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Lyr Req: The Mousetrap Man (R. Hughes) |
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Subject: Lyr Req: Mousetrap Man From: GUEST Date: 24 Oct 02 - 07:41 PM Looking for the lyrics and hopefully the tune to an 1800s song The Mousetrap Man. Any help appreciated Richard Wright |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mousetrap Man From: Sorcha Date: 24 Oct 02 - 07:57 PM No luck, and I also tried Mouse Trap, Mouse-trap, etc. Any lyrics at all? |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mousetrap Man From: GUEST Date: 25 Oct 02 - 12:31 PM No nothing Sorcha. I've been searching for a long time. All I have is a song saying Tune: The Mousetrap Man. I have been told there are two tunes, but haven't found either. Thanks for looking Richard |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mousetrap Man From: Sorcha Date: 25 Oct 02 - 01:27 PM What country? That might help. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mousetrap Man From: GUEST Date: 25 Oct 02 - 02:21 PM My guess is that it was a song from the British Isles. It was used for a song in late 1860s in Canada. That siad, it could have been a tune from the US as well. Thanks Sorcha Richard |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mousetrap Man From: masato sakurai Date: 25 Oct 02 - 08:32 PM It's on the list Sing Us One of the Old Songs by Michael Kilgarriff. Only written: LABURNUM, WALTER Mouse-Trap Man, The ~Masato |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mousetrap Man From: GUEST Date: 26 Oct 02 - 12:16 PM Thanks Masato; This gives me a little more to search on. Richard |
Subject: Lyr Add: THE MOUSE-TRAP MAN From: Jim Dixon Date: 18 Aug 10 - 08:48 PM From Tony Pastor's 201 Bowery Songster by Tony Pastor (New York: Dick & Fitzgerald, 1867), page 38 (but see footnote): THE MOUSE-TRAP MAN, Sung by Tony Pastor, at his Opera House, 201 Bowery. 1. Kind friends, in me an object behold, Wounded in feelings, and minus his heart. I loved a girl, but by her I've been sold, All for a mouse-trap man, spicy and smart. Outside her door, loudly bawling he'd go, "Mouse-traps a penny," throughout all the day. In her good graces he soon got, I know— Caught her with his mouse-traps, and stole her away. CHORUS: "Mouse-traps, mouse-traps," he'd cry. "Mouse-traps, fine mouse-traps, who'll buy? Strong as a house, just have one and see. Mouse-traps a penny, a penny. Who'll buy?" 2. She was named Scratchem. From Itchin she came, Was a smart housemaid, I have you to know. In most chaps' hearts she would kindle love's flame. She lived at Harrow, when I was her beau. She told this chap they were swarming with mice, Called him inside, and with beer did him prime, When she'd replenished his pewter pot twice. He gave her a tap which choked six at a time.* 3. In a dark corner this trap she did fix, Baited each hook with a piece of burnt cheese, Woke up next morning, and there she found six Poor little mouses as dead as you please. When she discovered them, she cried, "Oh lor! Never before was the like seen of sich, Him as brought that mouse-trap to the door I'm sure is a conjurer, leastwise a witch." 4. No more cold vittles I got from that day. All of her perkersites went to that chap. When I asked for 'em, she used for to say As how she wanted them to bait the trap. "That may be true," said I, "but perhaps you'll tell, Where are the governor's old left-off suits? You must have them, for you know very well, They don't bait mouse-traps with old trousers and boots." 5. She kicked me out, slammed the door in my face, Sent me adrift with a flea in my ear. She'd give me turnips, and it was a case. I was outrivaled by that chap, 'twas clear. Last Sunday week they were man and wife made, Which filled my buzzum with grief, care, and woe. Now they are doing a fine rousing trade, For "Mouse-traps a plenty" they both bawling go. * Verse 2 is from a broadside in the Bodleian collection: Harding B 11(2501). |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mousetrap Man From: Artful Codger Date: 05 Dec 11 - 11:21 PM YouTube has a clip of the tune played by a music box: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ronwDkn3A2M |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mousetrap Man From: Mick Pearce (MCP) Date: 06 Dec 11 - 03:08 AM I notice the Bodleian sheet The Mousetrap Man (which otherwise has identical text to the version Jim printed above) has the chorus: "Mousetraps, mousetraps," he'd cry, "Mousetraps, fine mousetraps, who'll buy? Strong as a house, have one and try. Mousetraps a penny, a penny. who'll buy?" LOC has a copy with music: The Mousetrap Man index record which has composer R.Hughes, 1868 (click the Page Turner link on left to view the music). I haven't had time to see if this is the same as the music box tune. There is also a cover of some sheet music on a site for George Leybourne: Check Gallery - cover of Mousetrap Man Waltz written by WH Montgomery, printed Sheard 1866. It's not clear if this is a different song or the same tune set by someone else. There is a (New Zealand) reference here: Papers Past - Colonist 18 Hakihea 1866: "The popular comic singer, who sings such songs as Slapbang, Costermonger Joe, The Mousetrap Man, The Cure, &c., is better paid than many of the artistes at the Italian opera" (my bold). which seems to put the song no later than 1866. Also a reference from the Sydney Morning Herald, June 18, 1868: Songs of The Street (",,,he may, as the Mousetrap Man ,,, deplore the faithlessness of the object of his affections" Dulcamara, or the Little Duck and the Great Quack, is one of the earliest plays written by W.S. Gilbert, his first solo stage success, with music by Mr.Van Hamme (wikipedia). (The full play is available here: Dulcamara). In this the trio Adina, Belcore, Nemorino has the air indicated as The Mousetrap Man. The play was premiered in December 1866. This seems to indicate that the song was popular around the 1866/1868 time. Mick |
Subject: Tune Add: THE MOUSETRAP MAN (R. Hughes) From: Mick Pearce (MCP) Date: 06 Dec 11 - 09:00 AM Here's the tune from the sheet music at LOC (there are a few minor textual differences from the text above). The music box tune linked by AC above is pretty much the same tune (few differences). I still don't know how this tune relates (if at all) to the Mousetrap Man Waltz, which is the only entry in the BL catalogue for Mousetrap Man. Mick X:1 T:The Mousetrap Man C:R.Hughes N:POPULAR COMIC SONG N:As sung in the burlesque 'Pluto' by Miss ALICE DUNNING M:3/4 L:1/4 Q:"Tempo di Valse" K:D D D D|B B B|A E F|D3| w:Kind friends in me you an ob-ject be-hold A A> A|d d c|B c> B|A3| w:Wound-ed in feel-ings, and mi-nus his heart. A B c|d F F|G c> B|A3| w:I lov'd a girl, but by her I've been "sold" D E> F|A G F|E F> E|D2 z| w:All for a mouse-trap man, spi-cy and smart E E E|A A A|A ^G> A|B3| w:Out-side her door, loud-ly baw-ling he'd go E E E|B B B|d c> B|A2 z| w:"Mouse-traps a pen-ny" thro'-out all the day, E E E|c c c|c B> ^A|B2 w:In her good gra-ces he soon got, I know d|d c B|A ^G F|E c B|(HA {c}B A)|| w:Caught her with his "mouse-traps" and stole her a-way.__ "^CHORUS:"A3|B3|A E> F|D2 z| w:"Mouse-traps, mouse-traps," he'd cry A3|d2 c|B c> B|c2 z| w:"Mouse-traps, fine mouse-traps, who'll buy A B c|d2 F|G c> B|A2 z| w:Strong as a house, just have one and try, D E F|A G> F|E F> E|D z z|] w:Mouse-traps a pen-ny, a pen-ny. Who'll buy?" |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mousetrap Man From: Jim Dixon Date: 08 Dec 11 - 02:39 PM Comparing Tony Pastor's version (see above) with the sheet music, I find these differences: VERSE 1, LINE 1: Kind friends, in me you an object behold, CHORUS, LINE 3: Strong as a house, just have one and try. VERSE 2 does not appear in the sheet music. (Maybe Tony Pastor wrote it?) VERSE 3, LINE 8: I'm sure is a conjurer, leastways a witch. VERSE 5, LINES 7-8: Now they are doing a fine roaring trade, For "Mouse-traps a penny" they both bawling go. [I have not bothered to indicate mere differences in spelling or dialect.] |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Mousetrap Man (R. Hughes) From: Mick Pearce (MCP) Date: 08 Dec 11 - 04:50 PM Jim V2 - She was named Scratchem. From Itchin she came... - is in the Bodleian sheet. (Itchin I presume is a contraction, for comedic purposees, of Hitchin, a town in Hertfordshire, North of London). Mick |
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