Lyr Req: Born in a Barrel House

Subject: Lyr Req: Born in a Barrel House
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Aug 20 - 12:43 PM

from email:

Dear Joe,
      I can’t find the words to a song I heard in the 1940’s or 1950’s. It goes:

I was born in a barrel house
Out behind a hill
When the revenues
Found my pappy’s still.
Now I gotta ramble
Ramble everywhere
Me and my partner
Old cane bottom chair.

Dump ta deedle,
dump ta deedle
Dump te dum
My fingers tapping out
A rumpty dum
Bacon on the fire
80 cents a pound
Better eat rabbit
‘Til the meat comes down.

I can’t find it on the web. Can you?
       See you on Zoom tonight!
               Louise

---

Can anybody help?

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Born in a Barrel House
From: cnd
Date: 22 Aug 20 - 06:19 PM

Minor correction but I'd bet the word is "revenuers" and not revenues; "revenuers" was a term used to refer to alcohol enforcement officers.

Can't find anything else about the song, though.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Born in a Barrel House
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Aug 20 - 08:02 PM

Hi, cnd - I don't correct my friend Louise. She's over 80, and she's the real thing. She grew in the Ozarks and knows all the old songs, and yet she can recite Dylan Thomas and Stephen Vincent Benet. And it was a thrill to go to Scotland with her three times. She keeps finding new adventures.

As for revenuers, I think I see it spelled "revenooers" more often, but I think I've seen a dozen different spelling. The usual term I hear is "Alcohol Tobacco Tax" for the agency - I think that was the term used by oldtimers in federal law enforcement, and I knew a lot of those old guys.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Born in a Barrel House
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Aug 20 - 07:29 PM

Cnd is right.It was just a typo. I'd better check more carefully next time! Sure wish I had those other verses.         
                                  Louise

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Born in a Barrel House
From: GUEST,Starship
Date: 25 Aug 20 - 03:40 PM

Bacon didn't sell for 80 cents a pound until 1966 (then again in 1972). Likely don't mean much, but there it is. PS: that was in the US.