES SUNG BY THE HAPPINESS BOYS:

Nobody enjoys all this traffic noise.
We are told it wrecks our equipoise.
Though at night we try, we cannot close an eye.
Ev'ry cat around a mile would begin to cry.

It ain't no lark sitting in the park
All by yourself in the moonlight.
What good is love with the stars above
All by yourself in the moonlight?
What good's an arm without a slender waist?
Without a little maid, it only goes to waste.
If you were king, it wouldn't mean a thing
All by yourself in the moonlight.

Johnson bought a car, one day went too far.
He crashed into a lamppost. Awful jar!
He landed on his head. He thought that he was dead
Till a sweetie picked him up and gently said:

Your spirits droop sitting on a stoop
All by yourself in the moonlight.
Life's incomplete in a rumble seat
All by yourself in the moonlight.
It's applesauce telling yourself adieu
... and that you will be true.
Love's a bunk, and you're surely sunk
All by yourself in the moonlight.

You can't tell lies to the fireflies
All by yourself in the moonlight.
You'll agree, you're awful company
All by yourself in the moonlight.
N ... finding a cozy nook
Losing a lot of sleep, listening to a brook
Let it rain. How can you complain,
All by yourself in the moonlight?

ADDITIONAL VERSE AND CHORUS SUNG BY GEORGE SORLIE:

Bill was in the war. He'd been to France before.
He thought he'd like to try his French once more.
Then one night he met a pretty mignonette(?).
He said "I want a parlez-vous with you, my pet.

It ain't tres bon on the continent.
Sans faire rien, it drives you barmy.
It ain't tres bonne with no compagnonne.
Sans faire rien, you ask a p'liceman.
It ain't tres chic calling yourself cherie,
Donnant yourself la-la, donnant yourself oui-oui.
There's no dessert sitting on the turf
Sans faire rien. I've had experience.

*
As my own French is mediocre, I'd like to have the italicized parts above checked by someone more fluent than I. I realize it can't be perfect, because the whole joke is that Bill speaks French poorly and mingles it with English, but can anyone improve on my transcription? I don't think mignonette and dessert are right, but I can't think what to replace them with. Am I right in thinking mignonette could be a term of endearment, like "sweetie"?