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Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had a Canary

DigiTrad:
COCK O' THE MIDDEN
I'LL HAE NAE MAIR O' YER CHEESE
SAILOR HOME FROM THE SEA
TOCHER, THE


Related threads:
Origins: Cock o' the North (16)
Aunty Mary Had a Canary - where? (100)
ADD: Sailor Home from the Sea/Cock of the North (54)
(origins) Lyr/Tune Add: Sailor Home from the Sea (D Hewett) (13)
Cock of the Morning/North (17)
Lyr Req: Cock o' the North / Hi fer Geordie (8)
Lyr Req: Cock of the North (7) (closed)


GUEST 14 Oct 17 - 02:01 PM
GUEST 08 Sep 17 - 04:04 PM
Thompson 17 Apr 17 - 02:38 AM
Gallus Moll 16 Apr 17 - 08:01 PM
Steve Gardham 16 Apr 17 - 09:26 AM
GUEST 20 Mar 12 - 06:02 PM
GUEST,Saywhat?! 03 Feb 11 - 03:03 AM
GUEST,Seonaid 26 Oct 10 - 05:02 PM
GUEST,Sheila D 26 Oct 10 - 04:19 PM
GUEST,bec 18 Sep 10 - 12:14 PM
GUEST,Jimmy 06 Apr 10 - 04:50 PM
GUEST,steph 21 Jan 10 - 07:38 AM
GUEST 09 Jul 09 - 06:17 PM
GUEST,Ewan McVicar 19 Jul 08 - 12:47 PM
Azizi 17 Jul 08 - 03:23 PM
Azizi 17 Jul 08 - 02:54 PM
Azizi 17 Jul 08 - 02:23 PM
GUEST,erinmaidin 17 Jul 08 - 05:53 AM
GUEST,PB 16 Jul 08 - 04:33 PM
GUEST 20 May 08 - 05:25 PM
GUEST,sandra 27 Apr 08 - 04:51 PM
GUEST,Sandra 27 Apr 08 - 04:50 PM
GUEST,The Mole Catcher's unplugged Apprentice 27 Feb 08 - 01:49 PM
GUEST,Jock Tamson's bairn 27 Feb 08 - 01:39 PM
GUEST,Christine west lothian 16 Nov 07 - 04:55 AM
An Buachaill Caol Dubh 09 May 07 - 08:30 AM
Andy Jackson 08 May 07 - 03:08 PM
GUEST,edthefolkie 08 May 07 - 11:55 AM
GUEST,Timothy Gumble 07 May 07 - 04:15 PM
GUEST,Bill the Collie 18 Jun 05 - 01:35 AM
Crystal 17 Jun 05 - 06:40 AM
belfast 17 Jun 05 - 05:21 AM
GUEST,Liberty Belle 16 Jun 05 - 07:02 PM
Bainbo 16 Jun 05 - 06:12 PM
GUEST,Wee Malky 16 Jun 05 - 06:08 PM
GUEST,speltownes@yahoo.co.uk 18 Oct 04 - 05:03 AM
Hollowfox 13 Apr 03 - 07:17 PM
GUEST,Ewan McVicar 13 Apr 03 - 04:54 AM
GUEST,Hollowfox's friend... 13 Apr 03 - 12:17 AM
mg 12 Apr 03 - 09:51 PM
Little Robyn 12 Apr 03 - 08:41 PM
Zany Mouse 12 Apr 03 - 06:17 PM
CraigS 12 Apr 03 - 05:40 PM
Malcolm Douglas 12 Apr 03 - 05:31 PM
GUEST,Hollowfox, at a friend's house 12 Apr 03 - 05:21 PM
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had a Canary
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Oct 17 - 02:01 PM

This is the version my Granny from Forfar sang to me

Auntie Mary lost her canary
Up the leg of her drawers
When she farted, it departed
Down the leg of her drawers

It whistled for oors    (Hours)
and fleggit the Boers.      (Scared the Boers)
And won the Victoria Cross


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had a Canary
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Sep 17 - 04:04 PM

Aunty Mary had a canary Up the back of her drawers When she farted, it departed With a round of applause


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had a Canary
From: Thompson
Date: 17 Apr 17 - 02:38 AM

That's fascinating about the seceder songs (how ludicrous are the ways that people stymie themselves with religion, by the way - irreverent to sing a sacred song?) - and it deserves its own thread. Why not start one?


