sung by Big Jim at the Duke of Albany, Park Street Weymouth
Oh when I cam home on Sat'day night, Drunk as drunk could be There was a great big between her legs, where my oould man should be I calls me wife and sez to her, kindly tell to me Who owns that great big willy thats pointing up at me
Oh yer drunk ! yer drunk! You silly ould fool! Still you cannot see That's a lovely banana that me mother sent to me Oh its many a day I travelled - a hundred miles or more But pubic hairs upon a banana - I never saw that before.
Subject: RE: ADD Versions: Seven Drunken Nights-languages From:Monique Date: 14 Oct 22 - 03:04 AM
I'd never come across this thread before. The French version that Joe posted above on this post was penned by New Zealand-born "French" singer Graeme Allwright in 1966. Graeme Allwright adapted/translated into French many English-language songs.
Monique sang this last Monday at the Mudcat Worldwide singaround, and I was blown away by the similarity of this song to "Our Goodman." I was surprised that Child made no mention of this song. It sure was fun to hear it.
10 Oct 22 - 02:23 PM (#4154634) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mudcat singaround songs NOT in English From: Monique
LA ESPOSA INFIEL (Spanish)
Estaba una señorita sentadita en su balcón, que que con el oritín, que que con el oritón sentadita en su balcón.
Esperando que pasara el segundo batallón, que que con el oritín, que que con el oritón el segundo batallón.
Pasó por allí un soldado de muy mala condición, que que con el oritín, que que con el oritón de muy mala condición.
- Suba, suba, caballero, dormirá una noche o dos, que que con el oritín, que que con el oritón dormirá una noche o dos.
Mi marido está de caza en los montes de León, que que con el oritín, que que con el oritón en los montes de León.
Y para que no regrese, le echaré una maldición, que que con el oritín, que que con el oritón le echaré una maldición.
Que se caiga del caballo y muera sin confesión, que que con el oritín, que que con el oritón y muera sin confesión.
Estando en estas palabras, el maridito llamó, que que con el oritín, que que con el oritón el maridito llamó:
- Ábreme la puerta luna, ábreme la puerta sol, que que con el oritín, que que con el oritón ábreme la puerta sol.
Que te traigo un conejito de los montes de León, que que con el oritín, que que con el oritón de los montes de León.
Bajaba por la escalera, cambiadita de color, que que con el oritín, que que con el oritón cambiadita de color.
Al entrar en el portal, el marido preguntó, que que con el oritín, que que con el oritón el marido preguntó:
¿De quién es aquella capa que en mi percha veo yo, que que con el oritín, que que con el oritón que en mi percha veo yo?
- Tuya, tuya, maridito, que te la he comprado yo, que que con el oritín, que que con el oritón que te la he comprado yo.
- ¿De quién es aquel sombrero que en mi percha veo yo, que que con el oritín, que que con el oritón que en mi percha veo yo?
- Tuyo, tuyo, maridito, que te lo he comprado yo, que que con el oritín, que que con el oritón que te lo he comprado yo.
Se fueron para la cama, y una cabeza encontró, que que con el oritín, que que con el oritón y una cabeza encontró.
- ¿De quién es esa cabeza que en mi cama veo yo, que que con el oritín, que que con el oritón que en mi cama veo yo?
- Del niño de la vecina que en mis brazos se durmió, que que con el oritín, que que con el oritón que en mis brazos se durmió.
- Caramba con el chiquillo, tiene barba como yo, que que con el oritín, que que con el oritón tiene barba como yo.
Le cogió por la cabeza, le tiró por el balcón, que que con el oritín, que que con el oritón le tiró por el balcón.
THE UNFAITHFULL WIFE
There was a young lady sitting on her balcony, with the oritin, with the oriton* sitting on her balcony.
Waiting for the second battalion to pass…
A soldier passed by there, in very poor condition…
"Come up, come up, sir, you'll sleep a night or two…
My husband is hunting in the mountains of Leon…
And so that he doesn't come back, I'll put a curse on him…
Let him fall from his horse and die without confession…"
As she was saying these words, the hubby called…
"Open the door for me, [my] moon, open the door for me, [my] sun…
I bring you a bunny from the mountains of Leon…"
She went down the stairs, with her complexion changed…
Entering the door, the husband asked…
"Whose cape is that, that I see on my hanger…?"
"Yours, yours, hubby, I bought it for you…"
"Whose hat is that, that I see on my hanger…?"
