Lyr Req/Add: Torpedo Jim (Lewis/Monaco)

Subject: Torpedo Jim
From: Tom Roth
Date: 24 Jun 97 - 09:27 PM

A friend is looking for the words to "Torpedo Jim". I have never heard the song but I assume it is of WWII vintage. Anybody heard of it?

Subject: Lyr Add: TORPEDO JIM
From: GUEST,Lyrics your friend wanted
Date: 17 Aug 10 - 07:52 PM

Torpedo Jim

Come, everybody, and I'll tell you a tale,
Of a big submarine that was built like a whale.
The number they gave her was the K-23,
And the crew that they carried was as tough as could be.

Torpedo Jim was the K-Boat commander,
Torpedo Jim, with a face like a file,
Torpedo Jim ate a horseshoe for breakfast,
And when danger was near him's the time he could smile.

There was Dynamite Casey and Gunpowder Lee,
Shoot-em-up Riley and Choke-'em MacGee.
They picked out a captain who was lanky and slim,
He was a bad man from 'Frisco called Torpedo Jim.

Torpedo Jim, with an eye like an eagle,
Torpedo Jim, with a wart on his nose,
Torpedo Jim was a dog of the ocean,
With brine on his whiskers and salt on his clothes.

Early one morning his heart beat with hope
As he anchored his eye on the old periscope.
He turned to the gunner and he said with a grin,
"There's a cargo of sauerkraut that's bound for Berlin."

He shut off the motors, gave the signal to stop,
He let out the ballast and rose to the top,
He aimed the torpedo and they cried, "Let her go!"
Now the devil is going to have a feast down below.

Torpedo Jim hit her right in the middle,
Torpedo Jim had an aim that was true,
Torpedo Jim sent that cargo to Hades,
For he knew that the devil liked sauerkraut too.

They bobbed all around, up and down on the foam,
First they headed her east, then they headed for home,
Jim was excited as they sailed in the bay,
For his wife didn't know he was going away.

When he stepped off the boat and he stepped on the shore,
He knew right away she was peevish and sore,
He tried to explain and she flew in a rage,
So for safety he hid with a lion in its cage.

Torpedo Jim was as meek as a baby,
Torpedo Jim had to run for his life,
Torpedo Jim was a salt of the ocean,
But tough as he was, he's afraid of his wife.

Subject: RE: req/ADD: Torpedo Jim
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Aug 10 - 07:55 PM

Hmmm. I suppose the tune is "Casey Jones."

-Joe-

Subject: RE: req/ADD: Torpedo Jim
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 Aug 10 - 09:03 PM

Thirteen years but Mudcat volunteers rack up another lost song.

Wonder if Tom still walks this earth?

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: req/ADD: Torpedo Jim
From: GUEST,Mike Siracuse
Date: 27 Aug 10 - 01:12 PM

I learned this song from my father, who was a sailor in WWII. There are a lot more verses than he taught us! Thanks for the entire song.... its great! I also learned that the song is from WWI and that the words were by Roger Lewis and music by Jimmie V. Monaco. It looks like the song grew a lot bigger after its debut circa 1918. Isnt the internet great? You can find ANYTHING!

Mike Siracuse, Lansing, MI

Subject: RE: req/ADD: Torpedo Jim
From: Charley Noble
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 09:54 AM

Mike-

Thanks for the additional information.

And give my best to the folks at Elderly Instruments the next time you stop by there.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble
Maine

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Torpedo Jim
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 03 Aug 11 - 08:33 AM

WorldCat.org shows that several libraries have the sheet music—but I couldn't find any that were viewable online.


TORPEDO JIM
Words by Roger Lewis; music by Jimmie V. Monaco.
New York: L. Feist, ©1917.
Series: Songs sung by the soldiers and sailors

First line of text: Come ev'rybody and I'll tell you a tale.
First line of chorus: Torpedo Jim, with an eye like an eagle.

[You can find a midi file at http://ingeb.org/songs/torpedoj.html. I suspect the above lyrics were copied from there as well.]