Lyr Add: A Love of God Shave 2 / Lather and Shave

Subject: Lyr Add: A Love of God Shave 2
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 11 Nov 11 - 06:18 PM

A LOVE-OF-GOD SHAVE 2

1
It was in a city
Not far from this spot,
Where a barber set up
A snug little shop;
He was silent and sad,
But his smile was so sweet
That he pulled everybody
Right out of the street,
With his "Lather and shave 'em,
Lather and shave 'em,
Lather and shave 'em-
Fizzle, cum, bum."

2
One day a poor Paddy
Was passing that way,
Whose beard had been growing
For many a day;
He looked at the barber
And put down his hod,
"Will you trust for a shave
For the pure love of God?
With your "Lather and shave 'em," etc.

3
"Walk in," said the barber,
"And sit down on that chair,
And I will soon mow your beard
Right down to a hair."
And the lather he spread
Over Paddy's great chin,
And with his trusty razor
To shave he begin,
With his "Lather and shave 'em," etc.

4
"Ouch, murther!" cries Pat,
"Now what are you doing?
Leave off with your tricks
Or my jaws will be ruint.
It's not cut but sawed,
That razor you got;
It wouldn't cut butter
If it wasn't made hot,
With your "Lather and shave 'em," etc.

5
"Ouch, murther!" cries Pat.
Don't shave any more."
And the Irishman he bolted
Right out of the door,
Crying "You may shave all your friends
Till you are rich,
But, be Jasus, I'd rather
Be shaved with a brick than
With your "Lather and shave 'em," etc.

6
The next day as poor Paddy
Was passing the door,
A Jack he set up
A terrible roar;
"Ouch, murther!" cries Pat,
"Just listen at the knave;
He is giving some poor devil
A love-of-God shave,
With his "Lather and shave 'em," etc.


With musical score, 6/8, pp. 185-186.
A version in the DT. Mmario says that no tune has been posted in Mudcat.

Edwin Ford Piper, "A Love-of-God Shave."

Heard from "Mahlon Campbell in southwest Nebraska in 1886. His father and mother brought the song with them to Nebraska in the early seventies; they were of English stock, and prior to the Civil War had been slaveholders in Tennessee."

J. Frank Dobie, ed., 1931, Southwestern Lore, publications of the Texas Folk-Lore Society, No. IX, 1931.

Subject: Lyr Add: LATHER AND SHAVE
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 15 Nov 11 - 11:51 AM

From Side Splitters: A Mammoth Rib-Tickling Collection of More Than 125 Funny Songs by Alex Usher (Pacific, Mo.: Mel Bay Publications, 2008), page 78, where it appears with a melody line and chords:


LATHER AND SHAVE
A Barber(ous) Episode

It was in this city not far from this spot
A barber he opened a snug little shop.
He was silent and sad, but his smile was so sweet,
That he pulled everybody right out of the street

CHORUS:
With his lather and shave 'em, lather and shave 'em,
Lather and shave 'em, frizzle and bum.

One horrid bad custom he thought he would stop,
That no one credit should get from his shop,
So he got an old razor full of notches and rust,
To shave the poor devils that came there for trust.

One day an old Irishman passed by that way,
Whose beard had been growing for many a day.
He looked at the barber and put down his hod.
"Would you trust me a shave, for the pure love of God?"

"Walk in," said the barber. "Sit down in that chair.
I'll soon mow your beard off, right down to the hair."
So the lather he spread over Paddy's big chin,
And with his trusty razor to shave did begin.

"Och! Murder!" said Paddy. "Now what are you doing?
Leave off with your tricks, or me jaws ye will ruin.
Faith, how would you like to be shaved with a saw?
By the powers, ye'll pull the teeth of me jaw."

"Sit still," said the barber, "and don't make a din.
By moving your jaws, I'll be cutting your chin."
"Not cut, but be sawed, for that razor you've got
Would never cut butter if it wasn't made hot!

"Leave off with your tricks and don't shave any more!"
And Paddy he bolted right out of the door,
Saying, "You may shave all your old friends till you're sick,
But, be jabbers, I'd rather be shaved with a brick!"

Not long after this he was passing the door,
When a jackass set up a most terrible roar.
"Och! Murder!" said Paddy. "Just list to yon knave!
The barber is giving a love-of-God's shave."

