Lyr Req: Stay in Your Own Backyard (Kennett/Udall)

Subject: Stay in your own backyard
From: GUEST,kidknuth
Date: 08 Nov 00 - 05:24 PM

I'm trying to find the lyrics for an old Southern lullaby called "Stay in your own backyard". It starts out: Lilac trees are bloomin' in the corner by the gate...

Please help.

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Messages from multiple threads combined.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: ADD: Stay in your own backyard
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 08 Nov 00 - 06:26 PM

This will be close but it's one my grandmother sang to me and she died in '63 so I may be a bit rusty.

STAY IN YOUR OWN BACK YARD

Lilac trees are blooming at the corner by the gate
Mammy in her little cabin door
Curly headed piccaninny home from school so late
Crying 'cos his little heart am sore
All the other children there with skin so white and fair
None of them with him would ever play
So Mammy on her lap takes that little weeping chap
And croons to him in her sweet way

Go play in your own back yard
No matter what the white child say
Now what do you suppose that they could do
to a black little boy(coon)like you
Stay inside of the high yard wall
And Honey, don't you cry so hard
Go play as long as you may
But stay in your own backyard.

I still sing it to my children and have never come across anyone who knew it outside of the family.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in your own backyard
From: GUEST,kidknuth
Date: 08 Nov 00 - 10:36 PM

Thank you so much Mrs. Duck. My mom use to sing it to us, and her mother sang it to her. We are all from N.O., La. I was starting to believe it we dreamed it up. There is a another part of it where the little child dies ("THen one day the little waif was gone for ever more...") We were trying to remember how that part went. Was it part of your version as well?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in your own backyard
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 09 Nov 00 - 03:31 PM

No sorry the above is all that was sung to us. My grandmother was from Scotland and we lived in the south of England so I don/t know where she got it from.

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Messages below are from a new thread.

Subject: Stay In Your Own Back Yard
From: bobbi
Date: 20 Jul 01 - 12:17 AM

Goes something like: "Lilac trees am bloomin' in the corner by the gate..." It's about a little black boy who tries to play with the white children and gets teased.. his mother dries his tears and comforts him by telling him to 'just stay in your own back yard.' A beautiful song... old. Anyone know the lyrics?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay In Your Own Back Yard
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 20 Jul 01 - 05:29 AM

try this: STAY IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD at The Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay In Your Own Back Yard
From:
Date: 20 Jul 01 - 11:23 AM

Funny, I had a request for that song a couple of months back and that was the only place with them. I've typed them up here from those GIFs, and will put them here later, when I get home. (I'm at work now)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay In Your Own Back Yard
From: MMario
Date: 20 Jul 01 - 11:34 AM

Thanks george.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay In Your Own Back Yard
From: bobbi
Date: 20 Jul 01 - 06:32 PM

Thanks Geoff... That's the one! However, I can't read the lyrics.. Too small and fuzzy. Tried printing them and highlighting them... but still can't make most of them out! Thanks for trying.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay In Your Own Back Yard
From:
Date: 21 Jul 01 - 09:57 AM

Bobbi, don't give up. I've got them. I enlarged them, and worked it out.

I thought I had them home, but it looks like they're on another computer. Will have to get it to you on Monday. Hope you can wait until then. Sorry about the delay.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay In Your Own Back Yard
From: bobbi
Date: 21 Jul 01 - 02:48 PM

George.. you are a real sweetheart! Monday is more than fine. Thanks a million...

Subject: Lyr Add: STAY IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD (Kennett/Udall)
From:
Date: 23 Jul 01 - 04:50 PM

STAY IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD
(Words, Karl Kennett. Music, Lyn Udall)
M. Witmark & Sons, ©1899.

1. Lilac trees a-blooming in the corner by the gate,
Mammy in the little cabin door.
Curly headed pickaninny comin' home so late,
Cryin' 'cause his little heart is sore;
All the children playing 'round have skin so white and fair,
None of them with him will ever play,
So Mammy in her lap takes the little weeping chap,
And says, in her kind old way:

CHORUS:
"Now honey, yo' stay in yo' own back yard,
Doan' min' what dem white chiles do;
What show yo' suppose dey's a gwine to gib
A black little coon like yo'?
So stay on dis side of de high boahd fence,
An' honey, doan' cry so hard,
Go out an' a-play, jes' as much as yo' please,
But stay in yo' own back yard."

