Lyr ADD: Esau Take Me On The Seesaw- Florrie Ford

Subject: Esau Take Me On The Seesaw- Florrie Ford
From: GUEST,Mr House
Date: 26 Aug 22 - 06:13 AM

Hi! Does anyone have the sheet music or chords to this song?

Subject: RE: Lyr req: Esau Take Me On The Seesaw- Florrie Ford
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Aug 22 - 10:57 PM

Well, here's the recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsR9i_d5MXA. I can barely understand it.

This one is a little better: http://oldgramophonerecords.co.uk/4y1/florrie%20ford%20-%20Esau%20take%20me%20on%20the%20Seesaw%20%28the%20twin2027%29.mp3

YouTube notes: Unlike many great music hall stars, Florrie Forde (1876-1940) recorded prolifically & had a long career, so her records are easy to find. She recorded this 1908 song on 'The Twin' label (Ser. No.34) around August that year. 'The Twin' was a Gramophone Company subsidiary, launched so they could distance themselves from the mass market of double sided discs, but enjoy the profits!

I haven't found a songwriter name.

OK, here's my start at a transcription.

ESAU TAKE ME ON THE SEESAW
(Songwriter)

The scene was a da-da-da
And 'neat the da-da-de saw
The heroine's name was Nell
The hero's name was Esau
He was making the old, old speech
On his bended knee,
But Nellie sighed and then replied
Gazing 'neath the tree:

CHORUS
Esau, Esau, Take Me On The Seesaw
Oh! Oh! I love it so!
Oh! Oh! Isn't it glorious?
Esau, Esau, if you love me true,
Take Me On The Seesaw, Esau, do.

A wedding do-do-do-do
And gave the bride a seesaw
The bride, the name was Nell,
The bridegroom's name was Esau
Night was showing its private side
Now the church bells rang
But now the steel(?) with real goodwill,
Everybody sang:

CHORUS (twice)



Please help with this. It's awful, so far.

Subject: RE: Lyr req: Esau Take Me On The Seesaw- Florrie Ford
From: GUEST,Mr. House
Date: 27 Aug 22 - 10:55 AM

https://youtu.be/cW0QMCJZcmg

Esau, take me on the See-Saw........ by .... Mr Fred Vernon

Subject: RE: Lyr req: Esau Take Me On The Seesaw- Florrie Ford
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Aug 22 - 11:06 AM

I had a listen!

ESAU TAKE ME ON THE SEESAW

The scene was a COUNTRY DELL
And ‘NEATH THE TREES A SEESAW
The heroine's name was Nell
The hero's name was Esau
He was PAINTING THE SAME OLD OLD SCENE
On his bended knee,
But Nellie CRIED and then replied
Gazing 'neath the tree:

CHORUS
Esau, Esau, Take Me On The Seesaw
Oh! Oh! I love it so!
Oh! Oh! Isn't it glorious?
Esau, Esau, if you love me true,
Take Me On The Seesaw, Esau, do.

A wedding GROUP PASSED THE DELL
And AND GAZED UPON THE seesaw
The bride, HER name was Nell,
The bridegroom's name was Esau
LIFE WAS PAINTING ITS private side
Now the church bells rang
But LOUDER NOW with real goodwill,
Everybody sang:

CHORUS (twice)

Subject: RE: Lyr req: Esau Take Me On The Seesaw- Florrie Ford
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Aug 22 - 01:55 PM

Thank you very much. Four ears are better than two.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr req: Esau Take Me On The Seesaw- Florrie Ford
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 27 Aug 22 - 02:37 PM

My mother used to sing a fragment of an old song:
"I saw Esau sitting on a seesaw,
I saw Esau with my girl,
I saw Esau, 'e saw me,something, something, something...

Haven't heard it before or since.

That's this one (click), Seamus.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: ADD: Esau Take Me On The Seesaw- Florrie Ford
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 28 Aug 22 - 06:38 PM

Thanks Joe, your transcription of lyrics for the song , above, was very helpful. Below is what I managed to get from the three recordings of Florrie singing the song which can be found on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Esau%2C+Take+Me+On+The+Seesaw
Working out the lyrics is difficult because the narrative of the two verses seems unlikely. The two verses seem to be more or less a frame to allow the audience to join in singing the chorus which is a naughty euphemism joke – “take me on the seesaw” .

ESAU TAKE ME ON THE SEESAW

The scene was a country dell
And 'neath the trees a see saw
Our heroine's name was Nell
The hero's name was Esau
He was making the old, old speech
On his bended knee,
But Nellie sighed and then replied
Gazing 'neath the tree:

CHORUS
Esau, Esau, take me on the seesaw
Oh! Oh! I love it so!
Oh! Oh! Isn't it glorious?
Esau, Esau, if you love me true,
Take me on the seesaw, Esau, do.

A wedding drew past the dell
And gazed upon the seesaw
The bride of the name was Nell,
The bridegroom's name was Esau
Life was showing its private side
Loud the church bells rang
But louder still with real goodwill,
Everybody sang:
CHORUS x2

I am unsure of the underlined words in verse two. Florrie definitely sings two syllables there but what I think I hear

Subject: RE: Lyr req: Esau Take Me On The Seesaw- Florrie Ford
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 28 Aug 22 - 06:47 PM

-continued:
"The bride of the name was NelL" is obviously not quite right. Perhaps someone can hear it better?
Otherwise The name of the bride was Nell. would work for performance purposes.

Subject: RE: Lyr req: Esau Take Me On The Seesaw- Florrie Ford
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 28 Aug 22 - 07:15 PM

I have only now noticed that Guest also posted a good set of lyrics above- it must have been after I saw Joe’s and while I was myself having a go at listening. On listening yet again I agree with Guest that the second verse begins
A wedding group passed the dell

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Esau Take Me On The Seesaw- Florrie Ford
From: GUEST,Mr House (aka 'Guest'!)
Date: 29 Aug 22 - 03:41 AM

Anyone want to have a do at parsing the chords? It appears to be in A major.