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had a Canary
From: Gallus Moll
Date: 16 Apr 17 - 08:01 PM

not had time to read through all the posts - but there are / were a number of 'Seceder' songs which were doggerel versions of Psalms (and hymns?) that church choirs would rehearse on weekdays, it being thought very wrong to sing holy materiel other than on a sunday.

Some of the words were to my ear quite - disrespectful? racy even?!
Sorta defeating the purpose - -- !!!!

I only know one or two but there are bound to be more- - -
(eg the Auld Seceder Cat)


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had a Canary
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 16 Apr 17 - 09:26 AM

Hull, Yorkshire, 1950s onwards.

We keep chickens in our backyard
We feed em on Indian corn
One's a bugger for giving the other
a piggyback over the wall
Chase me, Charley, chase me, Charley
I've lost the leg of me drawers
Chase me, Charley, chase me, Charley,
Will you lend me yours?

Cock o' the North A&B music.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had a Canary
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Mar 12 - 06:02 PM

I just know the children's version:
Auntie Mary had a canary
Up the leg of her drawers
She pulled a string and made it sing
And doon came Santa Claus

Auntie Mary had a canary
By the side of her bed
The cat got in and had its din
And now the canary is dead


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had a Canary
From: GUEST,Saywhat?!
Date: 03 Feb 11 - 03:03 AM

The one I knew as a kiddie growing up in the late 80s was similar to Bec's version:

Aunty Mary had a canary
She also had a duck
She took them behind the kitchen door
And taught them how to...

Fry an egg and bacon
And brew a cup of tea
The more you eat, the more you drink
the more you want to...

Peter had a row boat
The boat began to rock
A shark came up the starboard bow
And bit him on the...

Cockle are great for fishing
Mary's in the punt(Not 100%)
The fishing line got tangled
And caught on Mary's...

Country girls are beautiful
Lying in the grass
They stick their heads between their legs
And whistle up their...

Ask your mum for sixpence
To see the tall giraffe
With buttons on his breast coat
And pimples up his...

Aunty Mary had a canary... (repeat from top)


Or something akin to that...


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had a Canary
From: GUEST,Seonaid
Date: 26 Oct 10 - 05:02 PM

An English acquaintance used to sing only the standard single verse, but she added a chorus that somehow included repetitions of "How's your father?" Wish I knew where she was these days; I'd ask for more!
I had an Irish friend who'd follow the canary ditty with a segue to:
"Green grow the rushes-o,
Blackbirds and thrushes-o,
If ever you pish into the wind
You're sure to wet your britches-o."
I guess the connection was birds.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had a Canary
From: GUEST,Sheila D
Date: 26 Oct 10 - 04:19 PM

My mother's words for this were:

Auntie Mary had a canary
up the leg of her drawers.
And when it came doon
it whistled a toon,
it whistled The Cock o' the North.
The cock o' the north,
the cock o' the south,
the cock o' the east and the west.
Of all the wee cocks that I hae seen,
my ain wee cock's the best.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had a Canary
From: GUEST,bec
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 12:14 PM

aunty mary had a canary
she also had a duck
took 'em behind the kitchen door
and tought em how to.....
fry a fish for breakfast
boil an egg for tea
but the more you eat
the more you drink
the more you want to....
peter had a boat
the boat began to rock
up jumped a crocodile
and bit him on the...
cocktails and gingerale
forty cents a glass
if you dont like it
shove it up your..
ask no questions
i'll tell no lies
but i saw a policeman
pulling down his...
flys are bad
mosquitos are worse
they keep buzzing in my ear
'YOU MUST REPEAT THIS VERSE'


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had a Canary
From: GUEST,Jimmy
Date: 06 Apr 10 - 04:50 PM

My dad from Ayreshire taught me
Aunt Mary had a canary
up the leg o' her drawers
it wouldna come doon fer half a croon
till the end o the wars


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had a Canary
From: GUEST,steph
Date: 21 Jan 10 - 07:38 AM

Auntie Mary had a canary. She also had a duck.
She took behind the kitchen corner and taught it how to —
FRY eggs for breakfast. Fry eggs for tea.
If you drink a lot of water, it will make you —
PETER had a boat. The boat began to rock.
He fell off and a shark bit of his —
COCKTAILS and whiskey, ten cents a glass.
If you don't like it, stick it up your —
ASK no questions. Tell no lies.
I saw a police man doing up his —
FLIES are bad, bugs are worse,
And this is the end of my dirty little verse.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Jul 09 - 06:17 PM

Auntie Mary had a canary up the leg of her breeks,
It wouldn't come down for half a crown,
So it stayed up there for weeks.