2. Ev'ry day the children as they passed old mammy's place,
Romping home from school at night or noon,
Peering through the fence would see this eager little face,
Such a wistful, lonesome little coon;
'Till one day the little face was gone forever more,
God had called this dusky little elf,
And Mammy in the door sat and rocked as oft before,
And crooned to her old black self:
CHORUS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay In Your Own Back Yard
From: bobbi
Date: 23 Jul 01 - 05:38 PM

George, thank you ever so much! A great song..

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Messages below are from a new thread.

Subject: Stay In Your Own Back Yard
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 31 May 02 - 06:43 PM

When I was a little boy, my Mother used to sing this song to me. I've forgotten most of the lyrics, and have only run across one person outside of my own family who knows this song (don't remember who it was... someone I met once, many years ago.) The song would be politically incorrect now, having the word coon and pickanniny in it, from what I remember. The song was sung by a black Mammy to her little boy who has come home crying because the white kids have been picking on him. His Mother's advice is not to mind what those white folks do... just stay in your own back yard. The song had a great impact on me as a skinny little white kid who regularly got pummeled by bigger (but admittedly dumber) kids in the neighborhood. This is a real longshot, but this IS Mudcat.

Ya never know..:-)

Jerry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay In Your Own Back Yard
From: Stewie
Date: 31 May 02 - 08:28 PM

Jerry,

Found this at American Memory site. It may be what you are seeking:

Click here

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay In Your Own Back Yard
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 31 May 02 - 08:51 PM

You're a genius, Stewie! At the least! Leave it to Mudcat to come up with the answer to such an obscure question.

Jerry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay In Your Own Back Yard
From: masato sakurai
Date: 31 May 02 - 09:46 PM

Stay In Your Own Backyard
1899
Music by: Lyn Udall
Lyrics by: Karl Kennett
Cover artist: Unknown
"This song expresses an unfortunate sentiment that prevailed during the times. The idea of staying in one's own backyard was nothing more than a thinly veiled desire to not mix races and cultures. In this case, the composer and lyricist have come up with a rather clever twist to make the sentiment seem legitimate.
"Rather than a person from the white majority stating the case, the song is written from the perspective of an African-American mother who lectures her children on the need to "stay in your own back yard". I suspect that by writing the song from this angle, the duo was attempting to make the concept more acceptable and demonstrate their own prejudice that surely, if the African-Americans feel that way, it must be ok. However, it does appear from the lyrics that at least they had some empathy for the pain of racism.
"Musically, this song is a delight, if we can set aside the theme and the humiliating ideas behind it, it can actually be a pleasant experience. How very sad that so much great music is tainted by the awful pain and mean spiritedness of the lyrics.
"Here are the lyrics to the Chorus. Many of the lyrics of these songs also very unfairly stereotyped the speech patterns of whichever group was targeted.

Now honey, yo' stay in yo' own back yard,
Doan min' what dem white chiles do;
What show yo' sup-pose dey's a gwine to gib
A black lit-tle coon like yo'?
So stay on dis side of de high boahd fence
And hon-ey doan cry so hard.
Go out an' a-play, jes' as much as yo' please,
But stay in yo' own back yard."

(From THIS PAGE, with cover photo & MIDI)

"Stay in your own back yard" sung by Harry Macdonough (Berliner issue number: 131) is HERE (The Virtual Gramophone).

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay In Your Own Back Yard
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 31 May 02 - 10:31 PM

Thanks, Masato:

My Mother sang the song with such understanding and compassion for the little boy, that that's all I heard. She didn't sing it with an exagerated black dialect, but she used some of the gramatical structure.

Recently, I finally forked out the money for a copy of Song Of The South, which I loved as a kid. I can see how it is viewed as racist by some, now. But, what a loss of the richness of the Brer' Rabbit Stories!

Sometimes, the baby gets thrown out with the bathwater.

Jerry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in your own backyard
From: Gareth
Date: 01 Jun 02 - 08:41 AM

Errr! Jerry - surely "the Tarbaby gets thrown out with the bathwater"

Gareth **BG**

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in your own backyard
From: ard mhacha
Date: 01 Jun 02 - 01:41 PM

My old Schoolteacher taught us this song half a century ago in County Armagh Ireland, this is the only time over those long years I have ever come across it. So the song must have been popular enough for it to be taught in a little country School Ireland. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in your own backyard
From: GUEST,Vron, England
Date: 20 Mar 04 - 06:51 PM

My mother who died recently aged 85 used to sing this to me as a child.
It is the only song I know for which I had no other source until 10 years ago when her older sister died and some of their mother's considerable colection of sheet music was passed to me, including a ragged copy of this song.