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Love of God Shave 2
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 15 Nov 11 - 12:13 PM

see "Lather and Shave" in DigiTrad

Subject: Origins: A Love of God Shave 2 (Lather and Shave)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 16 Nov 11 - 02:09 AM

I'll always associate this song with Joe Hickerson, since he does it so well. You'll find it on his Folk-Legacy album, Joe Hickerson with a Gathering of Friends, recorded in 1971 - and he's still singing.
There's also a recording of this song by Hickerson on the CD titled Folksongs of the Catskills: A Celebration of Camp Woodland. I also found it on a CD titled Treasures from the Attic: Ballads and Songs in the Adirondacks - don't know who the singer was on that recording.

There's an interesting entry at the Traditional Ballad Index:

Love-of-God Shave, The (Lather and Shave) [Laws Q15]

DESCRIPTION: Paddy asks the barber for a shave on credit. The barber is prepared; he has a razor just for such people. The injured Paddy flees the shop. Some time later, he hears a jackass bray near the shop and assumes someone else asked for a love-of-God shave
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1858
KEYWORDS: humorous animal trick
FOUND IN: US(Ap,MA,MW,SE,So) Britain(England(South)) Ireland Australia
REFERENCES (10 citations):
Laws Q15, "The Love-of-God Shave (Lather and Shave)"
Belden, pp. 249-251, "The Monkey Turned Barber" (3 texts, but only B2 is the piece; A and B1 are "The Monkey Turned Barber")
Warner 178, "Lather and Shave" (1 text, 1 tune)
FSCatskills 120, "Lather and Shave" (2 texts, 2 tunes)
Creighton-Maritime, p. 136, "Love O'God Razor" (1 text, 1 tune)
Meredith/Anderson, pp. 211-212, "The Love-of-God Shave" (1 text, 1 tune)
Kennedy 227, "The Irish Barber" (1 text, 1 tune)
Beck 83, "Lather and Shave" (1 text)
cf. Gardner/Chickering, p. 483, "The Trust Shave" (source notes only)
DT 526, LOVEGOD
Roud #571
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Firth b.26(197), "Lather Em, Shave Em," John Ross (Newcastle), 1847-1852; also Harding B 11(1927), "Lather 'Em, Shave 'Em"; Harding B 11(2085), Harding B 11(2632), "Lather-Em, Shave-Em"; Firth c.26(49), Harding B 11(1867), Harding B 11(1868), Harding B 11(2633), "[A] Love of God Shave" ; Firth b.27(285), "The Love o' Good Shave"
LOCSinging, sb20272b, "Lather and Shave," H. De Marsan (New York), 1861-1864; also as202090, "Lather and Shave"
Murray, Mu23-y1:067, "Lather 'Em, Shave 'Em," James Lindsay (Glasgow), 19C
NLScotland, L.C.Fol.178.A.2(082), "A Love of God Shave," unknown, c.1870
NOTES: Broadside Bodleian Firth b.27(285) is hard to read but has the tune as something like "Flare Up Neddy."
Broadside LOCSinging sb20272b: H. De Marsan dating per Studying Nineteenth-Century Popular Song by Paul Charosh in American Music, Winter 1997, Vol 15.4, Table 1, available at FindArticles site. - BS
File: LQ15

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Subject: Lyr Add: A LOVE OF GOD SHAVE
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 17 Nov 11 - 03:05 PM

From a broadside at The National Library of Scotland, "Probable period of publication: 1860-1880":


A LOVE OF GOD SHAVE.

1. It was in this town, not far from this spot,
A barber he opened a snug little shop.
He at Birmingham had been for many a year,
And he shav'd all the natives so clean and so clear.

2. But one evil practice he swore he would stop:
No one would ever come for trust twice to his shop;
For a razor he'd got full of notches and rust,
And he'd warm well their jaws should they come for trust.

3. It happened an Irishman came by that way,
Whose beard had been growing for many a day.
He went to the door and he laid down his hod.
"Arrah! Would you give me a shave, for the love of God?

4. "For divil a pinny I have in my purse.
Sure, give me a shave; you will be none the worse."
"Walk in," said the barber. "Sit down on this chair,
And your strong bristly beard I'll mow down to a hair."

5. So he spread a lather o'er Paddy's broad chin,
And with his rusty razor to shave did begin.
"Stop! Stop, man! What the devil are you doing?
Lave off my face or my jaws you will ruin!"

