Bawdy songs

Subject: Bawdy song
From: AR282
Date: 24 Feb 02 - 01:55 PM

The bawdy song is an integral part of folk and blues. It is necessary because it is one extreme and opposite the squeaky clean, virtuous song that helps us to locate the middle ground between them.

In 1992, Dorian Records issued a CD entitled "The Art of the Bawdy song" featuring English folksongs of the 16th and 17th centuries. The liner notes explain that sex and scatology figured strongly in these songs because sex is...well...sex. And songs about farting and defecating were common because there were no toilets back then and people threw their business out the window. Frequently a passerby would be smeared. Aristocrats were obliged to walk about with scented hankies pressed to their noses to mask the otherwise intolerable odor. It's kind of a taboo thing these days because we sort of hide it. There was no hiding it back then and so it was much more likely to being enshrined in song.

The bawdy song comes about as a way of turning misery and degradation into humor, of making one's burden's easier to bear. But it meant the conditions in which one lived must have been horrifically bad. Sometimes the upper crust were lampooned in these songs as a means empowerment--an utterly impotent and ineffectual empowerment to be sure but anything helped.

An example comes from Daniel P. Mannix's excellent book "The Hellfire Club". This was 18th century England:

"Only a few of the main thoroughfares of London were paved and then the paving usually consisted of rocks dumped over the mud and filth of the streets. The middle of a street was generally pitted by holes full of water and garbage. Cart wheels and horses' hoofs flung this mire over pedestrians, so people of any standing always traveled by enclosed sedan chair. Even the windows of the chairs had to be kept constantly closed or the muck was thrown in on the passengers. The sides of the houses were plastered with the filth. On either side of a street ran a ditch called 'the kennel' which served as gutters. As there were no water-closets or any kind of plumbing, the chamber pots and other refuse were emptied into these kennels. In the commoner districts, the pots were simply emptied out the windows with a cry of 'Stand clear!' Every pedestrian tried to keep close to the sides of the houses as some protection against the filth being thrown over him, and savage fights frequently took place over who would 'take the wall.' In some of the better areas, steppingstones were laid across the street so people could cross without wading through the morass. In most districts there were no street lamps but you could hire linkboys who ran ahead with lighted torches. These boys were frequently in the pay of thieves and after leading their employer into a trap would plunge their torches into the mud and then run, leaving the terrified traveler to be murdered, raped, or robbed."

With that, lets look at some of the songs that came out of this period:

MY LADY'S COACHMAN JOHN

My lady's coachman John, be'ng married to her Maid,
her ladyship did hear on't and to him thus she said,
"I never had a wench so handsome in my life,
prithee therefore tell me how got you such a wife."
John star'd her in the face, and Answer'd very Blunt
"e'en as my Lord got you." "How's that?" "Why by the cunt."

AS ROGER LAST NIGHT

As Roger last Night to Jenny lay close,
he pulled out his Budget [penis] and gave her a dose,
the tickling no sooner kind Jenny did find,
but with laughing she Purg'd both before and behind,
Pox take it quoth Roger, he must himself be beside
that give Pills against Wind and 'gainst Tide.

The Japanese have a word for the type of episode experienced by poor Jenny in the above song: omorashi. Perhaps the Japanese understand the experience a bit more and are less ashamed of it and less likely to make it taboo.

So we would expect that in America, the bawdy song must have abounded in the days of Jim Crow among blacks. And this is indeed the case. I searched for the filthiest blues I could find and located Lucille Bogan's "Shave 'Em Dry". This was recorded in 1935 and features Walter Roland and Ms. Bogan's piano man. These lyrics are utterly filthy and extremely graphic and if such language offends you, too bad since you've already read this far. I took the lyrics straight from the recording.

SHAVE 'EM DRY

I got nipples on my titties
Big as the end o' my thumb
I got somethin between my legs'll
Make a dead man come

Oh, daddy, baby, won't you shave 'em dry?
I want you to grind me, baby, grind me til I cry

Well, I fucked all night
And all night before, baby
And I feel just like I want to fuck some more

Oh, great god, daddy, dry me, shave me dry
And when you hear me holler, baby,
I want you to shave 'em dry

I got nipples on my titties
Big as the end o' my thumb
Daddy, you say that's the kinda woman you want
And you can make 'em come

Oh, daddy, shave me dry
And I'll give you somethin baby
Swear it'll make you cry

I'm gonna turn back my mattress
And let you oil my springs
I want you to grind me, daddy
Til the bells do ring

Oh, daddy, I want you to shave 'em dry
Oh, great god, daddy, you can shave 'em, baby,
Won't you try?

