Lyr Add: Ee by Gum (from Gracie Fields)

Subject: Lyr Add: EE BY GUM (from Gracie Fields)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 04 Mar 11 - 08:10 AM

According to WorldCat, the sheet music is marked "Sung by Gracie Fields in the 20th Century Fox production 'We're Going to Be Rich.'" I couldn't find an online recording by Gracie Fields, so I transcribed one by Tommy Handley, from 1929, at YouTube:

There are a few gaps in my transcription. If you can fill them in, please do.


EE BY GUM
Words by Ralph Butler & Howard Flynn. Music by Howard Flynn, © 1928.
As sung by Tommy Handley

The Yankee says, "...!" The Scotsman says, "Och aye!"
The Welshman says, "... goodness!" Goodness knows just why.
In Lancashire and Yorkshire, ever since the world began,
This is the expression of the strong and silent man:

CHORUS: "Ee by gum! Ee by gum!"
The only thing he ever says is, "Ee by gum!"
He says it when he's happy, and he says when he's glum.
He means an awful lot when he says, "Ee by gum!"
He hears it in the cradle before he cuts a tooth.
He learns it as a baby and he says as a youth.

And when he goes a-courting, and the girl says, "Yum, yum, yum!"
He looks into her eyes and whispers, "Ee by gum!"

The Frenchman says, "La-la!" The Irish say, "Bedad!"
On ... is what they said since Cromwell was a lad.
The Spaniard says, "Carambo!" and the Eskimo says, "Wow!"
None of them mean half as much as what we're singing now.

CHORUS

In the old Salvation Army, when he beats a big bass drum,
If they sing, "Hallelujah!" he sings, "Ee by gum!"

CHORUS

At the Isle of Man or Blackpool, for a while he'll lose his chums.
When his friend says, "Where's tha been, lad?" he says, "Ee by gum!"


[The two lines that follow each chorus could be considered part of the chorus; they are sung without a break.

[The words attributed to "Yankees" sound like "TV" or "tee-hee" but both sound absurd to me.

[Not to be confused with another song titled EE BY GUM written by members of The Fivepenny Piece, and recorded by them, 1972.]

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Ee by Gum (from Gracie Fields)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 18 Mar 11 - 11:25 AM

OK, I found the recording by Gracie Fields, at The Internet Archive, Song #5 on that page, spelled there EEE BY GUM. I can now fill in my own gaps:


The Yankee says, "Gee whiz!" The Scotsman says, "Hoot aye!"
The Welshman says, "Indeed to goodness!" Goodness knows just why....

"'Od's boddikins" [sic] is what they said since Cromwell was a lad....

[And she adds a last verse:]

If a gee-gee he backs loses, or wins, or doesn't run,
Whether he wins or pays out, he says, "Well, I'll go to heck!"