Discuss: Bill Grogan's Goat

Subject: LYRICS NEEDED: Bill Grogan's Goat
From:
Date: 13 Feb 98 - 03:08 PM

I am looking for more words to Bill Grogans Goat. It is located here on Digital Tradition but I am certain there are some more versees to it. Does anyone have any ideas? Something about the conductor asking the goat for a ticket?

John Pennington

Subject: RE: LYRICS NEEDED: Bill Grogan's Goat
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 Feb 98 - 03:53 PM

Hi, John - I don't know any extra verses right off, but here is a list of Scout song sites. If you come with any new verses, please post them in this thread. that's one of my favorite songs to do with kids.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Lyr Add: BILL GROGAN'S GOAT (partial)
From: GUEST,bob
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 01:21 AM

Bill Grogan's goat was feeling fine,
ate three red shirts right off the line.
Bill took a stick gave him a whack,
and tired him to a railroad track

Bill Grogan's goat was doomed to die,
when the three-fifteen came rolling by.??? (Something like)
The whistle blew; the train drew nigh,
bill Grogan's goat was going to die

???bill Grogan's goat in a nick time,
Coughed up the shirts and flagged the train

Or something like that

Subject: Lyr Add: BILL GROGAN'S GOAT / OLD HOGAN'S GOAT
From: GUEST,999
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 01:27 AM

"Bill Grogan's Goat

(a.k.a. "Old Hogan's Goat" or "Bill Groggin's Goat")

Words & Music:

Traditional English



I thought this tune was a traditional American one, but then I came across two versions I had acquired over the years (see attached easy arrangements) - one entitled "Old Hogan's Goat" and the other entitled "Bill Groggin's Goat". These make me think that this was an English tune. The first version given is the one I learned as a kid down South. The additional verses come from the other arrangements.



CALL:                               RESPONSE:

C

Bill Grogan's goat                        Bill Grogan's goat

            F

Was feeling fine.                         Was feeling fine.

             G7

Ate three red shirts                      Ate three red shirts

             C

From off the line.                        From off the line.



CONTINUE CALL & RESPONSE FOR EACH HALF-LINE:

Bill Grogan came and beat his back.

And tied him to the railroad track.

The whistle blew, the train drew nigh.

Bill Grogan's goat was doomed to die. [alt: "...was bound to die"]

Bill's goat, he was in mortal pain,

Coughed up the shirts and flagged the train!





OTHER VERSES:

There was a man, now please take note:

There was a man who had a goat.

He loved that goat, indeed he did.

He loved that goat just like a kid.



One day that goat felt frisk & fine; [alt: "One day that goat was feeling fine"]

Ate three red shirts right off the line.

The man, he grabbed him by the back [alt: "His master came & beat his back."]

And tied him to the railroad track.



Now, when that train hove into sight,

That goat grew pale & green with fright.

He heaved a sigh, as if in pain,

Coughed up the shirts & flagged the train!



OR:



The whistle blew, the train drew nigh.

The poor goat knew that he must die.

He gave three shrieks of mortal pain,

Coughed up the shirts & flagged the train!"

from

kristinhall.org/songbook/.../BillGrogansGoat.html

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bill Grogan's Goat
From: Charley Noble
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 08:16 AM

aka "Bill Brogan's Goat" with similar verses.

I first ran across it in SONGS WE FORGOT TO REMEMBER edited by Sigmund Spaeth.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bill Grogan's Goat
From: GUEST,Maya
Date: 10 Aug 10 - 03:23 AM

My grandfather used to tell us this song about the goat. He lived in America for few years and then came back to Slovenia. His version is 98% the same as the song under the address "OTHER VERSES". Once when he wass telling it I wrote it down so i would not forget it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bill Grogan's Goat
From: EBarnacle
Date: 10 Aug 10 - 11:24 AM

the song can be found on Burl Ives' Animal Fair album, originally published under the Children's Record Guild label. I had a copy as a kid.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bill Grogan's Goat
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 26 Jul 22 - 10:25 AM

Just updating the thread on BBC 'Music Time' booklets, I noticed they have also used it, as two part (call and response). Words are similar to those given above, but included for comparison/completeness.
ABC is included to show both parts, even though the second part exactly replicates the first, with a one bar offset.

BILL GROGGIN’S GOAT
American song
1, There was a man, now please take note.
There was a man, who had a goat.
He loved that goat, indeed he did.
He loved that goat just like a kid.

2, One day that goat felt frisk and fine,
Ate three red shirts right off the line.
The man he grabbed her by the back
And tied her to a railway track.

