Lyr Add: Old Gingerbread Nine Inches Long (Bawdy)

Subject: Lyr Add: Old Gingerbread Nine Inches Long (Bawdy)
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 06 May 23 - 03:16 PM

-:OLD GINGER BREAD :-

I am a scotch peddler, I carry my bag.
I sell pins and needles, and ginger bread brown,
I went down broadway selling my goods.
When I chanced to fall in with sweet Maggie Woods,
She asked me to brown her, I knew it was wrong,
But I couldn't stop old ginger bread nine inches long.

We went up stairs and went to bed,
And she asked me to crack her maidenhead.
And as she sung me the lullaby song,
In went old ginger bread nine inches long.

When I got through I looked at my aleck,
And then I went down to see Dr. Shallack,
O, you poor boy, I'm afraid it was wrong.
For you'll loose your ginger bread nine inches long.

The next day I went down and he gave me a steer,
And sit me down in an easy chair,
One hand grasped a knife, and the other my old ding dong,
And off came old ginger bread nine inches long.

Now my old friend take a piece of advise,
And don't bang any old whore for that aint nice,
And if you do it will all go wrong,
And you'll loose old ginger bread nine inches long.

M/2/26/06

From a manuscript dated 2/26/1906 from upstate New York.

This manuscript is an important early collection of bawdy folklore and is available online here:

https://archive.org/details/1905bawdytypescript/page/12/mode/2up?view=theater


More texts and references to follow.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Gingerbread Nine Inches Long (Bawdy)
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 06 May 23 - 03:17 PM

I'm a Jew peddler, I carry my pack
I carry all things, the women do need
Needles and pins and spices so strong
And a roll of old gingerbread 9 inches long
I went to the kitchen delivering my goods
It was there I met the fair Nellie Woods
She asked me to diddle, I knew it was wrong
But I hossed out old ginerbread 9 inches long
I took her upstairs, I laid her on the bed
I whittled away on her old Maiden head
While I was whittling she was humming this song
Keep pushing old gingerbread 9 inches long
I went to the doctor and told him my case
He said you have stuck him in the wrong place
He pull out his knife, Oh! mighty how strong
And whacked off old gingerbread 9 inches long

From Robert Silas Queener, as reported in a paper by Donald Queenee in an untitled collection, depositied by Richard Reuss in the spring of 1967.

Read online here:

https://archive.org/details/1967-03-00-gingerbread-nine-inches-long-untitled-folklore-collection-donald-quee

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Gingerbread Nine Inches Long (Bawdy)
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 06 May 23 - 03:18 PM

O come ye fair maidens
And sample my wares
I trave the villages
the towns and the faires
I've treacle and chestnuts
And silks from Hong Kong
And dandy old gingerbread
nine inches long!

From Donald O'Donovan's 2010 novel The Sugarhouse: A Novella

See online here:

https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Sugarhouse_A_Novella_plus_four_novel/P4GArnpXAkcC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22ginger+bread+nine+inches%22+OR+%22gingerbread+nine++inches%22&pg=PT7&printsec=frontcover

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Gingerbread Nine Inches Long (Bawdy)
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 06 May 23 - 03:19 PM

...The more blood and mud and noise there were, the
louder he would bellow obscene lumberjack songs -- things like
"Roll of Old Gingerbread Nine Inches Long" and "The Red
Light Saloon."...

Little Annie Oakley Other Rugged People by Stewart H. Holbrook, published: 1948


https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.156541/page/n203/mode/2up?q=%22Roll+of+Old+Gingerbread%22

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Gingerbread Nine Inches Long (Bawdy)
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 06 May 23 - 03:20 PM

He would line up his friends and enemies along the bars of Bangor, St. John, Berlin,
North Stratford, or Sherbrooke, and pay for round after round. He had no more music
in him than a sea-gull, yet he would present a box of cigars to anyone who would sing
“Pull for the Shore” or “Roll of Old Gingerbread Nine Inches Long”, two hymns of vastly
different schools.

