Lyr Req: 12 Days of Marxmas

Subject: 12 days of marxmas
From: Catwoman
Date: 08 Dec 01 - 09:53 PM

I was asked to see if I could find the words to this songs from the 60's? Sounds like something the Mitchell Trio would have done. Anybody recognize it?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 12 days of marxmas
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 08 Dec 01 - 10:08 PM

WRitten by Roy G. Berkeley. You can find it in Digitrad.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 12 days of marxmas
From: Sorcha
Date: 08 Dec 01 - 10:10 PM

Clickie for same.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 12 days of marxmas
From: Catwoman
Date: 10 Dec 01 - 11:06 PM

Thanks! When I searched I came up empty. Maybe a typo?

Catwoman

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 12 days of marxmas
From: Sorcha
Date: 10 Dec 01 - 11:15 PM

Thanks for checking in, Catwoman!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 12 days of marxmas
From: Joe Offer
Date: 11 Dec 01 - 02:21 AM

Hi, Catwoman - titles are deceiving, since this could be 12 days, twelve days, or something else. Usually, it's best to look for a distinctive phrase from the song - first day of is a good one for this series of songs. The best search tool we have is the Digitrad and Forum Search (Supersearch). Our "titles" list is the absolute worst. More about searching in the Mudcat FAQ/Newcomer's Guide.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 12 days of marxmas
From: musicmick
Date: 12 Dec 01 - 02:26 AM

The Twelve Days of Marxmas was published in the Bosses' Songbook, alampoon of the People's Sonbook. I think it was written in the early 1950s. Roy Berkeley was a left leaning folksinger who had a special affinity for Trotsky and Jimmy Rogers. He made his money writing spy novels. He wrote a number of songs for the Bosses' Songbook as did his friend and neighbor, Dave Van Ronk. They combined talents to produce a hilarious takeoff on Woodie Guthrey's "Jesus Christ" song to the tune of "Jesse James"

Born in 29 B.C. in a barn in Galelee, Bathed in his unwed mother's tears He preached to the masses to overthrow the classes, And predated Marx by eighteen hundred years.

Jesus had no wife to mourn for his life, He needed a bath and shave. But that foe of the prolitariat, Judas Iscariot Has laid poor Jesus in his grave.

Mike Miller

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 12 days of marxmas
From: GUEST,ian
Date: 12 Dec 01 - 04:38 AM

Is it the one? to the tune green grow the rusheso. I can only recall this snatch.

One is workers unity and evermore shall be so. two is for the workers hands working for his livingo three-------- four for the four great leaders, Marks lennon engles trotskey.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 12 days of marxmas
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 12 Dec 01 - 06:58 AM

I think that's Lenin, Ian!!

We used to sing "Marx, Engles, Lenin, Mao", but you could always uspet a few people by swaping Stalin for Lenin!

Steve

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 12 days of marxmas
From: Catwoman
Date: 14 Dec 01 - 05:59 PM

Thanks everyone. The lyrics were just what he was looking for and the additional info was great.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 12 days of marxmas
From: Susan of DT
Date: 15 Dec 01 - 02:21 PM

dick greenhaus here

The parody of Green Grow the Rushes, "Red Fly the Banners-O" is not the same as 12 Days of Marxmas. Both are in Digitrad.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 12 days of marxmas
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Dec 07 - 04:47 AM

For anyone who might trip over this thread after six years or so here is another version of the "twelve Days of Marxmas" from the early seventies.

Remember that when this sung the order is reversed. Each stanza is added so that we finally end up with something like this.

On the Twelfth Day of Marxmas My Comrade gave to me:

Twelve Molotov Cocktails
Eleven Collective Farms
Ten Peoples' Armies Marching
Nine Works of Lenin
Eight Red Flags a Waving
Seven Migs a Flying
Six Party Purges

    Five Five-Year Plans

Four Manifestos
Three Stalin Tanks
Two Hand Grenades

    ... And an Icepick for Leon Trotsky