"Yours, yours, hubby, I bought it for you…"
They went towards the bed, and he found a head…
"Whose head is that, that I see in my bed…?"
"To the neighbor's child who fell asleep in my arms…"
"Oh, what a little boy, he has a beard like me…"
He grabbed her** by the head, [he] threw her** off the balcony…
*This has no meaning. **There's no way to know for sure if it's "her" or "him" as "le" can be either in Spanish. In other versions, the husband throws her ("la") off the balcony but in others he grabs "le" by the moustache, so it can only be the lover.
You can find 126 versions of this ballad in Spanish, Catalan and Portuguese on Pan-Hispanic Ballad Project, University of Washington. I find that this version lacks a 4th line in which the soldier tells her he'd like to sleep with her, which better explain "Come up, come up, sir, you'll sleep a night or two". I find some versions kind of funny as the husband takes his wife to give her back to her father but the father gives him some "Now-it's-not-my-business" answer and in others versions he kills her but dies an hour later and the lover "as a scoundrel, remained in bed". All that for this!
10 Oct 22 - 04:22 PM (#4154649) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mudcat singaround songs NOT in English From: leeneia
Hi, Monique. When I heard you sing this song, with its jaunty melody and its jaunt "que que que," I knew I had heard it somewhere else. Finally it came to me - it's on an album of French Canadian music I have had for many years.
I think the last verse doesn't really belong. It's too mean for the rest of the song.
10 Oct 22 - 05:52 PM (#4154656) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mudcat singaround songs NOT in English From: Monique
Oh yes it does! Have a look at these versions on "Pan-Hispanic Ballad Project" by the University of Washington. In many versions the wife says "Kill me as I deserve it" and the husband does kill her -usually by stabbing her. He sometimes stabs her without "her permission"!
“Dos Daytshl” (“The German Guy”) as sung by Lifshe Schaechter-Widman [LSW] (see previous posts for her biography https://yiddishsong.wordpress.com/2010/02/24/finster-glitshik-by-lifshe-schaechter-widman/) is linguistically the most complicated song yet posted.
The comic ballad is international and found in many languages and is known in the Child canon as “Our Goodman” (#274). The texts have remained remarkably similar through time and languages. My folklore professor at the University of Pennsylvania, Kenneth Goldstein, played us a field recording he had made of African-American kids in West Philadelphia singing a rap version of this ballad and the words were almost the exact ones as the Yiddish lyrics LSW sings.
In The Folks Songs of Ashkenaz (pp. 139 – 142) edited by Philip V. Bohlman and Otto Holzapfel (2001), the editors make an interesting comparison of a Yiddish version found in the Ginsburg-Marek collection to a German version collected in German colonies in southern Russia. Unfortunately, they only compare the texts, though several Yiddish versions with melodies have been printed (for example, one melody of a Yiddish version exists in Yidisher folklor, YIVO 1938). Their brief history of the ballad indicates that the German versions of the song came from a Scottish variant in late 19th century, and after it was published in a German almanac in 1790 it circulated much more widely.
There are many printed Yiddish versions of the song, most recently in Yiddish Folksongs from the Ruth Rubin Archive (p. 30-31) edited by Chana Mlotek and Mark Slobin. Their introduction refers to other printed Yiddish versions. On the Yiddish ballad in comparison to other international versions read Chana Mlotek’s “International Motifs in the Yiddish Ballad” in For Max Weinriech on his Seventieth Birthday. The Yiddish ballad was still popular into the 1930s in Eastern Europe.
Since LSW comes from the Bukovina, where Jews were fluent in Yiddish and German, the German element in the song has to be analyzed not just as Germanisms in a Yiddish text, but as to what these German words evoke when sung by a Yiddish folksinger who is performing a comic song making fun of a German. Does the singing of “Eyns, tsvey, drey” and not “dray” which would be the correct form in both Yiddish and German, indicate a funny hypercorrection of a German based word in Yiddish?
Of course, it’s not just any German being made fun of here, but a German peasant or farmer. The Germanisms also imply that such a song about a cuckold would “never” be sung about a Jewish husband and wife. Since LSW usually sings slow mournful songs it’s refreshing to hear her sing a comic song with such gusto and drama.
