Lyr Req: Standing on deck eating goobers by peck

Subject: Standing on deck eating goobers by peck
From: GUEST,Judy Mainord Malone
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 12:32 PM

Hi all. You guys have helped before finding obscure little ditties. Now, my NY friend has challenged me to find the words to a little ditty that she heard back in Upstate NY in early 50's from her grandmother. All she can remember is that a line or two went something like this:

He stood on the deck,
eating goobers by the peck.
When asked why he did't go?
He said, it's cause I love them goobers so.

Well, I know that isn't much to go on, but if anyone has any clue, give a holler! Thanks, Judy "Sonny" Mainord-Malone

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Standing on deck eating goobers by p
From: rangeroger
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 12:46 PM

Well, I went to the DT hoping that "Goober Peas" was the song.

It's not.

rr

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Standing on deck eating goobers by p
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 04:47 PM


I have not found the words requested, but they could easily come from a parody - or "pop" version - of Goober Peas.

Silverman, in his Guitarist's Treasury of Song cites an 1879 publication describing "..an up-country Georgian, one of the kind called 'Goubers' by the soldiers generally..."

He further relates that:

"'Goubers.' or 'goobers' were peanuts, a staple part of the Georgians' diet in the lean days of the war. The first published version of this song (1866) credits its authorship to 'A. Pindar, Esq.' and 'P. Nutt, Esq' - simply two other words for 'goober'"

Hal Leonard's The Folksong Fake Book lists "Words by P. Pindar, Music by P. Nutt, American, from the Civil War, Copyright 2000 by Hal Leonard Corporation."

big sigh

The 'trad' verses of Goober Peas are something of an 'ethnic joke,' a slur against "The Georgia Militia," which is the sort of song to spawn additional verses and/or parody versions.

I would venture that "Standing on the deck" would be a more likely first phrase, since it directly parallels the trad first verse. The 'deck' probably refers to a 'porch deck' or 'veranda' which was a common feature of homes of the period, rather than to a ship deck(?)

This is all very speculative. Suggest that the alternate spelling "gouber" might be productive?

John

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Standing on deck eating goobers by p
From: GUEST,Tseug
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 05:06 PM

"Goober Peas", 1866, is in the Levy sheet music collection (Mudcat's Links)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Standing on deck eating goobers by p
From: Whitedog
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 06:48 PM

Thanks for all your help so far. I know the song, Goober Peas, since I'm from good old West TENNESSEE, and don't think it is connected to the song my friend is looking for. Course, I've learned--never say never--and it could turn out to be some version. I will try to get my Yankee buddy to come up with some more words or verses. Again, thanks. And yes, I did JOIN, so I am now Whitedog...named after my White German Sheperd. judy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Standing on deck eating goobers by p
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 07:31 PM

I've had no joy searching for your verse but turned this one up:

The boy stood on the burning deck
Eating peanuts by the peck
The flames swept in and licked his chin
But still he rolled those Goobers in
******************
And we'd best not forget him ... by heck!

My guess would be that your's is a variation on this.

Jon

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Standing on deck eating goobers by p
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 07 Jan 02 - 12:54 PM

"The boy stood on the burning deck" is the first line of an often-parodied 10-stanza sentimental-patriotic-inspirational poem called "Casabianca," (sometimes incorrectly cited as "Casablanca") by Felicia Hemans (1793 - 1835), published in 1826. You can read the complete poem here. It begins:

The boy stood on the burning deck
Whence all but he had fled;
The flame that lit the battle's wreck
Shone round him o'er the dead.

The parodies are usually only one stanza. Here are some variants:

The boy stood on the burning deck
With half a sausage round his neck
A squashed tomato in his eye
And there he stood prepared to die.

The boy stood on the burning deck,
His feet were full of blisters;
He tore his pants on a rusty nail
And now he wears his sister's.

The boy stood on the burning deck,
Eating peanuts by the peck;
His mother said he would not go [or, "His father called; he would not go"]
Because he loved those peanuts so.

The boy stood on the burning deck,
Eating peanuts by the peck;
The girl beside him, sister Sue,
Said, "Wish I had a peck 'r two."

"The boy sat on the burning deck,
His feet, they touched the water."
--Longfellow

The Boy stood on the burning deck,
Whence all but him had fled;
The little brat was clearly not
Quite right inside the head.

The boy stood on the burning deck,
His fleece was white as snow;
He stuck a feather in his hat,
John Anderson, my Jo!…

Google gives 565 hits on the phrase "The Boy stood on the burning deck" (in quotes) so there may be more out there, but I don't have the patience to find them all.

I suspect most of these were recited as poems only, and never set to music.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Standing on deck eating goobers by p
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Jan 02 - 02:45 PM

The boy stood on the burning deck
His arse up to the mast
He dare not move a single inch
Till bummer Jake had past
But bummer Jake was a sly old sod
He threw the lad a fritter
And as he bent down to pick it up
Wham! six inches up his shitter

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Standing on deck eating goobers by p
From: Snuffy
Date: 07 Jan 02 - 07:15 PM

The boy stood on the burning deck
His heart was all a-quiver
He gave a cough
His leg dropped off
And floated down the river

WassaiL! V

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Standing on deck eating goobers by peck
From: GUEST,Rojo
Date: 21 Mar 11 - 08:34 PM

My dad told us this one years ago and I still havnt forgotten it
He used to change "the girl" to our names to tease us
Always got a laugh in those old days

The girl stood on the burning deck
The waves were bloody great rippers
One went down the neck of her blouse
And came out the leg of her knickers

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Standing on deck eating goobers by peck
From: radriano
Date: 22 Mar 11 - 01:32 PM

The sea shanty version of this is called "Goodbye, My Lover, Goodbye."

Verse 1:
Solo: A sailor boy stood on the deck
Ch: Goodbye, my lover, goodbye
Solo: Eatin' peanuts by the peck
Ch: Goodbye, my lover, goodbye

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Standing on deck eating goobers by peck
From: GUEST,GUEST: Debbie
Date: 12 Jun 24 - 07:11 PM

My grandfather was from Kentucky. I was trying to find a recording of this little ditty to share with my son. In the 1950s Grandpa sang these lyrics while bouncing his grandchildren on his knees. Similar to some of the others, his version was:

Little boy sittin’ on a burnin’ deck
Eatin’ goobers by the peck.
Father called him,
He would not go,
‘Cuz he loved them goobers so.

His unique twist was that at the end, he bounced the child higher and then dropped them a bit between his knees and said, “Poop poop.” We thought it was hilarious.