Req:Goodbye Charlie/Goodnight Charlie, Glad 2 seeU

Subject: Lyr Req: Goodbye Charlie/Goodnight Charlie
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Oct 25 - 11:13 PM

From an email request:
Hi, Joe,

I am new to your site, which I learned about today via ChatGPT. Can you please help me?

I am trying to find a song that my grandmother sang to me (she was born in 1900 and married in 1919).

Attached, please find a pdf of the lyrics, as well as a rough recording of me trying to sing it.

Thank you in advance for any help that you can give me.

Dave R

Can anybody find more information about this song:

I know a little man;
I do not know his name.
He stands around the corner every night.
He wears a golden watch and chain;
a silver walking cane;
                  a penny rose is tucked in his lapel.
Goodnight, Charlie, glad to see you.
One more kiss before I go.
We will meet on a Sunday night.
We will have a little fight.
Goodbye, Charlie, glad to see you.

Subject: RE: Req:Goodbye Charlie/Goodnight Charlie, Glad 2 seeU
From: cnd
Date: 01 Nov 25 - 11:19 AM

Probably related to this Reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/tipofmytongue/comments/crx050/tomt_song_a_very_old_song_about_a_prostitute_that/

I know a little girl I do not know her name She hangs around the corner every night Every night She wears a watch and chain A pearly* and a cane Oh, Elsie, Elsie, Elsie** how you doing?! Goodbye my darling, I must leave you. One more kiss before I go. I'll see you Saturday night If I don't, we'll have a fight Down where the water lilies grow

* I can't recall what is actually said here. Maybe a "pearly" is slang for a pearl necklace.
** I know in the beginning of the song, the singler claims to not know the prostitute's name. Maybe this is like "pearly" and I don't actually remember what was said here.

That thread linked to The Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard April 14th, 1871 - "Good Night Darling, sung by Miss Emma Chambers"

"Good night, darling, I must leave you,
One more kiss before I go;
I'll be here to-morrow night,
If I cannot come I'll write
Just a word or two to let my darling know"

Another commenter wrote the following:

Here's my running theory:

This is a cover of an old Alabama folk song written by one "Miss Emma Chambers":

https://youtu.be/QWgT-DCfCZ8

/u/Kurty94 found it. The lyrics are a lot sweeter and sung from the perspective of a woman (who is absolutely not a prostitute). But the chorus and the melody of the choirs match.

The document you shared show men from Alabama were also in that unit. My theory is this: they brought that song overseas and the dirty New Haven mopeens changed some of the lyrics to make it funny. I know this because I would have done the same thing

So that's my running theory so far...

Subject: RE: Req:Goodbye Charlie/Goodnight Charlie, Glad 2 seeU
From: cnd
Date: 01 Nov 25 - 11:22 AM

Another person linked to The Alabama Folk Lyric "The Merry Girl" -- there's a few versions from the book that I'll post below.

This lighthearted love song is less usual than the unhappy type. It came straight from the songsters. I quote the entire song from one (Robert Jones Songster, NY 18--, p. 6) for comparison:

What a jolly girl am I.
And I'll tell you the reason why,
Because I'm engaged to something sweet;
And it seems as every day,
When he goes away,
To whisper something sweet at the door.

Chorus:
Goodbye darling, I must leave you:
One more kiss before I go.
I'll be back tomorrow night:
If I cannot I will write a line or two
To let my darling know

Ladies, if you want to find
Some gents that's good & kind;
You can be no happier I'm sure,
Ain't it nice to have a beau,
That when he comes to go
To whisper something sweet at the door?

And his teeth are white like pearl
And his darling little curl;
And his name is Lilly Dusky Moore.
He's the joy of my life,
And I soon will be his wife,
Then he need not whisper at the door.