STAY IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD

Lilac trees are blooming in the garden by the gate,
Mammy's in her little cottage door.
Curly headed piccaninny, coming home so late,
Crying cos his little heart is sore.
All the children playing round with skin so white and fair,
None of them with him would ever play.
So Mammy in her lap takes the dusky little chap,
And croons in her kind old way:

Chorus
Now Honey, you stay in your own back yard,
Don' mind what dem white chiles do.
What sho' you suppose dey's gwin to gib
A black little coon like you?
So stay on this side of the high board fence,
And Honey, don' cry so hard,
Jus' go out and play as much as you please,
but stay in your own back yard.

Ev'ry day the children as they passed ol' Mammy's door
Romping home from school at night or noon,
Peeping thro' the fence would see the dusky little chap,
Such a lonesome whistful little coon.
Then one day that little face was gone forever more:
God had called the dusky little elf,
But Mammy in her door sat and rocked just as before,
And crooned to her dear old self: Chorus


This always made me cry,

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in your own backyard
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Apr 04 - 12:03 AM

STAY IN YOUR OWN BACK YARD

Lilac trees are bloomin' in the corner by the gate
Mammy in her little cabin door
Curly headed pickaninny comin' home so late
Cryin' 'cause his little heart is sore.
All the children playin' round had skin so white and fair
None of them with him would ever play
So mammy in her door would rock as oft before
As she crooned in her kind old way

Now honey you stay in your own back yard
Don't mind what those white childs do
Go out and play just as much as you please
But stay in your old back yard

Every day the children as they passed old mammy's place
[Missing line?]
Peering through the fence would see this eager little face
Such a wistful lonesome little coon
But one day this little face was gone for ever more
God had called his dusky little elf
And mammy in her door sat and rock as oft before
As she crooned to her kind ol' self

Now honey you stay in your own back yard
Don't mind what those white childs do
Go out and play just as much as you please
But stay in your own back yard

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in your own backyard
From: GUEST,Sheryl
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 10:34 PM

Thanks so much for posting the lyrics to this song! My grandmother (born in Iowa in 1889) also sang this song (and "Nobody's Child") and we were always blubbering by the end of the songs! My grandmother did clean it up a bit--she always sang "Little black boy like you" instead of "little coon", and did not really use the dialect as evidently was in the original song. The song had a profound effect on me and my siblings--I know we always strived to be kind to people who were different from us, remembering the pain of the little boy in the song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in your own backyard
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 09:30 AM

I'm afraid this sentimental song distorts the reality of life in the old South.

It was common for black and white children to play together freely. It was only as they entered adolescence, or thereabouts, that kids were expected to cut off friendships with the other race. It's no coincidence that this happened at about the age when boys began to be interested in girls.

Jimmy Carter describes this in his memoir, "An Hour before Daylight: Memories of a Rural Boyhood." It agrees with what I've read elsewhere.

As for myself, I grew up in the segregated North, and had no chance to get to know black kids.

Dick Gregory, in his autobiography "Nigger," described the difference between northern and southern prejudice thus: "In the South they don't care how close you get as long as you don't get too big; in the North they don't care how big you get as long as you don't get too close." ("Big" here I took to mean important, successful, prosperous, etc., but he might have been intentionally ambiguous: "big" could also mean "grown up.")

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in your own backyard
From: GUEST,Norma Campbell
Date: 17 Oct 05 - 07:24 PM

I heard this song when I was growing up. My father who was a early country music pioneer in Va where I live used to sing it. The song has such a beautiful melody, and I always loved it. It made me appreciate that color of one's skin is not important...their quality of character is. I never forgot it. I am now 67 years old, so it has been with me a long time. Though the song contains words some might now find offensive..I still consider it(along with Georgiann Moon)two of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in your own backyard
From: GUEST,C
Date: 13 May 07 - 01:43 AM

my dad has sung it to me since i was born. it's 'our song' his mother sang it to him. strange thing though . it's obviously of african american decent but..we're white lol but i love it. it makes me calm when i hear it

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Go to Sleep My Baby / Wyoming Lullaby
From: GUEST,Dianne
Date: 15 Sep 07 - 03:22 AM

I have been searching for a song my mother sang to me and my siblings. Came upon this site by accident so hopefully someone cna help me.

