Lyr Req: 'highland goat song' / Bill Grogan's Goat

Subject: 'The goat song'
From: angel
Date: 17 Mar 00 - 10:31 PM

Does anyone know the title and lyrics to this song?

'There was a man, a friend of mine, Hung 3 red shirts, right out on the line. He had a goat, he did, he did, He had that goat just for his kid' Any the goat got loose, ate the shirts, the man got mad, tied him to the tracks, that goat coughed up those shirts and flagged the train.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, Angel

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The highland goat song'
From: Bill in Alabama
Date: 18 Mar 00 - 10:57 AM

Angel--
Where I grew up, it was called *Bill Grogan's Goat. I even saw it printed with that title in a song book once.

Bill

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The highland goat song'
From: GUEST,hollowfox
Date: 18 Mar 00 - 11:09 AM

Try looking under the title "Old Hogan's Goat". You'll probably find it on some lyrics-link blue clicky thing that deals with children's songs, camp songs, etc, if not on DT. The words are in I went to the animal fair, a book of animal poems edited by William Cole (1958), and (I think) in the Silly Songbook edited by Esther L. Nelson (1981). The tune is also used for "Sipping cider through a straw".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The highland goat song'
From: GUEST,hollowfox
Date: 18 Mar 00 - 11:13 AM

Somehow the title , edited by William Cole, got excised by my local gremlins. Sorry. (I Love these questions - the give me a semi-legitimate excuse to check Mudcat, here at work in the library. Wheee!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The highland goat song'
From: GUEST,hollowfox
Date: 18 Mar 00 - 11:15 AM

Let's try this again, with different punctuation. The title is: I went to the Animal Fair. (Hrumph)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The highland goat song'
From: Bill in Alabama
Date: 18 Mar 00 - 11:36 AM

Angel--

As I recall (it's been quite awhile), some verses were

Bill Grogan's Goat was feeling fine
Ate three red shirts right off the line
Bill took a stick, gave him a whack
And tied him to the railroad track.

The whistle blew, the train drew nigh--
Bill Grogan's goat was doomed to die.
He gave three groans of awful pain,
Coughed up the shirts, and flagged the train.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The highland goat song'
From: Alice
Date: 18 Mar 00 - 12:10 PM

Angel, it's in the database under BILL GROGAN'S GOAT. If you just put the word goat in the search box at the top of the Mudcat Cafe page, Bill Grogan's Goat comes up in a list of songs including the word "goat". There is a thread for newcomers with Frequently Asked Questions that can help you search for your answers. There are many ways to search for lyrics. Here's a link to the song click here

Alice

Subject: ADD: My Highland Goat
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Mar 08 - 01:47 AM

MY HIGHLAND GOAT

My Highland goat-eoate oate oate oate oate oat
Was feeling fine-ine ine ine ine
He ate three shirt- y irty irty irty irty irts
Off my backline- iney ine ine ine

I took a stick- icky icky icky icky ick
And gave a whack- eacky eack ack ack
And tieds him to- er... hmmm o o o o?
The railway track- eacky eack ack ack

The Whistle blew- eewy ewy ewy ew
The train grew Nigh- ighy ighy ighy igh
My highland goat- eoate oaate oate oate oat
Was sure to die- ie ie ie

I took a knife- ify ify ify ify ify if
And cut that rope- eope eope eope eope ope
And set him free- e e e e e
My highland Goat- eoate oate oate oate oate oat!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The highland goat song'
From: GUEST
Date: 28 May 08 - 07:43 AM

my highland goat
was feelin fine
ate 3 red shirts
from off the line
my father jack
gave him a whack
and tied him too
the railway track
the whistle blew
the train grew nigh
my highland goat
was sure to die
he gave a groan
of mortal pain
couphed up the shirts
flaged down the train

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The highland goat song'
From: GUEST,Neovo
Date: 17 Oct 08 - 03:32 AM

I was expecting something more on the lines of "Speed bonny goat like a bird on the wing"...

Subject: Lyr Add: MY HIGHLAND GOAT
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Apr 09 - 09:23 PM

MY HIGHLAND GOAT

Here's how I learned it:
The Highland goat-i-ote-i-ote
was feeling fine-i-ine-i-ine
he ate three shirts-i-erts-i-erts
right off the line-i-ine-i-ine
his master gave-i-ave-i-ave
him an awful whack-i-ack-i-ack
and tied him to-i-oo-i-oo
the railroad track-i-ack-i-ack
The five-fifteen-i-een-i-een
was roaring by -i-i-i-i
The highland goat-i-oat-i-ote
was sure to die-i-i-i-i
he gave three bleats-i-eats-i-eats
of mortal pain-i-ain-i-ain
coughed up the shirts-i-erts-i-erts
and flagged the train-i-ain-i-ain.

where in the world does this song come from, and how the hell do I know it. I must have learned it when I was four years old.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The highland goat song'
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 22 Apr 09 - 11:22 PM

It is a "play" AKA "spoof" off the "High Land Goat Herder" found within the puppet-stage scene in the broadway and film musical-light-opera Sound of Music

A brillant combination of two

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The highland goat song'
From: Valmai Goodyear
Date: 23 Apr 09 - 09:34 AM

Ah - isn't that The Lonely Goatherd? I heard a stupendously filthy version of this on a Bonfire coach many years ago and if I'd been sober enough at the time would have forced the singer to give me the words.

If anybody has the filthy version, you could make an old woman very happy by sending it to me.

