Lyr Req: In the boarding house...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In the boarding house...
From: Snuffy
Date: 02 Jan 17 - 11:02 AM

Same but different: I learned that one thus:

'Tell me Mr Tram Conductor', said a lady old and frail
'Will I be electrocuted, if I step upon the rail?'
'Oh no, madam, I assure you', the cheeky tram conductor said
'Unless, of course, you place the other on that cable overhead.'

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In the boarding house...
From: GUEST,Dave Hunt
Date: 02 Jan 17 - 10:23 AM

My fave is
Tell me Mr Tram Conductor. the old grey haired lady said
If I stepupon the tramline, will the current strike me dead
'There'ns no need to worry madam, the cxheeky tram conductor said
Unless you raise the other leg up , to the live wire overhead

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In the boarding house...
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Jan 17 - 03:05 AM

Not certain...dad was born im 1933 and said it was sung to the tune of The Old Rugged Cross.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In the boarding house...
From: Snuffy
Date: 14 Aug 03 - 08:10 PM

To the whole tune, Kitty

Always eat when you are hungry
Always drink when you are dry
Always wash when you are dirty
Don't stop breathing or you'll die
Don't stop breathing
Don't stop breathing
Don't stop breathing or you'll die
(Or you'll die)
Don't stop breathing or you'll die

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In the boarding house...
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 14 Aug 03 - 08:03 PM

Snuffy

To the tune of the verse or the tune of the chorus?

Kitty

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In the boarding house...
From: Snuffy
Date: 14 Aug 03 - 07:24 PM

Kitty,
I've always heard "Always eat when you are hungry..." to the tune of Cwm Rhondda (Bread of Heaven).

WassaiL! V

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In the boarding house...
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 14 Aug 03 - 01:58 PM

Does anyone recall the verse concerning the baby who swalloed a watch?

It ends   "We gave castor oil to baby
            Just to pass the time of day."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In the boarding house...
From: Leadfingers
Date: 14 Aug 03 - 01:35 PM

I am sure I got this verse from Miles Wootton back in the good old days at the Old Uxbridge Folk Club.

Once there lived a vet in Uxbridge,one of Britains finest vets
Crossed a budgie with a tiger,won some very heavy bets
Was so proud of his creation,For it was his pride and joy
Then one day it bit his head off Chirping Who's pretty Boy.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In the boarding house...
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 14 Aug 03 - 12:59 PM

I remember that, as kids, we sang verses of this song while marching (straggling) in a group. The tune was not "Silver Hairs...;" the verses were sung in an approximation of 4/4 to "John Brown's Body."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In the boarding house...
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 14 Aug 03 - 12:34 PM

I wonder what happenened to the tape of John Heydon singing it in Friesland..... (explains why he never sang at the folk club!)

Kitty

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In the boarding house...
From: Billy the Bus
Date: 14 Aug 03 - 11:44 AM

No probs, Gleas, just typical Mudcat - I've seen a heap more posts in an hour to a question such as yours. - Cheers - Sam

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In the boarding house...
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 14 Aug 03 - 11:32 AM

The 3 verses recorded by Mr Carthy on an old Decca LP "Hootenanny in London" are the boarding House (as rendered by Kitty above), Girls and Train verses. They were the only ones I knew until very recently.

I feel sure the preacher and the parting verse also appears in another song but I can't put my finger on it at present.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In the boarding house...
From:
Date: 14 Aug 03 - 11:26 AM

Many thanks - thought I'd searched that area.

Fits closely with what I recall!

Others might not have been so kind to a newbie - thanks again.

Gleas

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In the boarding house...
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 14 Aug 03 - 11:25 AM

The version I learnt years ago (by osmosis at the Herga folk club) had a first verse that went

"In the boarding house I lived in
Everything was growing old
Silver hairs amongst the butter
And the cheese was green with mould.
When the dog died we had sausages
When the cat died catnip tea
When the landlord died I left there
Spare ribs were too much for me ."

Other verses similar to those already posted.

And a last half verse (A music only, no B tune) that went

"Always eat when you are hungry
Always drink when you are dry
Always sleep when you are tired
Don't stop breathing or you'll die."

Kitty

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In the boarding house...
From: nickp
Date: 14 Aug 03 - 11:17 AM

Ha, Billy/Sam caught me out with the train bit - I should have checked the DT first!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In the boarding house...
From: nickp
Date: 14 Aug 03 - 11:15 AM

I vaguely remember something like

Tell me Mr. tram conductor
Said the woman small and frail
Will the electric current kill me
If I put my foot upon the rail
Oh no gentle lady
The kind conductor said
Unless you lift your other leg up
And touch the live wire overhead

and there was something about the train standing in a station and a student in a hurry rushes over the bridge and falls down the steps. When asked if he missed his step he says 'no I hit every bloody one'.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In the boarding house...
From: Billy the Bus
Date: 14 Aug 03 - 11:11 AM

Hi Guest,

You'll find many songs right here on Mudcat, if you use the "Lyrics & Knowledge" search box which is on most pages. Typing "boarding house" into there brought up several song. Click Here for the one you are after. I;m sure there are more verses, but I can't recall them off-hand.

Cheers - Sam

Subject: Lyr Req: In the boarding house...
From:
Date: 14 Aug 03 - 10:49 AM

I only know part of these lyrics - any help out there?

(To the tune of 'Silver threads among the Gold')

In the boarding house where I live
Everything is full of mold
Grandma's hair fell in the butter
Silver threads among the gold

When the dog died, we had sausage -
When the cat died, catnip tea
When the landlord died, I left there
Spare ribs are too rich for me.


After that, the song moves on to a fire in a church -
I forget the next few lines, but it picks up with -

Holy smoke, yelled the choir
As it burned the preacher's hair -
Now his head is more like heaven.
There is no more parting there.

Thanks for the assist.