Lyr Req: Me and Brother Bill (Louis Armstrong)

Subject: Lyr Req: My Brother Bill
From: Julia
Date: 10 Nov 02 - 10:40 PM

Hi there- my Dad just started singing me song from his youth that goes

My brother Bill and I went hunting
Up in the woods of Maine
The reason that we went so high
So we would be sure of game

He couldn't remember the rest- anyone know it?
Thanks

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Brother Bill
From: Sorcha
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 09:54 AM

No luck with Google.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Brother Bill
From: Kenny B (inactive)
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 06:50 PM

"Riding Down from Bangor" If this is the song you want I have just passed the "Old Grey Memory Test"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Brother Bill
From: Julia
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 07:58 PM

Thanks , Kenny, but I don't think this is the one (good, though!) Any other thoughts?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Brother Bill
From: Kenny B (inactive)
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 06:46 PM

Sorry I coudn't resist, Hope this keeps ypou amused till you get get
the real answer you're looking for.

FIREMAN BILL
Tune Li'l Liza Jane

My brother bill's a fireman bold, .... He pits oot fires
He's only twenty four years old , .... He pits oot fires,
He went to fight a fire the one night,
Somebody shouted dynamite,
Wherever he is he'll do all right , ..... He pits oot fire

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Brother Bill
From: SINSULL
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 07:51 PM

My brother Bill
He had a still on the hill.
He's about 4'9".
But he thinks he's a giant
If you give him half a pint
Of that good old mountain dew.


Probably not it either but it keeps the thread alive.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Brother Bill
From: Julia
Date: 17 Nov 02 - 12:28 PM

Wow, I didn't think this would be so tough! I mean, my Dad raelly doesn't know that many songs- he used to sing us "When Pa was a little boy like me", "Aura Lee" and "Shenandoah".. he also used to read us "Beowulf" and the "Odyssey" when I was five, but that's beside the point. Oh well- keep thinking, all you hot shots!
Best- Julia

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Brother Bill
From: Jon Bartlett
Date: 17 Nov 02 - 06:48 PM

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Brother Bill
From: Jon Bartlett
Date: 17 Nov 02 - 06:54 PM

You're boond tae hear ma brother Bill for he's sae full o'wit
He 'as a job at fillin' doon the Busty Pit
At neet when 'e gets hame 'e's like a droonded rat
Instead of goin' upstairs tae bed he falls doon on the mat
Wey he can fill a thoosand or mair TITTY FA LA, TITTY FA LAY
Aye and they pays him by the score TITTY FA LAY TITTY FA LAY
'e fills the tubs sae neat and wi'oot any delay
But he can never find his pick TITTY FA LA TITTY FA LAY
SING TRA LA LA LA LA LA
OVER THE WALL'S OOT.

Yet another brother Bill - does anyone know a printed source for this (I've got 5 verses orally).?
Jon ("sorry about the thread creep")Bartlett

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Brother Bill
From: Julia
Date: 17 Nov 02 - 09:54 PM

Yikes!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Brother Bill
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Nov 02 - 08:08 PM

My brither bill is a fireman bold he pits oot fires
he's only twenty five years old he pits oot fires
he went to fight a fire one night when somebody shouted dynamite
wherever he is he'll be all right he pits oot fires

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Brother Bill
From: Abby Sale
Date: 20 Apr 04 - 09:12 AM

Recently, at a local open mike, I sang a muckle ballad and since I made them suffer so with that, I finished with 'My brither Bill's a fireman bold, / He pits oot fires' as posted above. I learned a different tune, though.

A feller there said he thought I was going into a Brooklyn, US street song (a Greenhaus expertise) that includes:

My brither Bill's a fireman bold,
        He puts out fires.
My sister married a fireman,
        She puts out, too.

My grandmother...
My aunt...

That's all he gave me

Would anyone have any more verses or tunes on this approach?

Abby

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Brother Bill
From: Flash Company
Date: 20 Apr 04 - 11:28 AM

'Me and Brother Bill' was one of Louis Armstrong's comic pieces, recorded on 'Louis Armstrong at the Crescendo' and eith Bing Crosby on 'Bing and Satchmo'

Me and Brother Bill went hunting
In the woods in the east of Maine
The reason why we went up there
We thoght we could catch some game,
As we were a-hunting
Out in the middle of the night,
We shot at something like a grizzly bear
And the doggone thing turned white!
I said to my brother
Come on, man let's go home
He said if you going back to the house
You'll have to go alone
While we'd been a=hunting
The moon had risen up high
I looked towards my house and I didn't even say goodbye!