6. The barber kept on, and never pitied his case,
While tears big as peas ran down poor Paddy's face.
"Hold your tongue," said the barber. "Don't make such a din.
You're sure to be cut by moving your chin."

7. "Cut, no, but sawed, for the razor you've got,
By jabbers, it would not cut butter if hot.
You may lather and shave all your friends till you're sick,
But by japers I'd sooner be shaved wid a brick.

8. "O, by japers that's surely a teaser,
A love-of-God shave with the devil's own razor!"
So grumbling and growling, he left the shop door,
And no mortal man was shav'd so before.

9. It happened one day when Paddy was walking,
By the barber's shop-door he was quietly stalking,
He heard a donkey give a terrible roar,
And thought the sound came from the barber's shop-door.

10. "O, bad luck to the barber, the vagabond knave,
He's just giving another a love-of-God shave.
O, by da japers, he's surely a teaser,
A love-of-God shave, wid the devil's own razor!"

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Love of God Shave 2 / Lather and Shave
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Nov 11 - 04:36 PM

I wanted to post the Joe Hickerson lyrics because they're quite different (and very singable) - but I can't find the Folk-Legacy CD booklet just now. Anybody have it? If not, I'll do a by-ear transcription.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Love of God Shave 2 / Lather and Shave
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 17 Nov 11 - 06:26 PM

Two versions are given in Cazden, Haufrecht and Studer, 1982, Folk Songs of the Catskills, SUNY (State University of New York Press), pp. 453-458. A rather complete history of the song, originally titled "Lather and Shave," is given. Noted is that oral transmissions "softened the brogue" of the original (1858 broadside from John Andrews, New York).
Verses, or with slight variation, are all present in the versions posted by Jim Dixon and Q.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Love of God Shave 2 / Lather and Shave
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 17 Nov 11 - 06:39 PM

The De Marsan song sheet (at American Memory) came out in 1860 (Same reference, Cazden et al.).
A verse with the brogue-
"Och, murther!" says Paddy, "now what are you doin',
Leave off wid yer tricks, or my jaws you will ruin,
Faith, now how would you like to be shaved with a saw?
Be the powers, you'll pull every tooth out o' me jaw."

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Love of God Shave 2 / Lather and Shave
From: mayomick
Date: 18 Nov 11 - 06:46 AM

From Britain, a song about a wild Irishman going for a shave and Paddy the Barber turning out to be a monkey. At least that's what I think it's about


This is from the Digitrad

The Monkey Turned Barber^^^

In Dublin's fair city one grand spark did dwell.
When he went to Liverpool he wasn't well. (bis)
He went into a barber shop for to get shaved,
When a great ugly beast unto him did behave.

cho: Fol de la, fol de lai do, fol de lol, lai o day,
    Fol de la, fol de lai do, fol de lol, lai o day.

"Can you shave a wild Irishman, just from the Sod?"
He looked into Pat's face, gave a wink and a nod.
He picked up the wobbling box right in his paw,
He walloped the soap, and he lathered Pat's jaw.

But when he came his trusty razor to use,
The very first stroke he took a piece of Pat's nose.
He cut him, he scarred him, he bled him full sore;
Like a bull in the slaughter pen Pat he did roar.

The barber came in all trembling with fear
To hear the wild Irishman cursing and swear.
"Pray tell unto me what the matter may be."
"Why, don't you see what your old father has just done to me?"

"Why, that's not my father, my father's dead."
"That was your grandfather's ugly gray head;
He's gone up the chimney and he daresn't come down,
For by the holy St. Patrick I'll crack his old crown."

With cursing and swearing Pat ran through the street;
With one of his comrades he chanced for to meet.
"Pray tell unto me what the matter may be."
"Why, he was dressed like me, bnt he was a monkey.^^^

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Love of God Shave 2 / Lather and Shave
From: MartinRyan
Date: 18 Nov 11 - 06:59 AM

I used to hear this one sung by an old fiddler called Barney Dempsey who lived near the Irish town of Athlone, my home for many years. Don't think I ever heard it apart from that - though, now that I think of it, does Luke Cheevers do it occasionally?

Regards

p.s. Which reminds me of the time I arrived in to the Goilin Singers Club one evening, having just had a rather drastic haircut.... Luke took one look at me and commented loudly "I see you went for value over style this time, Martin!"!¬