Now fuckin was the thing that will take me to heaven
I'll be fuckin in the studio til the clock strikes eleven

Oh, daddy, daddy, shave 'em dry
I'll fuck you, baby, honey, I'll make you cry

Now your nut hangs down like a damn bell clapper
And your dick stands up like a steeple
Your goddamn asshole stands open like a church door
And the crabs walks in like people

(Uncontrollable laughter)
Woo! Baby, won't you shave 'em dry?

A big sow gets fat from eatin corn
And a pig gets fat from suckin
You see this whore fat like I am
Great god, I got fat from fuckin

Woo, shave 'em dry!

My back is made of whale bone
And my cock is made of brass
And my fuckin is made for workin me two dollars
Baby go around and kiss my ass

Woo, daddy, shave 'em dry!

This song can be obtained from a CD called "Street Walkin' Blues" put out on the Jass label (J-CD-626) who market some excellent stuff.

So the next time you're felling miserable, don't mope. Get bawdy!

Subject: RE: Bawdy song
From: Bill D
Date: 24 Feb 02 - 02:01 PM

if THAT don't cause melt-down in a few firewalls, I'm a recalcitrant Rosicrucian!!

Subject: RE: Bawdy song
From: Charley Noble
Date: 24 Feb 02 - 04:24 PM

Certainly stakes a firm claim on what is bawdy.

Subject: RE: Bawdy song
From: Jeri
Date: 24 Feb 02 - 04:46 PM

"And the crabs walks in like people" - THAT is funny!

I got a ride home from work with a guy. I was looking through his CD collection and found this blues CD. Said "Hey - you like blues!" He said "Uh...you don't want to hear that one. It's filthy. Solid smut." So we listened to it. Now this is folk music that doesn't have a hope in hell of ever turning pop, eh?

Subject: Lyr Add: BETTY'S PANEGYRICK + FAIR SUSAN
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Feb 02 - 05:42 PM

C--k f--ks c--t gets tiresome. I prefer the subtle ones like:

BETTY'S PANEGYRICK. By Mr. W.^m Turner. [with music, c 1730]

My Betty is a bonny Lass,
my Betty wears a thumb,
and often looks into a glass,
but 'tis a glass of Rum.
Bess, Bess, Bess, Betty, Bett,
hasten to my arms,
and then a fig for Kate.

My Betty has a thing below,
But 'tis no matter what,
Can water on a Thing bestow,
But 'tis the Chamber-pott.
Bess, &c.

My Betty has a rowling eye,
And sometthing else that's buff,
Which any one may catch her by,
Tho' it was her black Ruff.
Bess, &c.

My Betty, Crotchets understands,
Also a Fiddle stick, Which,
with mock Ease, her Hand commands,
And eke the longest Prick.
Bess, &c.

She has a penetrating Head,
That understands Proportion,
And if you get her into Bed,
She'll furnish you with Motion.
Bess, &c.

My Betty sings a pleasant song,
All day will you delight,
Especially, if you are long,
She'll please you all the Night.
Bess, &c,

She understands Philosophy,
The Height too, of each Pole,
And, if you get above her Knee,
You may come at her Hole.
Bess, &c.

My Betty has a smirking Look,
And sometimes plays the loose,
And whoe'er peeps ito her Book,
Looks like an errant Goose.
Bess, &c.

Fair Susan. by Mr. W.^m Turner. [with music, c 1730]

Early in ye^e Morn, as fair Susan lay alone,
Say y^e Jade, I want a Lad that will work me to the bone.
Bumpum, bumpum, beat like a Drum,
'till you've work'd her to y^e Bum
Then you'll find her stir as if she were downright mad,
and cry thump, bump, thump, bump, thump, bump, thump, bump,
oh, my dear bonny precious Lad.

Take her by the Beard,
and be sure to work her hard,
'Till she says, my Dear,
you play a mighty pretty Card.
Bumpum, &c.

Thrust it home, my boy,
and take Care you do not flag,
But be sure to ply her on,
'till you've work'd like a stag.
Bumpum, &c.

