Req: Under the spreading chestnut tree(Longfellow)

Subject: RE: Req: Under the spreading chestnut tree(Longfellow)
From: Joe_F
Date: 26 Feb 21 - 05:58 PM

Sung on the telescreen in the Chestnut Tree Cafe:

Under the spreading chestnut tree
I sold you and you sold me:
There lie they, and here lie we
Under the spreading chestnut tree.

Subject: RE: Req: Under the spreading chestnut tree(Longfellow)
From: Ged Fox
Date: 26 Feb 21 - 05:29 AM

song starts at 1:21

Subject: RE: Req: Under the spreading chestnut tree(Longfellow)
From: Ged Fox
Date: 26 Feb 21 - 05:19 AM

From https://jabblog-jabblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/

"The lyrics, inspired at least by the first line of the poem, ‘The Village Blacksmith’ by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1832) were written by J. and H. Kennedy and were set to music by Hal Kemp. The song was recorded by the Glen Miller Orchestra in 1939 with Marion Hutton. It’s delivered rather speedily and I can imagine that anyone attempting to fit in the actions would be somewhat breathless by the end!
I’ve added the ‘actions’ to the words, as clearly as I can. Remember, practice makes perfect ;-)

Underneath the spreading chestnut tree         (spread arms above head, then touch chest, head and lift arms up)
I loved him and he loved me.                                     (hands on heart, then hug)
There I used to sit upon his knee                         (hands on knees)
‘Neath the spreading chestnut tree.                   (as before)

There beneath the boughs we used to meet    (spread arms, then clasp hands)
All his kisses were so sweet;                                       (kiss fingers)
All the little birdies went ‘tweet- tweet’          (fingers make bird beaks)
‘Neath the spreading chestnut tree.                        (as before)
                                          
I said, ‘I love you and there ain’t no ifs or buts,       (hands on heart, shake finger)
He said, ‘I love you' and the blacksmith shouted, 'Chestnuts!'    (hands on heart)

Underneath the spreading chestnut tree             (as before)
There he said he’d marry me,                                        (mimic placing ring on finger)
Now you ought to see our family                               (hand indicates heights of children on ‘fa-mi-ly;)
‘Neath the spreading chestnut tree!                         (as before)"

Subject: RE: Req: Under the spreading chestnut tree(Longfellow)
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Feb 21 - 09:04 PM

Under the spreading chestnut tree,
The village blacksmith snoozes.
No horse since 1933,
Has come to him for shoeses.

Subject: RE: Req: Under the spreading chestnut tree(Longfellow)
From: GUEST,peeros
Date: 27 Jul 18 - 05:57 AM

under the spreading chestnut tree, the village burglar lies. the burglar is a hairy man with whiskers round his eyes, he goes to church on sunday because he is devout, puts a penny in the plate and tales a sovereign out

Subject: RE: Req: Under the spreading chestnut tree(Longfellow)
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 18 Feb 14 - 01:12 AM

There was a popular song based on this first line of Longfellow's - the one quoted above, attrib to Glenn Miller in google, with the blacksmith shouting "chestnuts!", which was danced to with actions like putting hands on chests & heads to accompany 'chest - nuts'. A children's version we used to sing, late 30s, went

Under the spreading chestnut tree
Arthur Askey said to me
"If you want to get your gas-mask free
Join the blinking ARP!"

~M~

Notes: Arthur Askey a very popular radio comedian of the time. The name of the celeb mentioned at this point varied acc to taste of the singer. The Opies, in Lore & Language of Schoolchildren give, probably more convincingly, "Mr Chamberlain", Prime Minister just back from Munich promising "Peace in our time" but still going on with Civil Defence preparations like Air Raid Precautions [ARP]. They date it to 1938, but state it was still a girls' ball-bouncing chant in Aberdeen in 1952!

Most had to pay one shilling and sixpence [eighteen old pence] for their gas-mask, the ownership of which was nevertheless compulsory in the prewar years of war-crisis; but by joining a Civil Defence organisation like ARP and becoming an Air Raid Warden [like Mr Hodges in Dad's Army], one could get it issued free (my father was one from 1938: I still have his badges [real hallmarked silver!] & the metal strip attached to our front gate to show a warden lived there).