Valmai (Lewes)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'highland goat song' / Bill Grogan's Goat
From: GUEST,Coolies Fantastic
Date: 17 Nov 11 - 10:26 PM

My highland goat
was doing fine
he ate thee shirts
off my back line
i took a stick
and gave a wack
and tied him to
the railway tracks
the whistle blew
the train grew nigh
my highland goat
was sure to die
i took a knife
and cut that rope
and set him free
my Highland goat

Subject: Lyr Add: MAN WHO HAD A GOAT / ...GROGAN'S...
From: kendall
Date: 18 Nov 11 - 07:22 AM

As I learned it, it went:

There was a man who had a goat
He loved that goat just like a kid
One day that goat was feeling fine
He ate red shirts right off the line
The farmer grabbed him by the back
And tied him to the railroad track
Just then the train came into sight
And that poor goat near died of fright
He heaved a sign as if in vain
Coughed up the shirts and flagged the train.

We learned many silly songs in grade school, such as:

There was, there was a crooked man
He walked, he walked a crooked mile
He found a crooked stick bent against a crooked stile
Against a crooked stile.

He bought, he bought a crooked cat
Which caught, which caught a crooked mouse
And they all lived together in a little crooked house.

Subject: Lyr Add: MY HIGHLAND GOAT
From: GUEST,Jamie
Date: 01 Aug 12 - 06:02 PM

The version that I learnt is a call and response thing. I learnt it when I was leading on a children's camp, and the children were big fans of it. The lyrics are as follows:


My Highland Goat
(Not a chicken, but a Goat)

Was feeling fine,
(Not well, but fine)

Eat 16 shirts,
(Not skirts but shirts)

From off the line,
(Not a circle, but a line)

My master, Mack,
(Not Jack, but Mack)

Gave him a smack
(Not a whack, but a smack)

And tied him to,
(Not from, but to)

The railway track,
(Not a line, but a track)

The whistle blew
(Not red but blew)

The train drew neigh,
(Not far, but neigh)

My Highland Goat
(Not a chicken, but a goat)

Was sure to die,
(Not live, but die)

He gave a cry
(Not a wail, but a cry)

Of mortal pain,
(Not pleasure, but pain)

Coughed up the shirts,
(Not skirts but shirts)

Flagged down the train!
(Not a plane but a train!)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'highland goat song' / Bill Grogan's Goat
From: GUEST,Sashbygosh
Date: 20 Jan 20 - 11:40 PM

So I also learned this version. A long game of telephone from Girl Scout to Girl Scout relayed the song a lot differently. We’d go through three rounds of the song, each varying slightly than the initial lyrics. Highly catchy, extremely annoying... but I’d love to know the full thing, if there are more verses to this version or if you can add to the lines that I am missing in the second round; that would be a huge help. Thanks!

Round One

(To be sung between multiple people. One as the leader says, “this is a repeat after me song.” To which the others in the group reply with, “This is a repeat after me song!” A bit louder than the leader.)

“This is a repeat after me song!”

“This is a repeat after me song!

My highland goat
was feeling fine
ate all my shorts
right off the line

I grabbed a stick
and gave a whack
and tied him to
a railroad track

a whistle blew
the train grew nigh
my highland goat
was sure to die

he gave a groan
of mortal pain
coughed up my shorts
And flagged the train, Begin again.

Round two

(To be sung all together as a group.)

My highland goat, not a chicken but a goat.
was feeling fine, had a glass of wine.
ate all my shorts, red, white, and blue.
right off the line, ‘twas made of twine.

I grabbed a stick, not a branch but a stick.
and gave a whack, smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!
and tied him to, with a knot, not a noose.
a railroad track, (not a road but a track?) [Not sure on this one.]

a whistle blew,
(?)
the train grew nigh,
(?)
my highland goat, not a chicken but a goat.
was sure to die, goodbye goodbye.

he gave a groan, OH! (to be yelled out in anguish)
of mortal pain, OH! (A little more anguish)
coughed up my shorts, red, white, and blue.
And flagged the train, begin again!

Round Three

(Again, sang as a group)

My highland goa-y-oaty-oaty-oaty-oat
was feeling fine-y-iney-iney-iney-ine
ate all my short-y-orty-orty-orty-orty-orts
right off the line-y-iney-iney-iney-ine

I grabbed a stick-y-icky-icky-icky-ick
and gave a whack-y-acky-acky-acky-ack
and tied him to-y-ooey-ooey-ooey-oo
a railroad track-y-acky-acky-acky-ack

a whistle blew-y-ewey-ewey-ewey-ew
the train grew nigh-y-ighey-ighey-ighey-I
my highland goat-y-oaty-oaty-oaty-oat
was sure to die-y-iey-iey-iey-ie

he gave a groan-y-oany-oany-oany-oan
of mortal pain-y-ainy-ainy-ainy-ainy-ain
coughed up my short-y-orty-orty-orty-orts
flagged down the train-y-ainy-ainy-ainy-ain

Subject: Lyr Req: 'highland goat song' / Bill Grogan's Goat
From: GUEST,B Hendler
Date: 23 Feb 21 - 06:21 PM

I learned a different version from my Dad...PA coal mining region:

Main singer, then each row repeated by followers and embellished where noted [ ]

Old Ikey Stein,
A friend of mine,
Just for a joke,
He bought a goat.

One day that goat
Was feeling fine,
And ate three red
Shirts off the line.
[Shirts off the li -i -ine]

Old Ike got mad,
Gave him a whack,
And tied him to
The railroad track.
The whistle blew,
The train drew nigh,
And that poor goat was doomed to die
[Was doomed to die ie ie]

He gave three groans
of awful pain,
Coughed up the shirts,
And flagged the train!
[And flagged the tra a ain!]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'highland goat song' / Bill Grogan's Goat
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Feb 21 - 04:49 AM

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