When you've done the Job,
take Care you do not flinch,
But still and still work on,
and bate her not an Inch.
Bumpum, &c.

Not quite in the same league as the contemporary "Black Joke" and "Morren na Ghiberlain"

Subject: RE: Bawdy song
From: Hollowfox
Date: 24 Feb 02 - 06:16 PM

Sometimes the bawdiness is in, ahem, the delivery. One of the finest examples of a bawdy song I ever heard was late one night in the Ranch Tavern (Albany NY) when one of the regular singers sang Rock of Ages with no change in the tune or lyrics, but a few changes in emphasis that turned the first verse into a double entendre.

Subject: RE: Bawdy song
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 24 Feb 02 - 08:14 PM

A dandy collection

Thank you AR282!!

Subject: RE: Bawdy song
From: masato sakurai
Date: 24 Feb 02 - 08:30 PM

The Art of the Bawdy Song is still in print. CLICK HERE for sound clips.
A great many bawdy songs have been discussed in the Forum and are already in the DT. Type "@bawdy" into the Digitrad and Forum Search box.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Bawdy song
From: AR282
Date: 24 Feb 02 - 09:05 PM

"The Art of the Bawdy Song" is great. Beautiful cover. Nothing obscene about it--just a very nice oil painting. Typical classical music CD except it has a parental advisory sticker in the corner. Talk about incongruous! To see this sticker on a classical CD made me laugh and I knew I had to buy it.

Most of the songs on it are a bit more restrained than the ones in my initial post but quite amusing. Here's one called "My Man John"

My Man John had a thing that was long.
My Maid Mary had a thing that was hairy.
My Man John put his thing that was Long,
into my maid Mary's thing that was Hairy.
My maid Mary then stir'd it about,
till with stirring and stirring at length it came out,
but then my Man John thrust it in once again,
and knock'd it most stoutly to make it remain;
but John with much knocking so widen'd the hole,
that his long thing slip'd out still in spight of his soul,
'till weary'd and vex'd and with knocking grown sore,
cry'd, "a Pox take the Hole for I'll knock it no more!"

The more restrained ones are generally more amusing but the explicit ones are necessary and inevitable.

Subject: RE: Bawdy song
From: GUEST,Rowana sans cookie
Date: 24 Feb 02 - 09:16 PM

That is a good CD. If you're in a Scottish mood, listen to Robert Burns' The Merry Muses. It's described as 19 titles composed or collected by Robert Burns to be performed in the drinking houses or 'gentlemen's clubs' of the day. Some language may offend. For something more contemporary try Elsa Lanchester Sings Bawdy Cockney Songs, a collection of early 20th century music hall songs - more naughty than bawdy. Good fun.

Subject: RE: Bawdy song
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Feb 02 - 09:58 PM

There are many Scots, English, and Irish bawdy songs, 16th to 18th centuries, in the Scarce Songs 1 and 2 files at www.erols.com/olsonw (including "My Man John" copied from a single sheet, c 1730, and several from 'The Merry Muses', 1799, with their original tunes from, early copies, in ABC notation).

Soon we may see publication of the master collection of Scots bawdy songs in 'Musa Proterva', edited by Mudcat's MS, Abby Sale, and Ed Cray. The 'Secret Songs of Silence MS' is all typed up now, and I have had a copy for about 4 months (and have had a copy of the MS for about 2 years)

Subject: RE: Bawdy song
From: AR282
Date: 24 Feb 02 - 11:18 PM

I should have said that "The Art of the Bawdy Song" is a collection of 17th and 18th century English music rather than 16th and 17th as I said in my earlier post.

I'd also like to say that in spite of the lyrics about genitalia, scatology, one about 2 ladies having a farting contest, omorashi and all that, the music is heavenly. So graceful and so full of wit and style--even the one with all the farting and belching sounds in it. As incongruous with the lyrics as the CD's cover is with the warning sticker in the corner and every bit as funny to me.

The Jass label needs to investigated by those of you who haven't bought anything from them but are looking for very unusual blues and jazz. I have another Jass CD called "Reefer Songs" and it's old jazz and blues about oob. It's amazing everybody that sings openly about using a drug or drugs already outlawed by the time most of the recordings were made: Bennie Goodman, Jack Teagarden, Buster Bailey (who cops a riff from a Mary Lou Williams number and titles it "Light up"), Mary Lou Williams, Ella, Lil Green and a great one by Buck Washington called "Save the Roach For Me".