I see Jack Campin gave a link to a Yiddish version of the song back in 2014. I copied the lyrics and translation of that song from a booklet of a Ruth Rubin concert https://www.yivo.org/cimages/12-23-18_song_book.pdf
KUM IKH TSU MAYN GELIBTER FROY
As sung by Shmerke Kaczerginski, New York, 1948
Kum ikh tsu mayn gelibter froy, gefin ikh eyns un tsvey: In kikh shteyen shtivl: eyns-tsvey-dray! Freg ikh bay mayn gelibter froy: “Vos far a shtivl zenen zey?” Entfert zi mir: “Shtekshikhlekh, Di mame shikt mir zey.”
Shtekshikhlekh, mit hoykhe kholevkes, Oy vey, dos harts tut mir vey. Az ikh bin dayn man, tsu vos badarfstu zey? Kum ikh tsu mayn gelibter froy, gefin ikh eyns un tsvey: Afn vant hengen shverdn: eyns-tsvey-dray! Freg ikh bay mayn gelibter froy: “Vos far a shverdn zenen zey?”
Entfert zi mir: “Hakmesers, di mame shikt mir zey.” Hakmesers, mit lange frendzelekh, Oy vey, dos harts tut mir vey. Az ikh bin dayn man, tsu vos badarfstu zey? Kum ikh tsu mayn gelibter froy, gefin ikh eyns un tsvey: In bet lign kepelekh: eyns-tsvey-dray! Freg ikh bay mayn gelibter froy: “Vos far a kepelekh zenen zey? ” Entfert zi mir: “Kinderlekh, di mame shikt mir zey.” Kinderlekh, mit shvartse vontselekh, Oy vey, dos harts tut mir vey. Az ikh bin dayn man, tsu vos badarfstu zey? translationL I COME TO MY BELOVED WIFE
I come to my beloved wife and find out right away: Boots standing in the kitchen: one-two-three! I ask my beloved wife: “What’s with the boots?” She answers, “They are slippers, Which Mother sent to me.” Slippers with high tops, Oh woe, my heart is in pain, If I am your husband, what do you need them for?
I come to my beloved wife and find out right away: Swords hanging on the wall: one-two-three! I ask my beloved wife: “What’s with the swords?” She answers, “They are chopping knives, Which Mother sent to me.” Chopping knives, with long tassels, Oh woe, my heart is in pain, If I am your husband, what do you need them for?
I come to my beloved wife and find out right away: Heads lying in the bed: one-two-three! I ask my beloved wife: “What’s with the heads?” She answers, “They are children, which Mother sent to me.” Children, with black moustaches, Oh woe, my heart is in pain, If I am your husband, what do you need them for?
Thanks, folks. Presumably "Joe Heaney" is correct.
But here's what Mary Hardy says in her, um, chilling introduction to "More Dubliners Songs" (1979):
"The folk purists are, to this day, arguing about the origins of Seven Drunken Nights which took the Dubliners into the pop charts more than ten years ago. Seamus Heaney who gave it to them always insisted that the song concerned, not an unfaithful wife, but in fact a man who on returning home after some twenty years roaming the world in search of fame and fortune (the time honoured migration theme again), finds a fully-grown son, whose existence he'd never even suspected sharing the family bed.
"Even the most cursory study of social history will show that that is not in the least far-fetched."
Yeah...right....
But whether "Joe" or "Seamus," if the original singer had actually advanced such a theory, surely he could not have known the final two stanzas in any form.
Which would be just one *more* reason why Ronnie Drew never sang them.
I'm starting to think, by the way, that the resemblance of the tune to "Dear Old Donegal" may be trivial after all.
'John Sheahan would know as he is the only one of the original Dubliners still alive.'
Arguably, and he'd be the first to point that out, Sheahan joined the Dubliners when they were well up and running so was not part of the 'original' line-up.
Lighter, There is a similarity with both melodies but I think probably it was Joe Heaney, not Seamus. John Sheahan would know as he is the only one of the original Dubliners still alive.
Does anyone else have problems locating the break in the portmaneau word "weeknights"? I insist on seeing small men in armour, which of course means the missus must be Snow White...
I had to look to see if Curmudgeon had ever posted to this thread, but I guess he hadn't.
As you know, most recorded versions of the song don't have seven nights' worth of verses. Back in the '70s and early '80s there was an older Newfie gentleman named John who lived over on Lucas Pond in Northwood, NH. According to Tom, John knew all seven verses and even sang them once in Tom's hearing (but Tom had probably had a drop taken and didn't write them down). John never sang the full song again in Tom's hearing (and may not even have sung the song again at musical gatherings where Tom was present).
