DTStudy: I'm My Own Grandpa (D Latham/M Jaffe)

Subject: RE: I'm My Own Grandpa
From: GUEST,A. Lawson
Date: 29 May 03 - 08:27 PM

I have a cassette of Ray Stevens doin' his version of I'm My Own Grandpa." I can't remember which one it's on though.

Subject: CHORDS: I'm My Own Grandpa
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Dec 02 - 10:50 AM

In another thread, there was a request for the chords. Here's what's in the Rise Up Singing songbook:

C - G7 - / - - C - / - C7 F - / D7 G -


CHORUS:
C CG C - / F FD G - / C C7 F D / C CG C -

The spaces separate measures, and the slashes separate lines. A dash means play the same as the previous measure. Two chords together, like AE, mean play A half the measure, and E the other half.

Subject: RE: I'm My Own Grandpa
From: Schantieman
Date: 03 Dec 02 - 01:17 PM

My parents had a 78 with Danny Kaye singing it.

Steve

Subject: RE: I'm My Own Grandpa
From: MMario
Date: 03 Dec 02 - 01:15 PM

I think it was mentioned in several of the Lazarus Long books - because time travel could result in the situation.

Subject: RE: I'm My Own Grandpa
From: pavane
Date: 03 Dec 02 - 01:09 PM

I seen to remember that the song was quoted (or at least the title) in a book by Robert Heinlein (The Door into Summer?)

Subject: RE: I'm My Own Grandpa
From: Richie
Date: 02 Dec 02 - 11:16 PM

Guest,preciouspuppy-

Come visit Jerry Lee Lewis on his ranch in Nesbit, Mississippi. I think he has a spare room for you. You might learn something!

-Richie

Subject: RE: I'm My Own Grandpa
From: GUEST,preciouspuppy
Date: 02 Dec 02 - 07:22 PM

i think its incredible that you are your own grandpa. it is discusting, yet icredible. you have family who married your family. thats gross!!!!! nice talkin to ya! tootles

Subject: RE: I'm My Own Grandpa
From: C-flat
Date: 12 Jul 02 - 02:52 AM

Thanks, that great!

Subject: RE: I'm My Own Grandpa
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 11 Jul 02 - 06:28 PM

There is also a midi at this site: Grandpa

Subject: Lyr Add: I'M MY OWN GRANDPAW (D Latham/M Jaffe)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 11 Jul 02 - 06:22 PM

Here's the entry from Dorothy Horstman's Sing Your Heart Out, Country Boy (Country Music Foundation Press, 1975, 1986, 1996)

I'M MY OWN GRANDPAW
Quote from Dwight Latham:

Back in the early days of radio in the thirties, I had a very successful group called The Jesters performing three nights a week on NBC. Our specialty was novelty songs and bits of spoken humor. In reading a book of anecdotes and sayings by Mark Twain, I came across a paragraph wherein he proved it was possible for a man to become his own grandpa by a certain succession of events beginning with the premise that if the man married widow with a grown-up daughter and his father married the daughter, etc., etc., he would eventually become his own grandpa. The idea seemed funny enough to repeat on the air, and sure enough, the response was very good.
Later Moe Jaffe and I decided to expand the basic idea and set it as a song.

—Dwight

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The lyrics are almost the same as what you'll find in the Digital Tradition (click):

I'M MY OWN GRANDPAW
(Dwight Latham and Moe Jaffe)

Many, many years ago when I was twenty-three
I was married to a widow who was pretty as could be
This widow had a grown-up daughter who had hair of red
My father fell in love with her and soon they too were wed.

This made my dad my son-in-law and changed my very life
For my daughter was my mother, 'cause she was my father's wife
To complicate the matter, even though it brought me joy
I soon became the father of a bouncing baby boy.

My little baby then became a brother-in-law to dad
And so became my uncle, though it made me very sad
For if he was my uncle, then that also made him brother
Of the widow's grown-up daughter, who, of course, was my step-mother

I'm my own grandpaw, I'm my own grandpaw
It sounds funny I know, but it really is so
Oh, I'm my own grandpaw.

Father's wife then had a son who kept them on the run
And he became my grand-child, for he was my daughter's son
My wife is now my mother's mother, and it makes me blue
Because, although she is my wife, she's my grandmother, too.

Now, if my wife is my grandmother, then I'm her grandchild
And every time I think of it, it nearly drives me wild
For now I have become the strangest case you ever saw
As husband of my grandmother, I am my own grandpaw.

© 1947. All rights reserved. General Music Publishing Co., Inc.

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So, can anybody find the source of the Mark Twain quotation?
The tune in the Digital Tradition is pretty close to the one I know - but the DT tune is way too slow. Click here to get to a recording of the song at The Record Lady's new site.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: I'm My Own Grandpa
From: C-flat
Date: 11 Jul 02 - 06:14 PM

Thanks RolyH, I'll look it up from there.

Subject: RE: I'm My Own Grandpa
From: RolyH
Date: 11 Jul 02 - 06:13 PM

A version of this (He's His Own Grandpa) was recorded by Phil Harris

Subject: RE: I'm My Own Grandpa
From: C-flat
Date: 11 Jul 02 - 06:13 PM

I just noticed the dates on those posts with the clickies and realise why they don't work.
Does anyone have the song?