Lilac trees are blooming in the corner by the gate,
Mammy's in her little cabin door.
Curly headed piccanniny coming home so late,
crying cos his little heart was sore.
All the children in the land their skin so white and fair,
none of them with him would ever play,
so mammy takes the weeping chap and says in her own kind way.
"Don't you mind what those white childs do,
Go out and play as much as you may, but
Stay in your own backyard!"

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Message moved from another thread.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in Your Own Backyard
From: GUEST,AMP
Date: 18 Nov 07 - 03:29 PM

My Father used to sing it to use and I know there is more to it
I think my sister has found it. I will post it later if we have.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in Your Own Backyard
From: GUEST,AMP
Date: 18 Nov 07 - 03:37 PM

Just found rest of words posted higher up.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in Your Own Backyard
From: Arkie
Date: 18 Nov 07 - 07:09 PM

New World Records produced a CD "Don't Give the Name A Bad Place" that has this song along with other similar songs. I think the songs are done with sensitivity and enjoyed all the tracks and really liked some of the songs including this one and Gus Williams' The Cat Song sung by Clifford Jackson. The CD is available from Amazon.   Here is a list of tracks from the CD.

DON'T GIVE THE NAME A BAD PLACE 80265-2
1 The Babies on Our Block (David Braham and Edward Harrigan) 3:14
Max Morath, tenor; Dick Hyman, piano and conductor; Quartet: Lois Winter, soprano; Rose Marie Jun, alto; Phil Olson, tenor; Charles Magruder, bass.
2 Maggie Murphy's Home (David Braham and Edward Harrigan) 3:37
Max Morath, tenor; Dick Hyman, piano and conductor; Quartet: Lois Winter, soprano; Rose Marie Jun, alto; Phil Olson, tenor; Charles Magruder, bass.
3 John Riley's Always Dry (David Braham and Edward Harrigan) 3:52
Max Morath, tenor; Dick Hyman, piano and conductor; Quartet: Lois Winter, soprano; Rose
28
Marie Jun, alto; Phil Olson, tenor; Charles Magruder, bass.
4 Paddy Duffy's Cart (David Braham and Edward Harrigan) 3:56
Max Morath, tenor; Dick Hyman, piano and conductor; Quartet: Lois Winter, soprano; Rose Marie Jun, alto; Phil Olson, tenor; Charles Magruder, bass.
5 Hang the Mulligan Banner Up (David Braham and Edward Harrigan) 2:24
Max Morath, tenor; Dick Hyman, piano and conductor; Quartet: Lois Winter, soprano; Rose Marie Jun, alto; Phil Olson, tenor; Charles Magruder, bass.
6 Stay in Your Own Back Yard (Lyn Udall and Karl Kennett) 3:07
Danny Barker, baritone; Dick Hyman, piano.
7 De Golden Wedding (James A. Bland) 3:03
Danny Barker, baritone; Dick Hyman, piano and conductor; Quartet: Bobby Floyd, first tenor; Ralph Fields, second tenor; Bernard Knee, baritone; Charles Magruder, bass.
8 My Gal Is a High-born Lady (Barney Fagan) 2:40
Danny Barker, baritone; Dick Hyman, piano.
9 Darktown Is Out Tonight (Will Marion Cook) 4:26
Danny Barker, baritone; Dick Hyman, piano and conductor; Quartet: Bobby Floyd, first tenor; Ralph Fields, second tenor; Bernard Knee, baritone; Charles Magruder, bass.
10 Tell 'Em I'll Be There (James A. Bland) 3:08
Bobby Floyd, tenor; Dick Hyman, piano and conductor; Trio: Ralph Fields, tenor; Bernard Knee, baritone; Charles Magruder, bass.
11 The German 5th (Gus Williams) 2:48
Clifford Jackson, tenor; Dick Hyman, piano and conductor; Quartet: Alan Sokoloff, first tenor; Ralph Fields, second tenor; Bernard Knee, baritone; Charles Magruder, bass.
12 Cat Song or Can Anyvone Tell Vere Dot Cat Is Gone? (Gus Williams) 2:39
Clifford Jackson, tenor; Dick Hyman, piano and conductor; Quartet: Alan Sokoloff, first tenor; Ralph Fields, second tenor; Bernard Knee, baritone; Charles Magruder, bass.
13 Rip van Winkle Was a Lucky Man (Jean Schwartz and William Jerome) 4:03
Clifford Jackson, tenor; Dick Hyman, piano.
14 Don't Give de Name a Bad Blace (Gus Williams) 3:49
Clifford Jackson, tenor; Dick Hyman, piano and conductor; Quartet: Alan Sokoloff, first tenor; Ralph Fields, second tenor; Bernard Knee, baritone; Charles Magruder, bass.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in Your Own Backyard
From: GUEST,Jim Carroll
Date: 19 Nov 07 - 03:06 AM