Fife - late 70's


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: GUEST,Ewan McVicar
Date: 19 Jul 08 - 12:47 PM

I devote seven pages to versions of Auntie Mary in my 2007 book Doh Ray Me When Ah Wis Wee, but there are above a few variants / related lyrics above that are new to me!


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: Azizi
Date: 17 Jul 08 - 03:23 PM

Perhaps off-topic:

Has anybody considered whether there's a connection between the phrase "Chase me Charlie" in that Scottish song and the line & title "You Can't Lose Me A-Cholly", an old dance tune that was performed by Leadbelly?

"Cholly" is a nickname of Charlie. Sometimes the title of that song is given as "You Can't Lose Me Charlie." That said, the lyrics of the two songs are very different.

But for the record, here's a link to Leadbelly singing that song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2cosGqxU18
Leadbelly - You can't lose me-a cholly


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: Azizi
Date: 17 Jul 08 - 02:54 PM

Btw, it's interesting to find that "I went to the river and I couldn't get across" verse in that song/rhyme. That verse is found in a number of 19th century or earlier African American secular slave songs. Here's one widely quoted example

I went to the river,
And could n't get across;
Paid five dollars
For an old blind horse

Dorothy Scaborough, On The Trail of Negro Folk Songs {Hatsboro, Penn.; Folklore Associates, Inc, 1963, p. 185, originally published, 1925, Harvard Univestity Press}

Here's another one from that same collection:

I went to the river
And I could n't get across.
Jumped on an alligator
And thought it was a horse

-snip-

Since Vaudeville was mentioned in that response quoted in my previous post, and since one of the sources for Vaudeville was American minstrelsy {http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaudeville}, and and since the minstrel shows borrowed heavily from African American traditions, I believe that African American songs were the original source of the "I went to the river and couldn't get across" verse that may be found in "Aunt Mary Had A Canary" songs or rhymes.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: Azizi
Date: 17 Jul 08 - 02:23 PM

There are several responses on http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/450329 to the question:

"Speaking of the name Mary, Does anyone know the nursery rhyme that went 'Aunty Mary had a Canary, she also had a duck?"

Here's one response that included some hyperlinked citations. I'm reposting it here exactly as it is found on that website:

by VSPrasad48 on Nov 2, 2007 at 8:17 pm

Aunt Mary had a canary
Up the leg of her drawers
She pulled the string to hear it sing
And down came Santa Claus

Uncle Jock, he had a sock
Up the pleat of his kilt
When he was a-sleepin, we were a-peepin
To see how well he was built

Chase me Charlie, I've got barley
Up the leg of me drawers
If you don't believe me, come and feel me
Up the leg of me drawers

Cousin Minnie wore a bikini
Underneath her shirt
A handsome guy he tried to spy
And she kicked him where it hurt.

http://www.footstompin.com/forum

http://www.sausagenet.org/nph-YaBB.pl

One fine day, a bonnie bonnie day,
I met my Auntie Mary;
She gied me a penny,
Tae buy whit I liked,
So I bocht a wee canary.
The wee canary flew awa'
Auntie Mary caught it;
She caught it by the tail
An' flung it in a pail,
Cheeky Auntie Mary.

My mother said that I must go,
Wi ma faither's denner-o;
Chappit tatties, beef and steak,
Twa reed herrin an' a bawbee bake.

I went to the river an' a couldn't get across,
I paid ten pound for an auld dun horse.
I jumped on his back an' his banes gied a crack,
An' I had tae play the fiddle till the boat came back.

http://www.footstompin.com/forum

Vaudeville (USA) -(UK) musichall became popular with a wider variety of entertainment & the minstrel shows began to wane although one of the variety acts would often be a comedy quartet. Songs both popular, classical and religion were parodied in keeping with events of the day not just by the singing acts but by the comedians too as short 1 or 2-line musical jokes.