From page 237, The American Mercury 1930-10: Vol 21, Issue 82. Published: Oct 01, 1930.

Online here: https://archive.org/details/sim_american-mercury_1930-10_21_82/page/236/mode/2up?q=%22Roll+of+Old+Gingerbread%22

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Gingerbread Nine Inches Long (Bawdy)
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 06 May 23 - 03:20 PM

...Should he raise his voice in the wilderness, the song
is likely to be a pansy croon. He has forgotten, or never
knew, the stirring strophes to Little Brown Bull, or
Roll of Old Gingerbread, Nine Inches Long. The logger’s
talk is just about the same as that of his city brother,
whom he has so long scorned and shunned...

From page 197, The American Mercury 1936-10: Vol 39, Issue 154. PUblished: Oct, 1936.

https://archive.org/details/sim_american-mercury_1936-10_39_154/page/196/mode/2up?q=%22Roll+of+Old+Gingerbread%22

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Gingerbread Nine Inches Long (Bawdy)
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 06 May 23 - 03:27 PM

THE GINGERBREAD MAN
A NEW COMIC SONG
AS SUNG BY MR. W.H. WILLLIAMS
AT THE NATIONAL THEATRE.
WORDS WRITTEN & MUSIC ARRANGED
by
Mr. J. B. Dobney.
New York
Published by Endicot, 350 Broadway


THE GINGERBREAD MAN.

An oddity in Broadway may be seen about midday,
a glutton after gingerbread at least the folk so say,
His stature is of middle size, his coat it looks quite brown,
From heat and dust and snow and rain as he walks up and down.

Oh old gingerbread, you cormorant old gingerbread,
how can you gnaw, and suff your craw, with pockets full of gingerbread.

There's no one know e're he goes, or can account from when he came,
Or make out where he calls his home, or even tell what is his name
He does appear a nondescript and never dresses lie a fop
A Wag remoaked he thought hime like a wander gigerbread bakers shop

Oh, old gingerbread &c.

It is remaked that he of late, is fond of sucking candy,
And mixes with the high and low, the ragged and the dandy,
He is not over cautions, as he walks, who he may bump,
When he turn round to quench his thirst at any public pump.

Oh, old gingerbread &c.

His odd appearance makes one think him like a fortune teller
And if it rains in torrents, he'll not use and umbrella,
For one he was so keenly shaved in yankee land a-loof
When buying and umbrell, that was far from water proof,

Oh old gingerbread &c.

I caution all the ladies that may promenade up town
To keep a sharp look out for him, or they will get knocked down,
For when he undertakes a race, for wager or for fun,
He goes a head, a killing pace out-stripping ev'ry one.

Oh old gingerbread &c.

The Temperance society, and Grahamites may claim
This lump of pure made gingerbread and christen him with a name
By some he's termed the Wand'ring Jew, and well performs heis part
By others called the Aurong Zebe the Master of Black Art

Oh old gingerbread &c.

It has been said that he's insane by that's no general rate,
Because the adage may be used that he's more knave than fool
He has some sparks left in his frame, of pride and consequence
But for a pair of pantaloons, why not lay by some pence.

Oh old gingerbread &c.

Old gingerbread should have a coat its colour a snuffy brown,
And then the Boys would be quite pleased and haunt him up and down
But if he eats his gingerbread and sucks his candy well,
We'll say no more of gingerbread but let him bear the bell.
In gorandizeing gingerbread, he solely lives on gingerb read
How he can gnaw and move his jaw and cram in lots of gingerbread.

John Hopkins University, Levi sheet music collection online.