I dropped that gun
And away I run
Brother bill said Boy what's the matter with you?
He'd a Known like me he'd a run some too!
I ran so fast I say
That they couldn't catch me all day,
The way I ran across that field
Ooh you couldn't catch me with an automobile!

FC

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Brother Bill
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 22 Apr 04 - 12:05 AM

Abby Sale: The song you're describing sounds like it might be related to the song in the DT called FOLLOW THE BAND.

Maybe you could adapt those verses to your song somehow.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Brother Bill
From: Abby Sale
Date: 22 Apr 04 - 06:35 PM

Thanks Jim, no I don't think so. That seems to be a funny parody of a fav of mine, "My Husband's a Mason" & it's a good song.

Ach weel. I'll have to get with the feller.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Brother Bill
From: GUEST,Julia
Date: 22 Apr 04 - 07:38 PM

Thanks so much!! Good things come to those who wait!
Cheers- Julia

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Brother Bill
From:
Date: 03 Feb 06 - 04:55 PM

The way my mom used to sing it was:

Me and Brother Bill went hunting
Way up in the hills of Eastern Maine
The reason why we went so far
We thought that we could catch some game

Now, me and Brother Bill kept hunting
Way into the middle of the night
Something moved
I shot at it
And the gosh darned thing turned white!

Well, I grabbed my gun and away I run
Brother Bill says "Boy, what's a matter with you
If he'd known like me, he'd a run some too!
I ran so fast they say,
They couldn't catch me all day.
The way I ran across that field,
You couldn't catch me with an automobile!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Brother Bill
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 06 Feb 06 - 11:08 PM

I've listened to some sound samples, and I heard these words to ME AND BROTHER BILL that aren't included in the versions posted above.

...Brother Bill got so excited, he commenced to shootin' at me.
I heard those bullets zizzlin' all among those trees.
I was runnin' so fast that night, till my feet was draggin' the ground.
I heard a little jailbird in the tree singin' "He's Alabama Bound."

I run past my house and I didn't have time to knock....

Subject: Lyr Add: ME AND BROTHER BILL (Louis Armstrong)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 28 Aug 06 - 06:42 PM

I heard this on the radio today, so I took the opportunity to transcribe it.

ME AND BROTHER BILL
(Louis Armstrong)

Me and Brother Bill went hunting, way in the east of Maine.
The reason why we went up there, we thought we could catch some game.

As we were a-hunting, way in the middle of the night,
We shot at something like a grizzly bear. The doggone thing turned white.

I said to my brother, "Come on and let's go home."
He said, "Now, if you're going to the house, you'll have to go alone."

As we were a-hunting, it commenced to bristen (?) up high.*
I looked toward my house, and I didn't even say goodbye.

I dropped that gun,
And away I run.
Brother Bill said, "Boy, what's the matter with you?"
Had he known like me, he would have run some, too.
I run so fast, they say,
That they couldn't catch me all day.
The way I run across that field,
No, you couldn't catch me with an automobile.

SPOKEN: Second spasm! Second spasm!

Brother Bill got so excited, he commenced to shooting at me.
I heard those bullets sizzling all among those trees.

I was running so fast that night, my feet was dragging the ground.
I heard a little jaybird in the tree sing, "He's Alabama Bound."

I passed right by a firehouse. I didn't have time to knock.
I passed right by a good crap game. I didn't have time to stop.

I passed right by a gin mill, stopped in to get a little gin,
And I didn't have a dime to pay for it, and I had to start running again.

I'm going home.
I'm all alone.
Brother Bill said, "Boy, what's the matter with you?"
Had he known like me, he would have cut out, too.
I run so fast, they say,
That they couldn't catch me all day.
The way I run across that field,
(SCAT CADENZA)
Yes, you couldn't catch me—
You couldn't catch me—
No, you couldn't catch me with a automobile.


[Recorded by Louis Armstrong and His All-Stars.

[This was taken from a "live" performance. *I think Armstrong stumbled over this line and he meant to sing "the moon had risen up high." I also think Armstrong recorded this song more than once, and probably sang it correctly on a different recording.

[You can hear an archived radio program that includes this song. Go to this page, then under "Monday, August 28, 2006" click on "Listen 7 - 9 a.m.", then advance to 1 hour 48 minutes and 4 seconds from the beginning of the file.]