Oh we've got chickens in our backyard & we feed them on cod oil (repeat)
But Aunty Mary's got a canary - he's the cock of the north (repeat)

(Scottish traditional melody)

http://labbs.org.uk/educ/resources/roots.html


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: GUEST,erinmaidin
Date: 17 Jul 08 - 05:53 AM

You can see "Great Big Sea" performing this number on youtube if you just enter "Auntie Mary Had a Canary" in the box and scroll down after the suggestions are given.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: GUEST,PB
Date: 16 Jul 08 - 04:33 PM

This lyric has featured a couple of times on Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show on BBC Radio Four. After having too much to drink, Arthur can occasionally be heard singing this song:

Auntie Mary had a canary
up the leg of her drawers
It wouldn't come down for half a crown...

That's normally about as far as Arthur gets


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: GUEST
Date: 20 May 08 - 05:25 PM

I'm from Lancashire originally and as a kid in the 60's we used to sing:

Auntie Mary had a canary up the leg of her drawers,
It whistled for hours amoung the showers
under Victoria Falls.

Not sure if my Dad taught me that one or his Dad:)


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: GUEST,sandra
Date: 27 Apr 08 - 04:51 PM

My granny used to sing to me the following:
Auntie Mary had a canary up the leg of her drawers
She pished her breeks for sixty weeks
Then gave the canary a wash

enjoy
Sandra


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: GUEST,Sandra
Date: 27 Apr 08 - 04:50 PM


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: GUEST,The Mole Catcher's unplugged Apprentice
Date: 27 Feb 08 - 01:49 PM

There is this one, I found recently on another bulletin board...:-D

Aunt Mary had a canary
Up the leg of her drawers
She pulled the string to hear it sing
And down came Santa Claus

Uncle Jock, he had a sock
Up the pleat of his kilt
When he was a-sleepin, we were a-peepin
To see how well he was built

Chase me Charlie, I've got barley
Up the leg of me drawers
If you don't believe me, come and feel me
Up the leg of me drawers

Cousin Minnie wore a bikini
Underneath her shirt
A handsome guy he tried to spy
And she kicked him where it hurt.


Charlotte (the tune plays wonderfully on the piano)


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: GUEST,Jock Tamson's bairn
Date: 27 Feb 08 - 01:39 PM

The version I remember from the east side of Glasgow many years ago is:
My auntie Mary had a canary
up the leg o' her drawers.
It widnie come doon for hauf-a-croon,
O, a'm the Cock o' the North.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: GUEST,Christine west lothian
Date: 16 Nov 07 - 04:55 AM

Aunty mary had a canary up the leg of her drawers it would nae come down for half a crown so up went uncle george ... thats my version that i learned years ago working in a nursing home. many years ago..


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: An Buachaill Caol Dubh
Date: 09 May 07 - 08:30 AM

Nothing to do with Auntie Mary, but I haven't found this set of words in any of the Links related to this group of threads:

Her faither forbade, her minnie (mither) forbad,
Forbidden she wadna be;
She didna think the brew she browst
Wad taste sae bitterlie.

The Lang Lad they ca Jumpin John
Beguiled the bonnie lassie... (bis)

In one volume of the SMM, or among the songs attributed to Burns, this is set to The Cock of the North ("lass-IE" would have to be accented thus, with the stress on the second syllable, but you can get around this infelicity by simply substituting,
"Beguiled the bonie wee lass")


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: Andy Jackson
Date: 08 May 07 - 03:08 PM

Alex Campbell sang

Auntie Mary had a Canary
Up the leg of her drawers
She lit the gas, burnt her ass,
And that's the end of the war.