Subject: RE: Req:Goodbye Charlie/Goodnight Charlie, Glad 2 seeU
From: cnd
Date: 01 Nov 25 - 11:27 AM

Another interesting version, sung by Eddie Norwood, has an interesting verse (Birch & Backus Songs of San Francisco Minstrels, NY 187-, p. 141)

Goodbye, Darling, I Must Leave You

Oh I love a charming girl
And to her I never shall
Say or do anything that's wrong.
Now tis my great delight
To bring her here each night
Just to hear a quiet little song

Chorus:
Goodbye, darling, I must leave you.
One more kiss before I go.
I'll be here tomorrow night.
If I cannot come I'll write
Just a word or two to let my darling know.

This same version appeared in the There's Millions in it Songster (NY, 18--, p. 35); and in Jennie Engle's Bouquet of Melodies Songster (NY 1873, p. 27)

Subject: RE: Req:Goodbye Charlie/Goodnight Charlie, Glad 2 seeU
From: cnd
Date: 01 Nov 25 - 11:31 AM

This song has been popular in Alabama but apparently not elsewhere. Owens (Texas Folk Songs, p. 164)prints on stanza (roughly the second of my A) and a parallel chorus. I have not found the piece elsewhere.

"Such a Happy Girl Am I," sung by Mrs. Mary Drake, Huntsville, Madison County, 1953. She claims her mother wrote it.

Such a happy girl am I and I'll tell you the reason why.
It's because I'm engaged to such a dear.
He comes nearly ev'ry day and when he goes away,
These words he always whispers in my car:

Chorus:
"Goodnight, Darling, I must leave you,
One more kiss before I go.
I'll be here tomorrow night.
If I can't come I will write
Just a word or two to let my darling know.

Oh, he has teeth as white as pearls and such darling little curls.
His name is Harry Martin.....
He's the pleasure of my life, for I'm soon to be his wife,
And these words I'll no longer have to hear:

Oh, young ladies, when you find a young lover true and kind,
You cannot be more happy, I am sure,
For it's nice to have a beau who will love and pet you so,
And kiss you when he leaves you at the door.

To the gentlemen I say, "When obliged to go away
From the lady that is dearest to your heart,
You had best remember this, she'll expect a sweeter kiss,
And a word or two like this."

Subject: RE: Req:Goodbye Charlie/Goodnight Charlie, Glad 2 seeU
From: cnd
Date: 02 Nov 25 - 11:17 PM

From 128th Corps of Combat Engineers Book [circa 1940s], p. 14 (link)

ELSIE

There was a little girl,
I donnot [sic] know her name.
She hangs around the corner every night,
She wears a watch and chain
A derby hat and cane
OH! Elsie, Elsie, Elsie, Elsie, Elsie.
Goodnight darling I must leave you
One more kiss before I go
I will see you Sunday Night
If we do not nave a fight.
Down where the water lillies [sic] grow

Subject: RE: Req:Goodbye Charlie/Goodnight Charlie, Glad 2 seeU
From: cnd
Date: 05 Nov 25 - 09:18 AM

From Henry De Marsan's New Comic and Sentimental Singer's Journal, No. 29, p. 196 - 1871

GOOD-BYE DARLING
(As suug by Miss Alice Sielder)

What a happy girl am I!
And I'll tell you the reason why:
It's because I am engaged to something dear;
He sees me every day;
And when he goes away,
He whispers gentle words then in my ear.

Chorus:
Good-bye, darling, I must leave you;
One more kiss before I go;
I'll be here to-morrow night;
If I cannot come, I'll write
Just a word or two to let my darling know.

He has teeth as white as pearls,
And such darling little curls!
And his name is Larry Augustus Frederick James,
He's the pleasure of my life
And soon I'll be his wife,
And then he has no need to whisper in my ear:

Chorus: Good-bye, darling, &c.

Noe, ladies, if you'll find
Any man that's true and kind,
You can never be more happy, I am sure.
It's so nice to have a beau!
And when he tries to go,
He whispers gentle words then at the door.

Chorus: Good-bye, darling, &c.