Lyr Req: Middle Class Life the Best of All

Subject: Lyr Req.: Middle Class Life the Best of All
From:
Date: 15 Aug 98 - 02:04 PM

I heard Ed Trickett sing this in concert many years ago, and I've wanted the words (and tune) for a long time. I think it's a parody of a Copper Family song, or some other trad English tune.
That's the whole point of the song: it has a plowboy and various other archtypical denizens of the English countryside wishing they were Middle Class.
The swineherd, as I recall sings, "I'd form a ham company, rob Peter; pay Paul/ Oh, the middle class life is the best life of all."
Anyone?
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Lyr Req.: Middle Class Life the Best of All
From: Ferrara
Date: 20 Aug 98 - 12:38 AM

Barbara, I may be able to get you the words to this, but since they're on a non-commercial tape I need to check out whether Ed would mind. He lives in this area, so I'll make inquiries. It will probably take me at least a week or two though.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req.: Middle Class Life the Best of All
From: Barbara
Date: 20 Aug 98 - 12:58 AM

Not to worry. I can wait. I might even have learned the song from the same tape. My maiden name was Brown. Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: Lyr Add: MIDDLE CLASS LIFE THE BEST OF ALL^^
From: Art Thieme
Date: 20 Aug 98 - 06:03 PM

MIDDLE CLASS LIFE THE BEST OF ALL
(Bob Coltman)

As I was a-walking one morning in Spring,
Spied a pretty plowboy who sweetly did sing,
And the song he sang as the clods did fall,
The middle class life is the best of all.

The pretty little milkmaid come walkin' along,
Heard the pretty plowboy a singin' his song,
She down with her pail and so sweetly did call,
"Oh, the middle class life is the best of all."

The little swine herder come herding his swine,
"I'd tell you what I'd do if these swine was mine,
I'd form a ham company, rob Peter, pay Paul,
For, the middle class life is the best of all."

The birds in the meadow so sweetly did sing,
The beasts with their burdens made the valleys all ring,
The fox in his burrow, the roach in the wall,
Sang, "the middle class life is the best of all."

So how can you doubt it when all do agree,
And one and all shout it from meadow and tree,
As they bar-B-Q, mow, jog and play racketball,
"Oh, the middle class life is the best of all."^^

---

Note from Joe Offer: songwriter is Bob Coltman - this post was included in the Digital Tradition, and the song was properly attributed.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req.: Middle Class Life the Best of All
From: Barbara
Date: 20 Aug 98 - 09:16 PM

Thanks ever so much, Art. Where did you hear this? and, do you by any chance know what the original song being parodied was?
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Lyr Req.: Middle Class Life the Best of All
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Aug 98 - 07:58 AM

Could it be The Wanton Seed?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req.: Middle Class Life the Best of All
From: Art Thieme
Date: 21 Aug 98 - 09:10 AM

Ed, Gordon & Annie Muir Graf sang it in a concert at the University of Wisconsin--Madison at least a dozen years ago. I did sing it for a few years. Don't know where from it sprang. (Will check with Gordon one day soon.) A grand parody and also a good song. Enjoy !

Art

Subject: RE: Lyr Req.: Middle Class Life the Best of All
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Aug 98 - 03:22 PM

Yeah, but Art - what's the tune????
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req.: Middle Class Life the Best of All
From: Art Thieme
Date: 21 Aug 98 - 03:41 PM

Joe,

Call me on the phone an' I can hum it for ya !

Subject: RE: Lyr Req.: Middle Class Life the Best of All
From: Barbara
Date: 21 Aug 98 - 08:00 PM

Hey, Art, does that mean you can't post tunes, and if not,can you receive them if someone else posts? I've got a 20 yr old vague memory of what the tune is, and I can post that, but I was hoping someone with some fresher info could help me out.
And Joe, the Wanton Seed doesn't match my memory, but, who's to say? Give me a bit, and I'll post what I can remember.
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Lyr Req.: Middle Class Life the Best of All
From: Art Thieme
Date: 21 Aug 98 - 09:34 PM

Am new to the computer & just found out how to get lines o' text to break off. (Thanks to Joe O.) I know nothing of posting tunes. I always was an ear musician; got calluses on my lobes to prove it. (Had to get a lobotomy to get 'em removed.)