John's wife and children were "good Christians" so John couldn't sing the song where they might find out that he had sung it.
Is it my tin ear, or is the tune of the Dubliners' "Seven Drunken Nights" almost identical to that of the '40s pop hit "Dear Old Donegal" (Steve Graham, 1942)?
The Dubs said they got their version from "Seamus Heaney." Did they mean the famous translator of Beowulf?
The highly bawdy words in _Rugby Songs_ under the title of "The Traveler" intrigue me. It's currently in DT but I've wondered for a considerable time if this version has any provenance at at all.
PJCurtis: That is, indeed, a fine blues version Rice Miller does. My record has the title as "Wake Up Baby" which is also the refrain. Makes more sense that it should be this title as a blues song. This also is very interesting to me... there must be others but I can't think of a single other Child ballad that make it into the blues.
BruceO: The SMM version is the first I ever heard & remains my favorite. It's the one MacColl does on the original Riverside E&S Pop Bal. The words are nearly identical to Herd but MacColl claims to have learned this archaic text from his father. I'm interested in the tune you posted - it doesn't seem at all similar to MacColl's. One thing he does is a very effective spoken bit for the
A horse quo' she; Ay a horse quo' he. parts.
According to Goldstein's notes, the sog rapidly became an instant world hit, versions very soon appeared in Germany, Scandanavia, Hungary & elsewhere. This would tend to corroborate Herd as first printing. The great wide-spread popularity clearly began immediately after Herd's book. You would expect earlier Continental & American versions if there were any to find.
Last night I come home as drunk as I could be, Saw a thing inside the thing where my thing ought to be, I said, "Come here my wife and explain this thing to me, What's that thing doin' inside the thing where my thing out to be?"
"You old fool you silly fool, can't you plainly see, That's nothing but a candlestick my mother gave to me."
"I've been all over this country---10,000 miles or more, And a candlestick with balls I ain't never seen before."
(sometimes there's a benefit to having no cookie---but alas,,,)
Sandy Paton alluded to this in another thread, but I'll mention it here. Joe Hickerson researched different versions of "Our Goodman" for his Ph.D. dissertation at Indiana University, which he never completed, probably because he kept finding new versions. His research documentation filled at least two file-cabinet drawers. At last count, he'd found at least 350 (Sandy thinks more than 400) distinct versions and was still hearing about new ones. I'm meeting him for dinner tonight, and will print out this thread for him -- bet Joe Offer's French version will be new to him!
heres the full version (as sung in irish pubs across the world)
SEVEN NIGHTS
ONE As I came home on Monday night, as drunk as drunk could be I saw a horse outside the door, where my old horse should be, So I said to me wife, me pretty little wife, Oh won't you tell to me Why is this horse outside the door, where my old horse should be? She said You're drunk, you're drunk, you silly old fool, so drunk you canna see Tis only an old milk cow that my mother sent to me Well, i've travelled the world over, a hundred miles or more But a saddle on a milk cow I've never seen before
TWO As I came home on Tuesday night, as drunk as drunk could be I saw a coat beside the door, where my old coat should be, So I said to me wife, me pretty little wife, Oh won't you tell to me Why is this coat beside the door, where my old coat should be? She said You're drunk, you're drunk, you silly old fool, so drunk you canna see Tis only an old blanket that my mother sent to me Well, i've travelled the world over, a hundred miles or more But buttons on a blanket I've never seen before
THREE As I came home on Wednesday night, as drunk as drunk could be I saw a pipe upon the table, where my old pipe should be, So I said to me wife, me pretty little wife, Oh won't you tell to me Why is this pipe upon the table, where my old pipe should be? She said You're drunk, you're drunk, you silly old fool, so drunk you canna see Tis only an tin whistle that my mother sent to me Well, I've travelled the world over, a hundred miles or more But tobacco in a tin whistle I've never seen before
