Lyr Req: Old Zip Coon

Subject: Old Zip Coon Help Please
From: GUEST,Bryan
Date: 27 Nov 00 - 05:59 PM

Can someone please help me with this request. My grandfather sang this song to me a long time ago and I found the 1st verse but I cant find the others. Please help. I have heard that there are 3 different versions and the version I am looking for starts with this verse. Thank you in advance. If someone does know the lyrics could you please e-mail them to me at [e-mail]

1st verse

There once was a man with a double chin Who performed with skill on the violin And he played in time and he played in tune But he wouldn't play anything but Old Zip Coon.

Subject: Lyr Add: OLD ZIP COON
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 27 Nov 00 - 06:31 PM

Thanks for remindingme of this one. Singing Together (BBC schools radio, Spring 1970) has:

OLD ZIP COON

There was once a man with a double chin
Who performed with skill on a violin
And he played in time and he played in tune
But he never played anything but Old Zip Coon
Old Zip Coon he played all day
Until he drove his friends away
He played all night by the light of the moon
And he wouldn't play anything but Old Zip Coon.

So the neighbours said "will you kindly play
'Nellie Bly' or 'Where are the Flowers of May'"
Any tune will do if it's not that tune
But he wouldn't play anything but Old Zip Coon
Old Zip Coon he played all night
Until the owls and bats took flight
His friends all begged for a different tune
And he wouldn't play anything but Old Zip Coon.

So they took that man with the double chin
All his worldy goods and the violin
And they shipped him off to a foreign shore
Where the natives had never heard the tune before
Old Zip Coon he played all day
Until the natives ran away
He played and played by the light of the moon
Till they wished they had never heard of Old Zip Coon

They have left him there by the deep blue sea
Where he lives alone in a hollow tree
And he plays that tune and it never ends
So it isn't surprising he has no friends
Old Zip Coon he played all day
There's no on left to run away
And still he thinks it's a beautiful tune
And that is the history of Old Zip Coon

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Zip Coon Help Please
From: Ebbie
Date: 28 Nov 00 - 12:18 AM

It's the same tune as Turkey in the Straw, right?

Ebbie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Zip Coon Help Please
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 28 Nov 00 - 03:33 AM

That's the tune I know it to Ebbie, although slightly simplified to the way I would play it as a reel.

Jon

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Zip Coon Help Please
From: GUEST,Ole Bull
Date: 28 Nov 00 - 01:08 PM

Zip Coon dates to the 1830's or before. There are more thant 3 versions. The most common 19th c. one begins with "Old Zip Coon he is a larned scholar,..." Yes it also became Turkey in the Straw and was once known as "Natchez under the Hill."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Zip Coon Help Please
From: Midchuck
Date: 28 Nov 00 - 03:19 PM

Oh, I went downtown and I took a little walk,
And I walked right into a doughnut shop.
I fished a doughnut out of the grease,
And I handed the lady a five cent piece.

She looked at the nickel and she looked at me,
She said, "This nickel's no good, you see?"
"There's a hole in the nickel and it goes right through!"
Says I, "There's a hole in the doughnut too!"

Thanks for the doughnut! Goodbye!

Peter.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Zip Coon Help Please
From: Stewie
Date: 28 Nov 00 - 08:10 PM

In respect of the original, rich r posted a set of lyrics in the following thread and pointed out that at least 3 people had claimed authorship:

Old Zip Coon

Here is another set of lyrics that share some stanzas with the above - and yet another person is given as author:

Another Old Zip Coon

--Stewie.

---

link fixed as it could lock thethread - JoeClone

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Zip Coon Help Please
From: Stewie
Date: 28 Nov 00 - 08:16 PM

Sorry, I stuffed up with that second link. I'll try again:

Another Old Zip Coon

In case that doesn't work, the URL is: http://jefferson.village.virginia.edu/utc/minstrel/zipcoonfr.html

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Zip Coon Help Please
From: Ely
Date: 28 Nov 00 - 09:19 PM

There must been some name-switching going on here--the "Natchez Under the Hill" that I know doesn't at all resemble "Turkey in the Straw" or "Old Zip Coon".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Zip Coon Help Please
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 29 Nov 00 - 02:21 AM

I have no idea what it looks like but lyrics and/or tune are on p101 of 'Folksongs of Old New England' as a dance tune. Regards, John

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Zip Coon Help Please
From: Stewie
Date: 29 Nov 00 - 02:54 AM

Ely, if you care to wade through this entry at Fiddler's Companion, it may shed some light for you, but then again ...:

Click Here

Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Zip Coon Help Please
From: LR Mole
Date: 29 Nov 00 - 09:49 AM

I wonder if Disney cheerfully swiped part of this for "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah"? Anyway it's certainly not politically correct, something I'd worry more about if I hadn't just grabbed a Warren Smith early rockabilly CD, featuring "Ubangi Stomp", for ninety-nine cents.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Zip Coon Help Please
From: Ely
Date: 29 Nov 00 - 06:47 PM

I didn't say I knew better, I just meant that the tune I learned as "Natchez Under the Hill" in no way resembled "Turkey in the Straw" or "Old Zip Coon" and was wondering if it had acquired the title accidentally (ie it's not the right tune for the title). I'll have to see if I can find sheet music of it somewhere to compare them.

Subject: Lyr Add: Old Zip Coon
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 24 Sep 06 - 12:53 PM

As per Leadfingers' request:

Old Zip Coon

There once was a man with a double chin
   who performed with skill on a violin.
And he played in time and he played in tune
but he wouldn't play anything but Old Zip Coon.

Old Zip Coon he played all day,
   until the neighbors ran away.
He played all night by the light of the moon
   but he wouldn't play anything but Old Zip Coon.

His friends all said "would you kindly play
   Nelly Bly or Where are the Flowers of May?"
But he played in time and he played in tune
   and he wouldn't play anything but Old Zip Coon.

Old Zip Coon he played all night
   until the owls and bats took flight.
He played all night by the light of the moon
   but he wouldn't play anything but Old Zip Coon.

So they shipped him off to a foreign shore
   where the natives had never heard the tune before.
And he played in time and he played in tune,
   but he wouldn't play anything but Old Zip Coon.

Old Zip Coon he played all day
   until the natives ran away.
He played all night by the light of the moon
   but he wouldn't play anything but Old Zip Coon.

Tune: Turkey in the Straw

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Zip Coon
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 24 Sep 06 - 03:43 PM

Prob'ly global warming will bring Hell above ground before all the versions are found. I like this one and glad to see it posted. Is it yours?

Jon Freeman posted a version in thread 28090 [above], 27 Nov 00 (which begins in similar form):
Old Zip Coon

Other versions in thread 7876: Old Zip Coon

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Zip Coon
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Jun 11 - 04:21 PM

Anyone know additional lyrics to this one?
Old Zip Coon

Old Zip Coon had a little yeller dog
chased a skunk in a little yeller log....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Zip Coon
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 13 Nov 11 - 05:34 PM

See link by Stewie to 1834 version.