Jass also puts out "Sissy Boy Blues" which is a collection of old blues which range from men who are cream-puffs to out-and-out gay blues. You figure a lot of these came about in prisons and so "Jailhouse Rock" may be a tribute to such songs. I of course refer to the verse:

Number 57 said to number 3 You're the cutest jailbird I ever did see Sure would be delighted with your company Come on and do the jailhouse rock with me

Even as a boy, I wondered about that verse. I remember a comedian asking if you ever get the feeling that Elvis probably didn't know what he was singing about right there.

Subject: RE: Bawdy song
From: AR282
Date: 24 Feb 02 - 11:40 PM

Oh, and thanks Joe for tidying up my original post. It looks much better.

Subject: RE: Bawdy song
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 03:26 AM

AR282 obviosly got too much time on your hands, do you play with yourself a lot

Subject: RE: Bawdy song
From: GUEST,AR282
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 08:14 AM

Lame! There goes an old saying and I'll quote it for you now:

If you don't have a sense of humor, don't try to be funny.

Subject: RE: Bawdy song
From: artbrooks
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 09:12 AM

Lots of good (or bad, depending on your point of view) stuff here (if I did it right): Dirty Song Book

If I didn't, here's the URL: http://www.armadillo.net/llewtrah/songbook.html

Subject: RE: Bawdy song
From: CRANKY YANKEE
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 09:31 AM

I know a lot of people who knew Elvis Pressley and, to a person, they sai that he never used "foul" language or double meanings. His morals, acording to friends, were above reproach. so, It's highly unlikely that Jailhouse rock's lyrics meant anything except their face value./

Subject: RE: Bawdy song
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 10:28 AM

Bawdy songs have around a long while. Phallic Symbolism and Inuendo have always added a bit of spice to the sexual act. Try WATKINS ALE - my wife used to play in a recorder consort with some rather straight-laced ladies and the tune was one of their favorites. I furnished them with the words on one occasion and LOL they never played it again.

Subject: RE: Bawdy song
From: GUEST,AR282
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 12:57 PM

Hi Cranky,

The problem with saying that the lyrics to "Jailhouse Rock" should only be taken at face value is that the verse I quoted, at face value, could only be one man propositioning another man. What else could it possibly be?

I'm not saying Elvis knew that. I'm saying the opposite. I agree with the comedian in that Elvis almost certainly had no idea what he was singing about. I've heard that he had no particular liking for gay men.

Subject: RE: Bawdy song
From: CapriUni
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 01:22 PM

AR282 --

Thanks for starting this thread... for one thing, it shows that women's sexuality was recognized as valid and healthy -- much older than the free-love movement of the '60's

Subject: Lyr Add: NINE INCH WILL PLEASE A LADY (Robt Burns)
From: GUEST,Dunder
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 01:32 PM

Here's ain o' them sangs frae "The Merry Muse" by the
Baird his sel', Rabbie Burns.

Nine Inch Will Please a Lady
Tune:The Quaker's Wife

Come rede me dame, come tell me, dame,
My dame come tell me truly,
What length o' graith, when weel ca'd hame,
Will sair a woman duly?
The carlin clew her wanton tail,
Her wanton tail sae ready -
I learn'd a sang in Annandale,
Nine inch will please a lady.

But for a koontrie cunt like mine,
In sooth, we're nae sae gentle;
We'll take tway thumb-bread to the nine,
And tha's a sonsy pintle;
O leeze me on my Charlie lad,
I'll ne'er forget my Charlie!
Tway roarin handfu's and a daud,
He nidge't it in fu' rarely.

But weary fa' the laithron doup
And may it ne'er ken thrivin!
It's no the length that maks me loup,
But it's the double drivin.-
Come nidge me, Tam, come nidge me Tam,
Come nidge me o'er the nyvel!
Come lowse and lug your battering ram,
And thrash him at my gyvel!


rede – advise; graith – tools; sair – serve;
carlin - old woman; pintle - male organ
laithron - lazy, inactive; doup – backside;
gyvel - gable

Subject: RE: Bawdy song
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 02:20 PM

"Nine inch will please a lady" and "Quaker's Wife" are already in DT with the tune.

