Lyr Req: Tony the Dago, The Son of the Beach

Subject: TONY THE DAGO, THE SON OF THE BEACH
From: GUEST,STEWART
Date: 28 Jul 00 - 09:39 AM

DOES ANYONE KNOW THESE LYRICS???

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: TONY THE DAGO, THE SON OF THE BEACH
From: SeanM
Date: 29 Jul 00 - 01:40 AM

I'm doubting success... but just in case (They DID ask, and we DID respond with Horst Wessel...)

Refresh.

M

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: TONY THE DAGO, THE SON OF THE BEACH
From: GUEST,Vince P.
Date: 21 Apr 09 - 04:36 PM

I live by the seashore where the seagull she screech.
I'm Tony the dago, the son a da beach.
I'm notta so good, I'm notta so bad etc.

It dates to the FDR era and contains a reference to Roosevelt, beeg president man. Haven't heard it recited in full since approx. '58, and the friend who did it is deceased from a fall down an elevator shaft, supposedly an "accident", about 15 years ago

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tony the Dago, The Son of the Beach
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Apr 09 - 04:40 PM

Know any more, Vince? I Googled and didn't find the complete lyics. You're our last, best hope....

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tony the Dago, The Son of the Beach
From: Peace
Date: 21 Apr 09 - 04:40 PM

For some reason I think this may be in the DT. I don't know how to check that, however. I vaguely recall that title from some years back on Mudcat, but I don't recall if it was mentioned in a post or was posted as a thread title.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tony the Dago, The Son of the Beach
From: MartinRyan
Date: 21 Apr 09 - 04:45 PM

Dead right, Peace! Click here

Regards

Subject: Lyr Add: TONY THE DAGO
From: Peace
Date: 21 Apr 09 - 08:19 PM

Thanks to Martin Ryan, here are the words from the thread he linked to. (I don't know how you did that, but in the vernacular, "You da man." Thank you again, Martin.




"Tony the Dago"
(must be spoken with Italian accent)

Ah, sella the feesha, ah sella da crab.
Ah donno doa so gooda, butta notta so badd.
Ah leeve ona da seashora wherea da seagulla he screecha,
Ahma, Tony da dago, a sonna da beach.

Mah friendsa say "Hey, Tony, Whya you leeve here?
You coulda make more mon eeffa you sella da beer."
Aya, say, "Iya don care eeffa Ay never getta reeech,
I'ma Tony da dago, a sonna da beach".

Nowa dee udder day, I heara two fellas a talk onna sand,
'bout some fella name George, BIG president man.
Nowa, I donna know all dat day say inna dayra speech,
butta ita seems dat hea too ease a sonna da beach.

Ahma, Tony da dago, I'mma glada aya am,
donna want to be no big president man.
Anna whena I die anna to a heaven aya reach...
He'lla say, "Ayy Tony! Come ona in, you ol' sonna da beech.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tony the Dago, The Son of the Beach
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Dec 12 - 03:40 AM

Hi, , ,Im Tony de dago, the son of the beach
Im notta so good and I'm notta so bad
I live on the shore where the sea gull he screach
I'm Tony da dago, the son of the beach

They say, "Tony, why for you stay here?"
You makka more money if you sella the beet
I tell them I don't care if I ever get reach
I'm just Tony da dage, the son of the beach

Last week I hear two fellow talk on the sand
About Stalin the big communist man
I really don't hear what they say in their speach
I guess he to is a son of the beach.

Now I don't thing he be fellow like me
Cause he don't live on the ocean on the shore by the sea
So I guess, Him and me be two different kinds of the son of the beach

Well, I'm just Tony da Dage, the son of the beach
I'm glad I not like Stalin the communist man
So when I die, and heaven I reach
They say, Hi Tony, come in you son of de beach!

Subject: Lyr Add: SIGNOR PERONI SON OF THE BEACH
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 21 Dec 12 - 08:59 AM

At least we have a firm date for this version:

From Pattern Makers' Journal, Volumes 46-48 (Pattern Makers' League of North America., 1939), page 33:


SIGNOR PERONI
Son of the Beach

I'm notta so good and I'm notta so bad.
I sella da fish, and I sella da crab.
Me leev on da shack var da Sea Gull he screech.
I am Dago Peroni, a Sonna da Beach.

I guess maybee you tink I'm purty beeg fool,
'Cause I never ben go to da American Scule,
An I don't know so good da American speech.
I'm joost "Tony" da Dago, a Sonna da Beach.

Day say to me, "Tony, wot for you stay here?
You maka more mon ef you sella da beer."
I say, I don't care ef I naver be reech,
I rather just be a Sonna da Beach.