FOUR As I came home on Thursday night, as drunk as drunk could be I saw some boots beside the bed, where my old boots should be, So I said to me wife, me pretty little wife, Oh won't you tell to me Why are these boots beside the bed, where my old boots should be? She said You're drunk, you're drunk, you silly old fool, so drunk you canna see Tis only an old chamber pot that my mother sent to me Well, I've travelled the world over, a hundred miles or more But laces on a chamber pot I've never seen before
FIVE As I came home on Friday night, as drunk as drunk could be I saw a head upon the pillow, where my old head should be, So I said to me wife, me pretty little wife, Oh won't you tell to me Why is this head upon the pillow, where my old head should be? She said You're drunk, you're drunk, you silly old fool, so drunk you canna see Tis only a little baby that my mother sent to me Well, I've travelled the world over, a hundred miles or more But whiskers on a baby I've never seen before
SIX: As I came home on Saturday night, as drunk as drunk could be I saw a man run out the door, and it was after three! So I said to me wife, me pretty little wife, Oh won't you tell to me Who is this man run out the door, and here tis after three? She said You're drunk, you're drunk, you silly old fool, so drunk you canna see Tis the English tax collector that the Queen has sent to me Well, I've roamed this world for many a day, a hundred miles or more (Pause briefly here to heighten the effect) But an Englishman that could last til three I never saw before
SEVEN As I came home on Sunday night, as drunk as drunk could be I saw a thing in my wife's thing, where my old thing should be, So I said to me wife, me pretty little wife, Oh won't you tell to me Why is this thing in your thing, where my old thing should be? She said You're drunk, you're drunk, you silly old fool, so drunk you canna see Tis only an old sausage that my mother sent to me Well, I've travelled the world over, a hundred miles or more (sorry lads i don't know this line does anyone else?)
My daughter & I sang the full 7 verses last week at a singaround. The version we sang uses the word 'thing' a lot in the last verse. Its one of my favourite songs.
Subject: Lyr Add: ÇA JE N'AI JAMAIS VU (DRUNKEN NIGHTS) From:Joe Offer Date: 24 Feb 00 - 02:55 AM
We sang "Five Nights Drunk" at a song circle several weeks ago. Our resident Frenchman, a guy named Marc, said he had sung the same song in French. Sure enough, he sang his French version with much enthusiasm at our next session - with a tune quite different from any I'm familiar with. He sent me the lyrics and his translation today. He didn't know if this is a traditional French song, or if it's a recent translation of English lyrics. Anybody know? In his noted for #155, Child says a similar ballad was common in France, but these lyrics (below) don't fit any of the patterns he describes. Child also lists several German versions, and a few in various other European languages. -Joe Offer-
ÇA JE N'AI JAMAIS VU!
L'autre soir en rentrant chez moi, j'avais bu un peu de vin J'ai vu un cheval dans l'écurie, là où je met le mien Alors j'ai dit à ma p'tite femme veux-tu bien m'expliquer Que fait ce cheval là à la place de mon bidet?
- Mon pauvre ami, tu ne vois pas clair, le vin t'as trop soûlé Ce n'est rien qu'une vache à lait que grand-mère m'a donné - Dans ma vie j'ai vu pas mal de choses bizarres et saugrenues Mais une selle sur une vache à lait, ça je n'ai jamais vu!
L'autre soir en rentrant chez moi, j'avais bu un peu de vin J'ai vu un chapeau, là où j'accroche le mien Alors j'ai dit à ma p'tite femme veux-tu bien m'expliquer Que fait ce chapeau là à la place de mon béret?
- Mon pauvre ami, tu ne vois pas clair, le vin t'as trop soûlé Ce n'est rien qu'une vielle casserole que grand-mère m'a donné - Dans ma vie j'ai vu pas mal de choses bizarres et saugrenues Mais une vielle casserole en feutre, ça je n'ai jamais vu!
L'autre soir en rentrant chez moi, j'avais bu un peu de vin J'ai vu un pantalon, là où je pose le mien Alors j'ai dit à ma p'tite femme veux-tu bien m'expliquer ça Pourquoi ce pantalon lá est gris, le mien est toujours noir?
- Mon pauvre ami, tu ne vois pas clair, le vin t'as trop soûlé Ce n'est rien qu'un vieux torchon que maman m'a donné - Dans ma vie j'ai vu pas mal de choses mais ça reste un mystère Un vieux torchon avec deux tuyaux et une fermeture éclair!
L'autre soir en rentrant chez moi, j'avais bu un peu de vin J'ai vu une tête sur l'oreiller qui ne me ressemblait pas Alors j'ai dit à ma p'tite femme veux-tu bien m'expliquer ça Que fait cette tête sur l'oreiller, je n'crois pas que c'est moi?