(I'd rather have a bottle in front o' me than a frontal lobotomy !---Tom Waits)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req.: Middle Class Life the Best of All
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Aug 98 - 11:05 PM

Well, golly, Art, what you're supposed to do is click on the link I posted to The Wanton Seed, and then give us your considered opinion.
....and if THAT doesn't work, then I'll call and listen to you sing it.
Not that that will do any good, since I can't transcribe telephone tunes, or any tunes, for that matter. Say, can you play it for me on the touch-tone buttons?-Joe Offer-

Subject: Lyr Add: MIDDLE CLASS LIFE THE BEST OF ALL
From: Barbara
Date: 22 Aug 98 - 01:47 AM

Wal, here guys, try this (Joe anyway; Art, you can call him ..or me.. and we'll play you the MIDI over the phone)
Blessings,
Barbara

MIDI file: middle.mid

Timebase: 240

TimeSig: 3/4 24 8
Tempo: 112 (535714 microsec/crotchet)
Start
0480 1 60 080 0192 0 60 064 0048 1 60 080 0384 0 60 064 0096 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 65 080 0288 0 65 064 0072 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 62 080 0288 0 62 064 0072 1 60 080 0096 0 60 064 0024 1 58 080 0192 0 58 064 0048 1 60 080 0384 0 60 064 0096 1 60 080 0192 0 60 064 0048 1 60 080 0288 0 60 064 0072 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 70 080 0192 0 70 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 72 080 0384 0 72 064 0096 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 70 080 0096 0 70 064 0024 1 72 080 0288 0 72 064 0072 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 70 080 0192 0 70 064 0048 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 64 080 0384 0 64 064 0096 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 70 080 0096 0 70 064 0024 1 69 080 0288 0 69 064 0072 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 62 080 0384 0 62 064 0096 1 58 080 0096 0 58 064 0024 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 60 080 0192 0 60 064 0048 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 65 080 0384 0 65 064
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:
M:3/4
Q:1/4=112
K:C
C6|C4DE|F3FF2|D3C^A,2|C4C2|C3DE2|F2G2A2|^A2G2c2|
c4A^A|c3dc2|F2G2A2|^A2D2GF|E4c^A|A3GF2|D4^A,D|
C2F2E2|F13/4||

Subject: RE: Lyr Req.: Middle Class Life the Best of All
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Aug 98 - 02:47 AM

Well, it's a darn good thing you settled that, Barbara. Definitely not the tune from "Wanton Seed."
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req.: Middle Class Life the Best of All
From: Barbara
Date: 22 Aug 98 - 11:36 AM

I asked for the tune, rather than posting it, Joe, 'cause I know what can happen to a tune that I sort of remembered from 20 years ago. I don't know if the tune above is even in the ballpark. For all I know the *real* tune *is* Wanton Seed. I was hoping someone else would supply it and see if what I had was close.
I'm still hoping that.
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Lyr Req.: Middle Class Life the Best of All
From: Art Thieme
Date: 23 Aug 98 - 06:18 AM

Thanks Joe, but it doesn't seem like the tune I sort of recall for the Wanton Seed. W.S. isn't three quarter time, is it? Middle Class Life is a waltz.

Art

Subject: RE: Lyr Req.: Middle Class Life the Best of All
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 Dec 01 - 11:00 PM

....still looking for a tune for this....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req.: Middle Class Life the Best of All
From: Bill D
Date: 02 Dec 01 - 12:11 PM

oh!...well, Joe..we'll see what we can do!...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req.: Middle Class Life the Best of All
From: Art Thieme
Date: 03 Dec 01 - 01:14 AM

Just tried to call you on the phone, Joe. Was told your phone has been disconnected. (Was gonna sing the song to you.)

Art

Subject: RE: Lyr Req.: Middle Class Life the Best of All
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Dec 01 - 05:31 PM

I got hold of Art today and got him to sing this song and "Manistee River." Thanks, Art.
I'd say the tune is close to some versions of "One Morning In May."
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req.: Middle Class Life the Best of All
From: Barbara
Date: 27 Mar 04 - 02:16 PM

When I ran into Ed Trickett the last time he was out west -- the Bok Trickett Muir farewell concert series -- and asked him about this song, he said, "Oh, yes! I remember that Bob Coltman song". So here's another jem from the man.
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Middle Class Life the Best of All
From: GUEST,Bob Coltman
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 09:41 PM

Belatedly, folks...wasn't aware of this thread before:

The song is generally a parody, but not of any particular song, just having a little fun with the then popular John Roberts-Tony Barrand sort of thing.

The original last line I wrote was "play touch football," though I agree heartily that there's nothing quite so middle class as racketball. Though to be boringly middleclass I suppose it would have to be spelled racquetball.

Thanks for all the kind words everyone, and I wish I had known of this earlier, before I became an unwitting participant in the descent line of "The Wanton Seed," flattering as that is.

Bob

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Middle Class Life the Best of All
From: Bill D
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 09:52 PM

that's one of the pleasures of Mudcat, Bob...we get "from the horse's mouth" correction and explications of many a wayward ditty! Thanks for the note.

(First heard Bok, Trickett & Muir do the song maybe 18-20 years ago!)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Middle Class Life the Best of All
From: Barbara
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 12:37 AM

And yes, when I heard Ed Trickett sing it, he sang "touch football" not 'racketball', but I also heard people, not too much later (in the 70's maybe?) sing "the fox in his hollow, the roach..." which is a reference to a folk music gathering that no longer happens, right?
Blessings,
Barbara