Subject: RE: Req: Under the spreading chestnut tree(Longfellow)
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 17 Feb 14 - 09:28 PM

Well it was not one of Longfellow's better efforts either.

Subject: RE: Req: Under the spreading chestnut tree(Longfellow)
From: GUEST,Mildcat
Date: 17 Feb 14 - 07:58 PM

For Peter:

The Village Burglar

Under a spreading gooseberry bush the village burglar lies,
The burglar is a hairy man with whiskers round his eyes
And the muscles of his brawny arms keep off the little flies.

He goes on Sunday to the church to hear the Parson shout.
He puts a penny in the plate and takes a pound note out
And drops a conscience-stricken tear in case he is found out.

Subject: RE: Req: Under the spreading chestnut tree(Longfellow)
From: GUEST,Bianchiaz
Date: 04 Jan 12 - 02:53 PM

This old folk song is from the 1930's era.
http://josna.wordpress.com/tag/iona-and-peter-opie/

This song is also sung in the 1974 film "The Black Windmill"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Black_Windmill

Regards,
Richard

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Underneath the spreading chestnut tre
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 04 Aug 10 - 10:35 PM

Also see the other thread called Lyr Req: Underneath the Spreading Chestnut Tree.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE CHESTNUT TREE
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 27 Oct 08 - 12:32 AM

There is a sound file at The Red Hot Jazz Archive of THE CHESTNUT TREE performed by Ted Weems and His Orchestra, with vocal refrain by Elmo Tanner, recorded March 11, 1939. Unfortunately, the sound file breaks off at 2:16, so I was unable to transcribe the whole thing:

THE CHESTNUT TREE

1. Underneath the spreading chestnut tree,
The village smithy (or "smith he"?) stands around,
Pounding on his anvil happily,
With a bright and cheerful sound.

2. Underneath the spreading chestnut tree,
The village smithy's daughter stood.
A mighty, mighty pretty maid was she,
Fairest in the neighborhood.

BRIDGE 1: She was the blacksmith's daughter,
And I was the village swain,
But we never did our courting
Down any old country lane.

3. 'Twas underneath the spreading chestnut tree,
I loved her and she loved me.
There she used to sit upon my knee,
'Neath the spreading chestnut tree.

4. There beneath the boughs we used to meet.
All her kisses were so sweet.
All the little birds went tweet, tweet, tweet,
'Neath the spreading chestnut tree.

BRIDGE 2: I said, "I love you,
And there ain't no ifs or buts."
She said, "I love you,"
And the blacksmith shouted...["nuts"?]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Underneath the spreading chestnut tree
From: Mr Happy
Date: 24 Oct 08 - 03:05 AM

Seems there's two different essays here, though the opening line of both is similar, being either 'Underneath the spreading chestnut tree' or 'Under the spreading chestnut tree'

The version to which I'm seeking additional verses is the 'Underneath ' one

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Underneath the spreading chestnut tree
From: Songster Bob
Date: 23 Oct 08 - 06:38 PM

A songwriter from the DC area, back in the 60s, I think, wrote a Village Smithy song. Somehow I still remember it (in its original form -- it got changed later).

Here are the lyrics.


Under the spreading chestnut tree,
The village smithy stands,
With his anvil in his pocket
And his suitcase in his hands.
His bellows have been punctured,
And his hammer is in hock, it
Would be better to have kept it,
But he only has one pocket.
He got thirty-seven cents for it,
And now he's lost the ticket,
He does not know he was jobbed,
But then the smithy's kind of thick; it
Is a pity, oh, what a pity
How we treat our smithies these days!


Needless to say, it was a rock song.

Bob

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Underneath the spreading chestnut tree
From: Valmai Goodyear
Date: 23 Oct 08 - 02:04 PM

Waddon Pete's version sounds like the work of Billy Bennett.

This is from Aldous Huxley's Crome Yellow:

'Under the spreading chestnut tree,
The village smithy stands;
The smith, a mighty man is he,
With arms like rubber bands.'

Valmai (Lewes)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Underneath the spreading chestnut tree
From: Wolfhound person
Date: 23 Oct 08 - 12:22 PM

Under the spreading chestnut tree
The village burglar lies
The burglar is a hairy man
With whiskers round his eyes

......??