I remember it from my childhood and have in my mind that it was recorded by Paul Robeson, who sang it at a street-corner meeting in Liverpool just after WW2.
I associate it with a chorus (probably a different song altogether) which goes:
Lula lula lula lula bye-bye'
Do you want the moon to play with,
Or the stars to run away with?
They'll come if you don't cry,
Lula lula lula lula bye-bye'
How your mammy's heart is aching;
But soon you'll be a sleeping lula,
Lula lula lula lula bye.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in Your Own Backyard
From: GUEST,AR England
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 07:23 AM

I
Any one know where I can get a recording of this or the music?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in Your Own Backyard
From: GUEST,Jim Carroll
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 02:49 PM

Try Googling the title 'Lilac Trees' with Paul Robeson.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in Your Own Backyard
From: Arkie
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 10:35 PM

See my previous post about the New World Records CD "Don't Give The Name A Bad Place", track number 6 sung by Danny Barker. This CD is still available from discriminating retailers and some not so discriminating such as Amazon. I think you can listen to a 30 second sample at Amazon.   I do not think that the New World CD is reissues.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Go to Sleep My Baby / Wyoming Lullaby
From: GUEST,K Perry
Date: 21 Mar 09 - 07:09 PM

Hi Diane -
Don't even know if this will get through. I just saw this site, and saw you ask about a song my grandmother taught me and used to sing to me when I was little. I'm now 60 years old.

Lilac trees are blooming in the corner by the gate; Mammy in her little cabin door
Curly headed pickaninnie coming home so late, crying cause his little heart is sore,
All the children playin round have been so white and fair, and none of them with him would ever play,
So Mammy in her lap, takes the weeping little chap, and says in her kind old way:

Now honey you stay in your own back yard, don't mind what those white childs do,
What do you suppose they're a goin to give, a black little coon like you,
Just stay on this side of the white board fence and honey don't cry so hard,
just go out and play just as much as you please, but stay in your own back yard.

Every day the children as they passed old Mammy's place, comin home from school at night or noon,
peering through the fence to see this eager little face, such a wistful, lonesome little coon.
Till one day his little face was gone forever more; God had called this dusky little elf,
Now Mammy in the door, sits and rocks as oft before, and croons to her old black self:

Then you repeat the stanza above

Hope this helps. My grandmother sang us lots of sad old songs like this.

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Message moved from another thread.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in Your Own Backyard (Kennett/Udall)
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 04:16 PM

Just picked up the lyrics of Stay in your own back yard when searching them for my daughter. I am 65. An Australian living in New Zealand and my mother used to sing it to me when I was a little girl. So lovely to find it. Thank you so much.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in Your Own Backyard (Kennett/Udall)
From: GUEST,kaz
Date: 08 Feb 11 - 06:04 AM

My mum used to sing this song when I was little, I am now 48. I am from Australia. I actually have a recording of my mum singing it. My mum passed away 13 years ago and my brother found an old casette with her singing this song and he transferred it to a CD. It brought tears to my eyes to hear it all over again.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in Your Own Backyard (Kennett/Udall)
From: GUEST,post card
Date: 04 Apr 11 - 05:00 PM

I FOUND A POST CARD WITH THESE LYRICS ON IT. STAY IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD. PICTURE OF A BLACK LADY SITTING IN THE YARD. HAS ANOTHER WOMAN AND A KID IN THE UPPER CORNER. PRETTY COOL PIECE OF HISTORY. [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in Your Own Backyard (Kennett/Udall)
From: GUEST,Joy
Date: 11 May 11 - 02:40 PM

I was thrilled to find this song. My mother used to sing it to us some 60-65 years ago. It was also printed in a weekly farm newspaper in Saskatchewan, Canada. I remember the verse where the child died and thought it was so sad and so unfair.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in Your Own Backyard (Kennett/Udall)
From: GUEST,Pat
Date: 05 Sep 11 - 11:45 AM

My Mother used to sing this song to me when I was a little girl, it always made me cry as my Mother would sing it with such feeling.

This was the one song I always asked her to sing to me over and over.

I am a Canadian - my Mother's Mother sang it to her and she was from England.