3, Now when the train came into sight
The goat grew pale and grey with fright.
He struggled hard, and then again,
Coughed up the shirts, and flagged the train.


X: 1
T:Bill Groggin’s Goat
M:3/4
L:1/4
S: Music Time, 1980 Spring
Z: NP 26/07/2022
K:C
V:1
zGAE| G4| zcdc| A4| zcBA| B4| zGAE| G4| zGAE| G4| zcdc| B4| zcBA| B4| zGAB| c4|z4||
w: There was a man, now please take note. There was a man, who had a goat. He loved that goat, in-deed he did. He loved that goat just like a kid.
V:2
z4|zGAE| G4| zcdc| A4| zcBA| B4| zGAE| G4| zGAE| G4| zcdc| B4| zcBA| B4| zGAB| c4||
w: There was a man, now please take note. There was a man, who had a goat. He loved that goat, in-deed he did. He loved that goat just like a kid.

The above can be converted to stave notation by copy/paste from "X:1" to the end ("kid.") into an ABC converter such as the one at: Mandolintab.net

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bill Grogan's Goat
From: The Og
Date: 26 Jul 22 - 11:53 AM

Bill Grogan’s Goat (D)                                leader & response

1
Bill Grogan's goat,
                   4
Was feeling fine.
                      5
Ate three red shirts,
                   1
From off the line.

Bill took a stick, Gave him a whack,
And tied him to, The railroad track.

The whistle blew, The train grew nigh;
Bill Grogan's goat, Was doomed to die.

He gave three groans, Of mortal pain,
Coughed up the shirts, And flagged the train.

Bill Grogan's Goat, not a cow but a goat, Was feelin' fine, not sad but fine, Ate three red shirts, not socks but shirts, Right off the line, not a rope but a line. Bill took a stick, not a rock but a stick, Gave him a whack, not a smack but a whack, And tied him to, not one but to, The railroad track. (?) The whistle blew, not red but blew! The train grew nigh, not far but nigh, Bill Grogan's Goat, not a cow but a goat, Was doomed to die, not live but die. He gave three groans, not moans but groans, Of mortal pain, not joy but pain, Coughed up the shirts, not socks but shirts, And flagged the train, not a plane but a train!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bill Grogan's Goat
From: GerryM
Date: 26 Jul 22 - 07:02 PM

We sang this on the bus on the way to day camp, summers in New York City, circa 1960. Our version was much like, but not exactly the same, as other versions given in this thread, but it also had an extra section not yet reported here. We sang (call and response),

There was a man
By the name Bill Jones
He had a goat
That he called his own

Now this here goat
Was feeling fine
Ate three red shirts
Right off the line

First Billy cursed
And then he swore
That this here goat
Would chew no more

He took him by
His woolly back
And tied him to
The railroad track

The whistle blew
The train drew nigh
And this here goat
Was bound to die

He gave three shrieks
Of mortal pain
Coughed up the shirts
And flagged the train

The engineer
Got out to see
What this strange sight
On the tracks could be

And when he saw
'Twas a billy goat
Took out his knife
And slit its throat

Now this here goat
Was surely dead
He went to Heaven
Without a head

And when he got there
Saint Peter said
My poor old goat
Where is your head?

The goat replied
I cannot tell
It must have gone
Straight down to – hello!

Personally, I don't think the extra five verses add any value, but I still felt duty-bound to report them.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bill Grogan's Goat
From: GUEST,Little Robyn
Date: 02 Aug 22 - 05:59 PM

Those extra verses are pretty much as I remember them from the Folkways record 1,2,3 and a zing, zing, zing. The last line was "It must have gone straight down to Hello folks."
It was a recording of street songs from children in New York, recorded in the late 1950s, I believe but I can't check because I sent my record over to Iona and Peter Opie, in England, many years ago.
I wonder where their collection ended up? Somewhere safe, I hope.
Robyn

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bill Grogan's Goat
From: GerryM
Date: 02 Aug 22 - 06:30 PM

Little Robyn, that record is available from Smithsonian Folkways, https://folkways.si.edu/tony-schwartz/1-2-3-and-a-zing-zing-zing/childrens/music/album/smithsonian

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bill Grogan's Goat
From: GerryM
Date: 02 Aug 22 - 06:37 PM

And you can hear it, free of charge, at https://archive.org/details/lp_1-2-3-and-a-zing-zing-zing_tony-schwartz/disc1/01.03.+Bill+Bones%2C+The+Prettiest+Girl.mp3

Subject: RE: Discuss: Bill Grogan's Goat
From: GUEST,Little Robyn
Date: 03 Aug 22 - 08:56 AM

Thanks Gerry.