Andy


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: GUEST,edthefolkie
Date: 08 May 07 - 11:55 AM

Another couple of verses from my grandma (or more likely grandpa - long time ago)

Oh we've got some chickens in our back yard
We feed 'em on indian corn
Some lays eggs, and some lays pegs,
And some lays nowt at all

Cock a Doodle, Cock a Doodle
Lost a leg of my drawers
If you find 'em, wash 'em and iron 'em
Stitch 'em onto yours


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: GUEST,Timothy Gumble
Date: 07 May 07 - 04:15 PM

MY AUNTIE MARY HAD A CANARY UP THE LEG OF HER DRAWERS
WHEN SHE FARTED
DOWN IT DARTED
LIKE A RACING HORSE


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: GUEST,Bill the Collie
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 01:35 AM

From faint-remembered parties (which in our house were called Drunken Aunty Parties - can't remember why) I always thought the first line was
Auntie Mary hid a canary up the leg o her drawers.
Just puts a different slant to it. We always sang it to our Aunty Mary.
We also had a cousin called Peggy Maguire, who naturally was accused of peeing in the fire.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: Crystal
Date: 17 Jun 05 - 06:40 AM

I've heard:
Auntie Mary had a canary
Up the leg of her drawers
She Pulled the string and made it sing
It whistled the Cock o' the North


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: belfast
Date: 17 Jun 05 - 05:21 AM

In Ireland it was a skipping song with these words -

Devalera had a canary
Up the leg of his drawers

Why Dev?
Why not?


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: GUEST,Liberty Belle
Date: 16 Jun 05 - 07:02 PM

My Auntie Mary had a canary,
Up the leg of her drawers,
While she was sleeping I was peeping,
Up the leg of her drawers.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: Bainbo
Date: 16 Jun 05 - 06:12 PM

My memory of it is pretty much identical, but with a different last line:
Aunty Mary had a canary
Up the leg of her drawers.
When she farted it departed
To a round of applause.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: GUEST,Wee Malky
Date: 16 Jun 05 - 06:08 PM

Auntie Mary had a canary
It whistled the Cock o' the North
It whistled for 'oors
And fliggit the Boers
And won the Victoria Cross


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: GUEST,speltownes@yahoo.co.uk
Date: 18 Oct 04 - 05:03 AM

up the leg of her drawers
It wouldn't come down
For half a crown

last line forgotten by source


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: Hollowfox
Date: 13 Apr 03 - 07:17 PM

(back home again) Thanks, folks. Sorry I didn't do a DT search. Oh, me of little faith.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: GUEST,Ewan McVicar
Date: 13 Apr 03 - 04:54 AM

This song occupied a chapter of my thesis for the School of Scottish Studies a few years ago. I identified over 40 variants of the rhyme - each with substantial differences of narrative, not just a word or two - yet Mary Garvey's version is new to me. The probable [polite] original has been performed by our Balding Prince Charlie, who perhaps learned it from his Scots grannie. It goes back to the Boer War, although a dodgy claim has been made for an earlier origin in the Second Afghan War.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: GUEST,Hollowfox's friend...
Date: 13 Apr 03 - 12:17 AM

Thank you all for taking the time to reply. Hollowfox said that this was a fun web site with great people-who, if anyone would know, it would be the people that use this site. I have been searching ten years for info that came back in less than a half a day. From the number of related threads info-I can see that a few other people have found this ditty to be "interesting". Thank you again...


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: mg
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 09:51 PM

I think there were several additional verses in the other threads..

the only ones I know..

Auntie Mary had a canary up the leg of her drawers
While she was sleeping he was peeping
Up he leg of her drawers

Uncle Charlie had some barley
Up the leg of his drawers
If you don' t believe me you can feel me
Up the leg of my drawers


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: Little Robyn
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 08:41 PM

A version in NZ goes-

Aunty Mary had a canary
Up the leg of her drawers,
When she farted it departed
Down the leg of her drawers.

I always thought there should be more to it than that.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: Zany Mouse
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 06:17 PM

Gary and Vera Aspey collected 'playground' songs. They claimed this one as being from Lancashire but their words were: "Auntie Mary had a canary up the leg of her drawers".

ZM


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: CraigS
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 05:40 PM

The tune is called "The Cock of the North", and is indeed Scottish


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 05:31 PM

Type auntie mary had a canary into the "Lyrics & Knowledge Search" box, which you will find at the top of the main Forum page.

Hit "Search".

You will be amazed.


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Subject: Lyr Req: Auntie Mary Had A Canary
From: GUEST,Hollowfox, at a friend's house
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 05:21 PM

Anybody know where to get this one? All my friend knows is:

Auntie Mary had a canary
Underneath her skirt.

Her great grandma would start to sing it, and other members of her family would shush her up. It might be Scottish, it might be "alternative phrasing to another song", as she puts it. No other hints from this end. Any help? Thanks, Mary


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