Lyr Req: In the Good Old Steamboat Days

Subject: Lyr Req: In the Good Old Steamboat Days
From: Gurney
Date: 04 Nov 19 - 10:45 PM

I'm trying to find them, but it's not a common song, and I've lost touch with the guys who who sang it.
Probably a vaudeville song.
The verse that I remember, or an amalgam thereof, is...

In the good old steamboat days,
In the good old steamboat days,
Times(back then?) were mighty queer,
boats would make about a mile a year!
The fish ate rats and cats,
and they all were acrobats,
they stood on their heads to wet their gills
In the good old steamboat days,
in the good old steamboat days!
Thanks, Chris.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In the Good Old Steamboat Days
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 Nov 19 - 11:36 PM

Hi, Gurney, there's a song title "In the Good Old Steamboat Days" recorded by Murry K. Hill in 1907, available on the Smithsonian Folkways label.

Oh, here's a link to the recording:

http://www.library.ucsb.edu/OBJID/Cylinder7149

Subject: ADD: In the Good Old Steamboat Days (draft)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Nov 19 - 12:09 AM

IN THE GOOD OLD STEAMBOAT DAYS (draft - need help!!!)
(as recorded by Murry K. Hill, 1907)

Away down south in the land of cotton,
In the old Miss-sippi-a
Where the bells are ringing, the darkies singing,
One big Jubilee.
Away down upon the Mississippi River,
Where the sun was all ablaze,
And everybody worked but Father, (?)
In the good old steamboat days,
In the good old steamboat days.

In the good old steamboat days,
In the good old steamboat days,
Steamboat whistles you would hear,
Boats they made about a mile a year.
On a full head of steam,
Oh, they'd race down the stream
And the boat that didn't blow up won,
In the good old steamboat days,
In the good old steamboat days.

In the good old steamboat days,
Five towns (?) to meet your gaze,
Saint Louie, she was one, you know;
And New Orleans was five and slow (?)
And dear old Memphis, too,
Well, she was at quite a few (?)
But good ??? was growin' thin
In the good old steamboat days,
In the good old steamboat days.

In the good old steamboat days,
When the river would not raise,
The old Miss-ipp, she got so low,
On the bottom of the river, the dust would blow;
The fish caught bites and cats,
And they all were acrobats.
They stood on their heads to wet their gills
In the good old steamboat days,
In the good old steamboat days.

In the good old steamboat days,
Draw poker was the craze;
My grandad played that game one night,
Held five kings that was not right.
That started up the fun,
When the captain held a gun.
And the coroner held an inquest
In the good old steamboat days,
In the good old steamboat days.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYWcFR42WLY

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In the Good Old Steamboat Days
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 05 Nov 19 - 11:34 AM

Hi Joe

v1 - Father is correct.

v3 I give in full, there are a few changes:

  In the good old steamboat days,
  Five towns 'd meet your gaze,
  Saint Louis, she was one, you know;
  And New Orleans was far from slow
  And dear old Memphis, too,
  Well, she was at quite a few
  But goodness how they've growen since
  The good old steamboat days,
  Since the good old steamboat days.

v4 - It sounds to me like:
  Fish call pikes and cats

v5 - a couple of minor changes:
  For the captain held a gun.
  Then coroner held an inquest


Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In the Good Old Steamboat Days
From: Gurney
Date: 05 Nov 19 - 03:11 PM

That's the one gentlemen. Thank you very much.

I heard it in Coventry, from a duo called The New Modern Idiot Grunt Band. Rod Felton and Rob Armstrong. Happy days, approaching half a century ago.
Don't know if I'll sing the word 'darkies' though. Times have changed whilst I wasn't looking.

Spellcheck picks up Felton, but not Armstrong! These Geordies get everywhere, dictionaries, the Moon.....
Not into the Oxford, though.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In the Good Old Steamboat Days
From: Gurney
Date: 06 Nov 19 - 03:16 PM

I just typed it out for my songbook.
What an epistle!
Sometimes you don't realise what you are asking of people.
Thanks again, Mick, and particularly, Joe.