Lyr Req: Lay Something on the Bar (Besides Your...

Subject: Lyrics to 'Put something on the bar...'
From: GUEST,Walpole P.L.
Date: 30 May 01 - 02:34 PM

We have a patron interested in finding the lyrics to a (supposedly) Country Western song entitled "Put something on the bar besides your elbows." Any suggestions are appreciated.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lyrics to 'Put something on the bar.
From: Sorcha
Date: 30 May 01 - 03:13 PM

hmmm. I am surprised that this is not at Cowpie. Louis Jordan did it, but I can't find the lyrics on line. Gene? Dale?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lyrics to 'Put something on the bar.
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 02 Dec 01 - 03:24 PM

I found that a song called "Lay Something on the Bar (Besides Your Elbows)" was recorded by Louis Jordan and appears on CD#7 of his 9-CD set called "Let the Good Times Roll: The Complete Decca Recordings 1938-54" (Bear Family) where the authorship is credited to "(Austin/Smith)." That might be William Austin and Charlie Smith, who played piano and drums, respectively, with Jordan. Jordan played clarinet and sax and did vocals, and his style is described by AMG as "East Coast Blues, Jump Blues, Swing, and Urban Blues."

I have also found a song called, "Lay Something on My Bed Besides a Blanket" recorded by Charly (Charlotte) McClain on her album "Anthology" in 1999. This one is apparently "country." It is attributed to "(Hogan/Scaife/Scaife)." Maybe it has nothing in common with the first song but the similarity of the title.

Above are the only 2 songs indexed in AMG that start with "Lay Something…" or "Put Something…"

When I put "besides your elbows" into Google, I found that Jerry Lewis (the comedian) recorded a single called "Lay Something on the Table (Besides Your Elbows)" in 1951. However, another site says the word in the title is "Bar," not "Table."

Also, some sites, referring to Jordan's recording, say "Elbow," not "Elbows."

The title of this song is certainly intriguing.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lyrics to 'Put something on the bar.
From: Joybell
Date: 11 Dec 03 - 03:03 AM

Hildebrand remembers this from Jerry Lewis, (the comedian) 50 years ago but can only recall one more line. Still here it is:

Put something on the bar beside your elbows
....line missing
Put something on the bar beside your elbows
We can't ring up your elbows in the till.
                                           Joy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lyrics to 'Put something on the bar.
From:
Date: 11 Dec 03 - 03:25 AM

Here it is:

Put somethin' on the bar besides your elbows
Somethin' like an ole five or ten dollar bill
Put somethin' on the bar besides your elbows
I can't ring up your elbows on the till

You're botherin' the guy who plays piano
You've proved to one and all that you can't sing
Quit murderin' "My Home in Indiana"
The boss would rather hear the cash box ring

(Repeat first stanza)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lyrics to 'Put something on the bar.
From: Joybell
Date: 11 Dec 03 - 04:15 PM

Ross, You little beauty. Even though the original request is an old one Hildebrand, anyway, is very grateful. Thanks from Joy and H.

Subject: Lyr Add:'Put something on the bar
From: Sorcha
Date: 12 Dec 03 - 01:54 PM

Add for GUEST,Ross May - [e-mail] 11 Dec 03 - 03:25 AM, this thread.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lyrics to 'Put something on the bar.
From: Joybell
Date: 12 Dec 03 - 05:44 PM

Hildebrand's already singing it around the house. It's over 50 years since he heard it. He hasn't forgotten many song words in 60 years of singing but these words had gone.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lyrics to 'Put something on the bar.
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 14 Dec 03 - 09:38 PM

Transcribed from a sound sample at Barnes & Noble

LAY SOMETHING ON THE BAR (BESIDES YOUR ELBOW)
(As performed by Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five)

...ten-dollar bill.
Lay something on the bar besides your elbow.
They can't ring up your elbows on the till.

Your horn been on each round that someone's ordered,
But still you haven't parted with a dime.
Our Uncle Sam don't make the stuff to hoard it,
So please spend something else besides your time.
Lay something on the bar besides your elbows....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lyrics to 'Put something on the bar.
From: Joybell
Date: 15 Dec 03 - 05:04 PM

Thank you Jim. Now the Jerry Lewis impersonations might go away when my True-love sings this around the house. He's never been a Jerry Lewis fan actually, he just likes this song.

Subject: Lyr Add: LAY SOMETHING ON THE BAR (BESIDES YOUR...
From: GUEST,999--BINGO--thanks to Jim's transcription
Date: 01 Jan 10 - 05:20 AM

Jerry Lewis - Lay Something on the Bar lyrics

We've listened to a lot of conversation
About the fortunes you have made and spent.
Your story may be true but conversation
Is not the stuff with which we pay the rent.

Chorus:
Lay something on the bar besides your elbows.
Something like an old ten dollar bill.
Lay something on the bar besides your elbows.
They can't ring up your elbows in the till.

You've horned in on each round that someone's ordered.
But still you haven't parted with a dime.
Our uncle Sam don't make the stuff you've horded,
So please send something else besides your time.

Chorus

That's from

http://www.thelyricarchive.com/song/1499737-196684/Lay-Something-on-the-Bar

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lay Something on the Bar (Besides Your...
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 03 Jan 10 - 11:13 PM

OK, I've listened again to snippets of the recording by Louis Jordan, and I agree that it's "You've horned in" and not "your horn been" as I reported.

However, I still think it's "stuff to hoard it" and not "stuff you've hoarded."

I've also listened to a snippet of Jerry Lewis. Boy, was that obnoxious!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lay Something on the Bar (Besides Your...
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Sep 10 - 11:46 PM

I have the song book to the 1951 put somethin on the bar( becides ur elbow I'm at [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lay Something on the Bar (Besides Your...
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Jan 12 - 09:19 PM

+I had this record as a 78 by the comedian--Jerry Lewis

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lay Something on the Bar (Besides Your...
From: GUEST,Carol Buske
Date: 18 Aug 21 - 06:18 AM

I remember this song as the B side of another recording done in the fifties. I thought it so silly that I memorized it as -

Lay something on the bar besides your elbow.
Say something like an old ten dollar bill.
Lay something on the bar besides your elbow.
You can’t ring up your elbow on the till.