I think there's some more but I can't recall it

Paws

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Underneath the spreading chestnut tree
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 23 Oct 08 - 12:01 PM

These folk parodies are great fun...my Dad always used to recite it as...

"Under the spreading chestnut tree
The village smith he stands.
His breast was bare, his matted hair
Lay buried in the sand.

He did not feel the driver's whip
Nor the burning heat of the day,
For I'm to be Queen of the May, Mother,
For I'm to be Queen of the May!"

You had to be there!

Best wishes,

Peter

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Underneath the spreading chestnut tree
From: Amos
Date: 23 Oct 08 - 11:53 AM

Well, Peter, it is a straight lift from one of the many scurrilous verses to the Balls of Kerrimuir (sp?), and you might want to ask her where she learned it!! There may be a major secret tale therein!!


A

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Underneath the spreading chestnut tre
From: Midchuck
Date: 23 Oct 08 - 11:50 AM

Under the spreading Chestnut tree,
The village idiot sat;
Amusing himself by abusing himself,
And catching it in his hat.

I got that from my wife, who heard it from her late father.

I can't be blamed in any way.

Peter.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE VILLAGE BLACKSMITH (H. W. Longfellow)
From: Emma B
Date: 23 Oct 08 - 11:33 AM

hmmm as Longfellow died in 1882 I presume he was spared that pastiche

"THE VILLAGE BLACKSMITH"
Under a spreading chestnut tree
The village smithy stands;
The smith, a mighty man is he,
With large and sinewy hands;
And the muscles of his brawny arms
Are strong as iron bands.

His hair is crisp, and black, and long,
His face is like the tan:
His brow is wet with honest sweat,
He earns whate'er he can,
And looks the whole world in the face,
For he owes not any man.

Week in, week out, from morn till night,
You can hear his bellows blow;
You can hear him swing his heavy sledge,
With measured beat and slow,
Like a sexton ringing the village bell,
When the evening sun is low.

And children coming home from school
Look in at the open door;
They love to see the flaming forge,
And hear the bellows roar,
And catch the burning sparks that fly
Like chaff from a threshing floor.

He goes on Sunday to the church,
And sits among his boys;
He hear the parson pray and preach,
He hears his daughter's voice,
Singing in the village choir,
And it makes his heart rejoice.

It sounds to him like her mother's voice,
Singing in Paradise!
He needs must think of her once more,
How in the grave she lies;
And with his hard, rough hand he wipes
A tear out of his eyes.

Toiling,--rejoicing,--sorrowing,
Onwards through life he goes;
Each morning sees some task begin,
Each evening sees it close;
Something attempted, something done,
Has earned a night's repose.

Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend,
For the lesson thou hast taught!
Thus at the flaming forge of life
Our fortunes must be wrought;
Thus on its sounding anvil shaped
Each burning deed and thought!

By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

_______________________________

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Underneath the spreading chestnut tree
From: Amos
Date: 23 Oct 08 - 11:17 AM

Under the spreading chestnut tree,
The village smithy stands.
The smith, a mighty man is he,
With large and calloused hands.
And the muscles on his mighty arms
Stand out like soft-shelled clams.

Herbert Howard Shortguyser
Songs of a Petty Partial Thief
Creepe Editions,
Bullroar-on-Tapp, 1907

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Underneath the spreading chestnut tree
From: GUEST,Suffolk Miracle
Date: 23 Oct 08 - 07:06 AM

"'There I sat upon my knee?' How? "

A fair point!Let me introduce you to my thought processes, or what pass as such these days. My mother was female and therefore sang There I sat upon HIS knee. I recalled also hearing a man sing it as There SHE sat upon MY knee. I then managed to cock it up by mixing the two together. Thus does senility flourish.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Underneath the spreading chestnut tree
From: Mr Happy
Date: 23 Oct 08 - 06:41 AM

Ah, I've just been reminded by Emma that I initiated this request thread.cfm?threadid=108538&messages=9 a while back.

Prior to starting this latest thread I did do a search but it didn't show

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Underneath the spreading chestnut tre
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 23 Oct 08 - 06:01 AM

Try googling Longfellow...village smithy!

Best wishes,

Peter

Subject: Lyr Req: Underneath the spreading chestnut tree
From: Mr Happy
Date: 23 Oct 08 - 05:37 AM

Underneath the spreading chestnut tree, anyone have the words?