My Mom now has dementia and I thought perhaps if I could sing this song to her she might remember who I am.   Thank goodness for google because I don't know how I would have found the words otherwise, I could remember only a few.   I am 64 now and my Mom is 88.

Thanks to everyone who shared the words.

Pat

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in Your Own Backyard (Kennett/Udall)
From: GUEST,Mary Ann
Date: 15 Oct 11 - 03:15 PM

My mother too used to sing it to us as her father did to her. As a child I would fight back tears when I heard this song and it taught me that prejudice was wrong. The words would come back to me over the years and as a grandmother I raised a biracial child, who did experience discrimination. This song was a double edge sword.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in Your Own Backyard (Kennett/Udall)
From: GUEST,Chansonette
Date: 13 Nov 11 - 06:15 PM

I was raised in Signal Hill near Long Beach, California. My mom was a gifted pianist and used to sing that song to me and my sister when we would come home crying because other kids would make fun of us because we had red hair and freckles. It always made us cry. I am near 60 now. You can find the song, Stay in Your Own Backyard on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q042dC6Ns9U

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in Your Own Backyard (Kennett/Udall)
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Dec 11 - 06:51 AM

I was so happy to find this song. My grannie sang this at family get togethers when our family from Canada would come for a visit. I cried when I found the lyrics. We are Scottish but I live in America. I never thought this racist because I felt so sad for the wee boy who had no friends and had to stay in his own backyard. I recently went home to Scotland for a visit and was talking to my niece who is 46 and I am 68 and we remembered her singing this song. I found this at work through Google and I cried for the joyous memory. My grannie had a lovely voice and it brought the song to life. Thank you for all the comments made. K. Wolsey

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in Your Own Backyard (Kennett/Udall)
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Mar 12 - 07:13 PM

My mother a blues singer in her early years (from Evansville Indiana originally) used to sing this to us when we growing up (I'm now 68 and she is deceased). It was one way she taught us empathy and compassion...it was so sad.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in Your Own Backyard (Kennett/Udall)
From: GUEST,Janie
Date: 21 Apr 13 - 10:47 PM

I am so thrilled to find the lyrics to the song.My mother always sang this to me as a child. She was born in 1916. Her mother also sang it to her. I sang it to my children and will sing it to my grandchildren. My mother changed it slightly to a more politically correct lyric. She would say curly headed little boy. I was a child of the 60's. I guess she didn't want me to be racist during those tough times. This is the first reference I have ever seen. There are two other songs she sang too. One I think would be called Momma's Boy, about a little boy who wasn 't allowed to play soldier with the other kids. He grew up to be a soldier and she has received news that he was a hero but has been killed. It also says "someday you may be a soldier, a hero like your dear old dad. The other is also about a soldier who volunteer to put the flag back up and his commanding officer realizes it is his own son. Any help would be appreciated.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in Your Own Backyard (Kennett/Udall)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 22 Apr 13 - 02:19 PM

JCoffey above mentioned having seen a picture postcard with the caption "Stay in your own backyard." It has come to my attention recently that images of a lot of old collectible post cards have been posted at various web sites. Some old postcards are appallingly racist—which is to be expected, I suppose, since we know that even photographs of lynchings were turned into postcards.

These are unusual in that they show some awareness of the pain caused by segregation.

I found 3 postcards based on excerpts from this song. Here are the images:

One, two, three.

I wonder how common it was to make postcards based on lyrics from popular songs? I have never heard of any others.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in Your Own Backyard (Kennett/Udall)
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Jul 13 - 11:01 PM

Wonder if Trayvon Martin ever heard this song? Seems appropriate.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in Your Own Backyard (Kennett/Udall)
From: GUEST,joy gustin
Date: 15 Nov 13 - 11:15 PM

these are the lyrics above my mother use to sing this song to me and taught me how cruel and mean kids and people can be.very sad song.im white and can relate with religions.thank you so much .

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in Your Own Backyard (Kennett/Udall)
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Dec 13 - 07:09 AM

I'm 22 years old and my mum still sings this to me when I'm upset, her mum used to sing it to her, and her mother to my grandmother before that. For an Australian family with mainly English ancestry, I find it amazing how this song had found its way into our lives.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stay in Your Own Backyard (Kennett/Udall)
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Jul 16 - 06:25 PM

Thanks for this. I am in my mid-70's now but remember my mother singing this to me. Her version was about a little girl. I remember the first time I heard it, I must have been about six or seven and couldn't stop crying with the way it ended. None of my siblings remember but it is embedded in my memory. Thanks again.