Retrived from https://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/sites/default/files/collection-pdfs/levy-180-041.pdf

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Gingerbread Nine Inches Long (Bawdy)
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 06 May 23 - 03:29 PM

Does anyone have any other references, bowdlerized examples ?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Gingerbread Nine Inches Long (Bawdy)
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 07 May 23 - 09:51 AM

Never heard of it this side of the pond. It looks like the sheet music may have had some influence on the bawdy piece, but it's not certain. If a gingerbread man was a common pedlar then the 2 pieces may be independent.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Gingerbread Nine Inches Long (Bawdy)
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 07 May 23 - 09:24 PM

THE OLD PACK PEDDLER


I am a pack peddler; I carry a pack.
I carry such things as the ladies do lack,
Needles and pins and cinnamon strong,
And a roll of old ginger bread nine inches long.

I started up trade in the city Yorkshire; [sic
I've been a pack peddler for many a year;
Some said I did right, others said I did wrong,
For selling old ginger bread nine inches long.

I ran a big trade in the city close by,
And many a damsel came in for to buy,
"Two pounds of Java, right straight from Hong Kong,
And a roll of old ginger bread nine inches long."

Now at last I took sick, oh some said 'twas the gout.
I swelled from my arse hole clear up to my snout.
The doctor examined, and said I did wrong,
For selling old ginger bread nine inches long.

Now the doctor declared that he would use me fair
He bid me sit down in a big easy chair.
With a sharp lance in one hand, the other my dong dong [sic
He clipped off old gingerbread nine inches long.

I will have him imbonded [sic]; I'll put him in glass,
To keep for the ladies to stick up their arse.
I'll sit by my fireside and sing my sad song,
"Adieu to old ginger bread nine inches long."

This version in Horace P. Beck, Jr., 1952 U. Penn. dissertation, "Down-East Ballads and Songs". Collected in Kingman, Maine, around 1950, from a man who superintended a lumber company (presumably an ex-logger).


"Imbonded" presumably means "embalmed".

Text and reference provided by Jonathan Lighter.

Subject: RE: THE JOLLY PEDLAR'S PRETTY THING (Bawdy)
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 07 May 23 - 09:30 PM

THE JOLLY PEDLAR'S PRETTY THING

A Pedlar proud as I heard tell,
He came into a Town:
With certain Wares he had to sell,
Which he cry'd up and down:
At first of all he did begin.

With Ribbonds, or Laces, Points, or Pins,
Gartering, Girdling, Tape, or Filetting,
Maids any Cunny-skins.

I have of your fine perfumed Gloves,
And made of the best Doe-skin;
Such as young Men do give their Loves,
When they their Favour Win :
Besides he had many a prettier Thing
Than Ribbonds, &c.

I have of your fine Necklaces,
As ever you did behold;
And of your Silk Handkerchiefs,
That are lac'd round with Gold:
Besides he had many a prettier Thing
Than Ribbonds, &c.

Good fellow, says one, and smiling sat.
Your Measure does somewhat Pinch;
Beside you Measure at that rate,
It wants above an Inch:
Apd then he shew'd her a prettier Thing,
Than Ribbonds, &c.

The Lady was pleas'd with what she had seen.
And vow'd and did protest;
Unless he'd shew it her once again,
She never shou'd be at rest:
With that he shew'd her his prettier Thing
Than Ribbonds, &c.

With that the Pedlar began to huff.
And said his Measure was good,
If that she pleased to try his stuff,
And take it whilst it stood :
And then he gave her a prettier Thing,
Than Ribbonds, &c.

Good fellow said she, when you come again.
Pray bring good store of your Ware;
And for new Customers do not sing,
For I'll take all and to spare:
With that she hugg'd his prettier Thing
Than Ribbonds, &c.

Compare the Gingerbread texts with the song above from Pills to Purge Melancholy (1720), vi. 248.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Gingerbread Nine Inches Long (Bawdy)
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 08 May 23 - 10:23 AM

Similar theme but nothing to suggest it inspired the later piece.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Gingerbread Nine Inches Long (Bawdy)
From: Lighter
Date: 08 May 23 - 11:04 AM

Like some other bawdy trad songs, "Old Gingerbread" is above all a cautionary tale.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Gingerbread Nine Inches Long (Bawdy)
From: Lighter
Date: 08 May 23 - 02:25 PM

The original "traveling salesman" joke?