Subject: RE: I'm My Own Grandpa
From: C-flat
Date: 11 Jul 02 - 06:10 PM

Can't get any of the links to work but would very much like to hear the tune.
Any ideas?

Subject: RE: I'm My Own Grandpa
From: Joe Offer
Date: 11 Jul 02 - 06:05 PM

OK, so Dick says it comes from Mark Twain, and I usually believe Dick. I decided to do some digging and see where I ended up. Not much luck, I'm afraid. With several prettydamngood Web searches, all I came up with was this (click):

My Own Grandfather by Mark Twain After long years as a bachelor I was tired of being alone and married a widow with a grown daughter. My father fell in love with the daughter and took her as his wife. This made me my own son-in-law and my stepdaughter became my mother. After a year my wife gave birth to a son. Now, my son was my father's brother-in-law and at the same time my uncle, since he was my stepmother's brother. But my father's wife also gave birth to a son. So this was my brother and also my grandson, since he was the son of my daughter. This meant I'd married my grandmother, since she was the mother of my mother. As my wife's husband, I was also her grandson. And since the husband of a grandmother is always a grandfather, I am my own grandfather.

It sounds credible, but where's the documentation? If this is really a quote from Mark Twain, where was it published?

I can't say that this is Twain's text - but if Bill Foster says he saw a handwritten copy from 1829, I believe him. Bill is a very credible source.

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: I'm My Own Grandpa
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 06:02 PM

Many thanks, George! I'll add those addresses to my info. I like having some backup for it!

Subject: RE: I'm My Own Grandpa
From:
Date: 03 Sep 01 - 10:54 PM

Suzanne, you weren't wrong. I found a couple of web-sites which confirms the JAffe and Latham. Here you go

From Shel Silverstein's FAQ
I'm My Own Grandpa - Moe Jaffe and Dwight Latham

Subject: RE: I'm My Own Grandpa
From: Amergin
Date: 03 Sep 01 - 07:04 PM

my theme song....

Subject: RE: I'm My Own Grandpa
From: Hawker
Date: 03 Sep 01 - 06:45 PM

I remember the muppets doing a superb rendition of this song!
Lucy

Subject: RE: I'm My Own Grandpa
From: Bill D
Date: 01 Sep 01 - 07:28 PM

for the next 2-3 weeks, you can listen to the song by Lonzo & Oscarhere, at the Record Lady's site (Country Music Page 4) (or try clicking here). She may or may not have a place to put her collection after that.

Subject: RE: I'm My Own Grandpa
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 01 Sep 01 - 06:04 PM

The UWP Archive at www.leo.org/ claimed the original song was written by Moe Jaffe and Dwight Latham (whoever they may be) in 1947. However, the link doesn't seem to be valid any more. I copied the info about three years ago. Thanks for the info about Mark Twain!

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Note: most of the "folk" songs in the UWP* Database come from the Digital Tradition.
-Joe Offer-
*UWP (University of Wisconsin Parkside, outside Kenosha)

Subject: Lyr Add: I'M MY OWN GRANDPA (from Lonzo & Oscar)
From:
Date: 01 Sep 01 - 10:52 AM

I'm My Own Grandpa (Lonzo & Oscar) It sounds funny, I know, But it really is so, Oh, I'm my own grandpa. I'm my own grandpa. I'm my own grandpa. It sounds funny, I know, But it really is so, Oh, I'm my own grandpa. Now many, many years ago, when I was twenty-three, I was married to a widow who was pretty as could be. This widow had a grown-up daughter who had hair of red. My father fell in love with her, and soon they, too, were wed. This made my dad my son-in-law and changed my very life, My daughter was my mother, cause she was my father's wife. To complicate the matter, even though it brought me joy, I soon became the father of a bouncing baby boy. My little baby then became a brother-in-law to Dad, And so became my uncle, though it made me very sad. For if he was my uncle, then that also made him brother Of the widow's grown-up daughter, who, of course, was my stepmother. Father's wife then had a son who kept him on the run, And he became my grandchild, for he was my daughter's son. My wife is now my mother's mother, and it makes me blue, Because, although she is my wife, she's my grandmother, too. Now if my wife is my grandmother, then I'm her grandchild, And everytime I think of it, it nearly drives me wild, For now I have become the strangest case you ever saw As husband of my grandmother, I am my own grandpa! I'm my own grandpa. I'm my own grandpa. It sounds funny, I know, but it really is so, Oh, I'm my own grandpa.

Subject: RE: I'm My Own Grandpa
From: Bill Foster
Date: 14 Nov 96 - 08:13 AM

As Dick says, Mark Twain used it in his platform lectures. I have seen a handwritten version dated January 29, 1829 in an old "ballet book." Mark Twain entitled the piece "Whereby It May Be Demonstrated That A Man May Become His Own Grandfather."

Subject: RE: I'm My Own Grandpa
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 07 Nov 96 - 05:43 PM

Hi- It's in our database. Try searching for grandpa.

By the way, the original for this song dates back to the mid-to-late 1800s; Mark Twain used it.

Subject: I'm My Own Grandpa
From:
Date: 07 Nov 96 - 01:31 PM

Hi. Looking for lyrics to I'm My Own Grandpa, which describes a genealogical tale of woe. Anyone know it? Thanks--Jim Jacquet

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