Last week I hear two feller talk on da Sand
Bout a feller called "Frankie" beeg President man.
I don't hear so good wat day say in da speech,
But it sound like he too be a Sonna da Beach.

Now I don 't tank day mean he be feller like me,
'Cause he don 't leev har on da Beach by da Sea,
So I don't onnerstan; Maybe him and me each
Be two deeferen kind of a Sonna da Beach.

Vail, I'm joost "Tony" da Dago, and dam glad I am.
I'm glad I ain't wot you cal beeg President man,
'Cause some day I die, and ven Heaven I reach,
Dey will say, "HI, TONY, come in, you Sonna da Beach."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tony the Dago, The Son of the Beach
From: GUEST,GUEST.guest
Date: 21 Dec 12 - 09:44 AM

Y'know - I really lika dees song

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tony the Dago, The Son of the Beach
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Jun 14 - 02:27 PM

I sella da feesh, I sella da crab, Ima not so good, Ima not so bad,
I live in da shack where da seagulls screech.
I'm Dago Peroni, a son of da beach

This man called Hitler, is also some son a da beach

This is all I can remember
Marty

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tony the Dago, The Son of the Beach
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 01 Jun 14 - 07:50 PM

The song originally was called "Tony the Fish Peddler, A Son of the Beach."

I believe that it was composed by Clayton Rand.

The original reference was to "Willie," President Woodrow Wilson, who spent the winter of 1913 in the City of Pass Christian, where he was another "Sonna da Beach."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tony the Dago, The Son of the Beach
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 01 Jun 14 - 07:55 PM

See http://city.passchristian,net/fish_peddler.htm for original words as still sung there.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tony the Dago, The Son of the Beach
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 02 Jun 14 - 07:38 PM

Unfortunate that a bad parody is in the DT of a pretty good song.

Lyr. Add: TONY THE FISH PEDDLER
Clayton Rand, ca. 1913

I sella de fish, I sella de crab,
I'm notta so good, an' notta so bad;
I leev in da shack, var sea gull he screech,
I'M fish-pedla Tony, a Sonna da Beach.

I guess aybe you teenk I'm pretty beeg fool,
'Cause I nevair got to American school;
An' I don't know so guud da American speech,
I'm joost "Tony," da Fish-pedla, a Sonna da Beach.

Dey say to me, "Tony, vot for you stay here?
You maka more mon' if you sella da beer';
I say, "I don' care if I nevair be reech,
I rather be joost a poor Sonna da Beach."

Laz' week, I hear two fella talk on da san',
'Bout fella called "Willie," a beeg Prezdent man;
I don' hear so good vot dey say in da speech,
But it soun' like he too is a Sonna da Beach.

Now I don' teenk dey mean he be fella like me;
'Cause he don' leef here, on da beach by da sea;
So I don' understan', maybe him an' me each
Be two differen' kind of a Sonna da Beach.

Vell, I'm joost "Tony, da Fish-pedla," an' dam glad I am,
I'm glad I ain't vot you call a Prezdent man;
'Cause some day ven I die an' Heaven I reach
Dey will say, "Hi, Tony, come in, you Sonna da Beach."

Commemorating the time in 1913 when Woodrow Wilson and family spent the winter in the city of Pass Christian.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tony the Dago, The Son of the Beach
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 03 Jun 14 - 04:51 AM

In these days of political correctness are the Italians the only group we can still stereotype?

RtS
(Roger the Brummie)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tony the Dago, The Son of the Beach
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Sep 19 - 09:50 PM

Vince,

There are many variations of this poem. here is how my father recited it:

I sella de fish and I sella de crab
I notta so good and I notta so bad
I leeve in a shack by the seagull he screech
Ima Tony Peroni, a sonna de beach
Now some maybe think I be pretty big fool
For I never been to American school
And I no speak so good de American speech
Ima just a poor Dago, a sonna de beach
My friends say, hey Tony, what for you stay here
You makea more money if you sella de beer
But I say I no care if I never be reech
Ima just Tony Peroni, a sonna de beech
One day I here two feelas talking down on the sand
Bouta a man named Hitler, some big dictator man
And I no hear so good what they say in de speech
But it sound like he too be a sonna de beech
But I no think de mean he be fella like me
For no don'ta leeve on de beech by de sea
So understand, maybe, then he and me each
be two different kind of a sonna de beech
Well ima just Tony de dego and damn glad I am
I'ma glad I'ma not, what they call, a dictator man
For some day when I die, in Heaven I reech
They'll say hiya Tony, come in you 'ole sonna de beech