Subject: RE: Bawdy song
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 03:46 PM

Shave 'Em Dry and a bunch of other old bluesy bawdy songs appeared in a collection about 20 years ago put out by the Smithsonian. The songs date back much earlier than that record issue. If I Can't Sell it I'll Keep Sittin' On It and My Mojo (names something like these) and other songs, many from a female perspective, are in that collection. I have a copy of it at home, and will post the title later. I don't think it goes by any of the names of collections mentioned above.

SRS

Subject: RE: Bawdy song
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Feb 02 - 10:52 AM

I poked through some dusty cupboards but didn't find the cassette I mentioned above. I taped the album that my ex now owns; I don't know if he has any albums out these days, but next time I'm over I'll poke around and see if I can find it and send along the citation.

SRS

Subject: RE: Bawdy song - Black Bottom Blues
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Mar 13 - 06:03 PM

Funny I should find a thread where I was the last one to post in order to park a song. A facebook friend put up a link to "Black Bottom Blues" and I thought I'd put it somewhere so anyone looking for it might find it, but without starting a brand new thread for it. I don't know anything about the song, but it sounds like something some of you who collect these might know.

Black Bottom Blues. It's a recording, and might be something to capture or transcribe, if it hasn't been done already. The site information says

"Black Bottom Blues"--The Du-Tels (Gary Lucas and Peter Stampfel)

recorded in New Orleans July 2008 at Piety Street Studios

absolutely live, no overdubs

engineered by Mark Bingham

Gary Lucas--acoustic guitar, vocals
Peter Stampfel--mandolin, vocals

trad., arr. Stampfel/Lucas

SRS

Subject: RE: Bawdy song
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Mar 13 - 06:06 PM

If you search the DT on "Black Bottom Blues" the result is to give the "Deep Elum Blues" results, but these are different songs. Deep Elum is a neighborhood in Dallas, Texas, and the lyrics and song are different. However, a conversation with Severn Savage convinces me there is some connection between the two - my long suit doesn't include connecting the dots between blues songs.

SRS

Subject: RE: Bawdy songs
From: GUEST,Jamie (8 Feb 2015)
Date: 21 Feb 15 - 08:17 PM

Trying to find a song called... Rosie my girlfriend can't find it anywhere

Subject: RE: Bawdy songs
From: GUEST,Anon
Date: 24 Feb 15 - 01:03 PM

Google "Ten Little N..... Boys" - is that bawdy enough?

Then there's "Ten Little B..... Boys" of which only the lines / nos. 10 down to 4 are extant. Aparently this is from a m/s found in a bookshop in Charing X Road, London.

Anon.

Subject: RE: Bawdy songs
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Apr 19 - 03:12 PM

I see via Lucy Skeaping's Twitter feed that one of her albums has been re-released: Bawdy Ballads of Old England -17th Century Songs & Dances

The City Waits
Lucy Skeaping, director
Catalogue Number: ALC 1382
Number of Discs: 1
Date/Runtime: Time; 74:25, DDD 1996
Barcode: 5055354413827

There's a link to download the lyrics.

• [1] Diddle Diddle or The Kind Country Lovers 3.22
• [2] The Fair Maid of lslington 4.09
• [3] Green Stockings 2.21
• [4] The Jovial Lass or Dol and Roger 4.19
• [5] Mundanga Was 2.49
• [6] Lady of Pleasure 1.37
• [7] The Old Wife 2.06
• [8] The Beehive 2.33
• [9] Blue Petticoats or Green Garters 2.02
• [10] The Gelding of the Devil 6.54
• [11] The Maid’s Complaint for Want of a Dil Doul 5.27
• [12] Oyster Nan 2.20
• [13] The Frolic 2.06
• [14] The Husband who met his Match 5.27
• [15] The Jovial Broom Man 2.56
• [16] The Disappointment 3.49
• [17] The Lusty Young Smith 2.28
• [18] Greensleeves and Yellow Lace 2.31
• [19] The Jolly Brown Turd 1.37
• [20] Two Rounds: Tom Making a Manteau; When Celia was Learning 3.16
• [21] Lady Lie Near Me 1.31
• [22] Oh how you Protest 1.33
• [23] A Ditty Delightful of Mother Watkin’s Ale 3.41
• [24] Miss Nelly 2.30