- Mon pauvre ami, tu ne vois pas clair, le vin t'as trop soûlé Ce n'est rien qu'un gros melon que grand-mère m'a donné - Des prix au concours agricole, on peut dire que j'en ai eu Mais une moustache sur un melon, ça je n'ai jamais vu!
(Translation from the French version)
The other night when I got home, I had drunk a little wine I saw a horse in the stable, where I put mine So I said to my little wife could you explain to me What is this horse doing here instead of my nag?
- My poor friend, you can't see clearly, the wine got you too drunk It's only a dairy cow that grandma gave to me - In my life I have seen many bizarre and preposterous things But a saddle on a dairy cow, that I have never seen!
The other night when I got home, I had drunk a little wine I saw a hat, where I hang mine So I said to my little wife could you explain to me What is this hat doing here instead of my béret?
- My poor friend, you can't see clearly, the wine got you too drunk It's only an old saucepan that grandma gave to me - In my life I have seen many bizarre and preposterous things But an old saucepan made of felt, that I have never seen!
The other night when I got home, I had drunk a little wine I saw a pair of pants, where I put mine So I said to my little wife could you explain to me Why is that pair of pants grey, mine is always black?
- My poor friend, you can't see clearly, the wine got you too drunk It's only an old dish towel that mom gave to me - In my life I have seen many things but this remains a mystery An old towel with two pipes and a zipper!
The other night when I got home, I had drunk a little wine I saw a head on the pillow who did not look like me So I said to my little wife could you explain to me What is this head doing on my pillow, I don't think it's me?
- My poor friend, you can't see clearly, the wine got you too drunk It's only a big melon that grandma gave to me - Prizes at the agricultural fair, I got quite a few But a moustache on a melon, that I have never seen! oniqaue says below:
I'd never come across this thread before. The French version that Joe posted above on this post was penned by New Zealand-born "French" singer Graeme Allwright in 1966. Graeme Allwright adapted/translated into French many English-language songs.
As I think should be apparent from all the above posts, variations on this song (both as to lyrics and tune) are found in every english speaking culture, and since the theme is such a universal one, I imagine the song exists in some form in any culture with a folk singing tradition, irrespective of language. Has anybody heard it in languages other than english?
Molly, I'll try to remember any suitable songs I know, but none come to mind at the moment. However, while we've got "Seven Drunken Nights" here...
Years ago I was routinely hearing 6 verses from Irish groups that played here in Kansas City (and most of them were from Ireland--what a pity those days are gone). The bands would never sing the seventh verse, saying it was too risque for mixed company. The sixth verse is a light-hearted dig at the English, which ususally gets lots of laughs here in the U.S., but I don't know if it would be considered rude or offensive in England.
The first five verses are: horse outside the door/milk cow/a saddle on a milk cow coat beside the door/blanket/buttons on a blanket pipe upon the table/tin whistle/tobacco in a tin whistle boots beside the bed/chamber pots/laces on a chamber pot head upon the pillow/baby/whiskers on a baby In these five verses, each gift has been sent by her mother
The sixth verse: As I came home on Saturday night, as drunk as drunk could be I saw a man run out the door, and it was after three! So I said to me wife, me pretty little wife, Oh won't you tell to me Who is this man run out the door, and here tis after three? She said You're drunk, you're drunk, you silly old fool, it's a pity you canna see Tis the English tax collector that the Queen has sent to me Well, I've roamed this world for many a day, a hundred miles or more (Pause briefly here to heighten the effect) But an Englishman that could last til three I never saw before
I have never heard the seventh verse sung, but it was whispered to me once, and it is obscene. All I remember is the wife said it was a sausage--I'm sure you get the drift.
There is even a wonderful blues version of 'Seven Nights Drunk' . Its called 'Three Nights Drunk' and was recorded by Sonny Boy Williamson(Rice Miller) for the Chess label in Chicago in the late fifties.
Crud...lost formatting....and forgot the second half of the post!
I'm looking for other songs along this thread. Nothing down right disgusting, but more bawdy humor would be appreciated. I've been through the database, but if anyone has others I would greatly appreciate it.
This is an old thread I know, but had to add and ask....
First, a New Verse.
As I came home on a Thursday night, As drunk as drunk could be, I saw a wrinkle in the sheets Where I thought I should be And I called to my wife and I said to her Would you kindly tell to me What is that wrinkle in the sheets Where I think I should be
Oh you're drunk you drunk, you silly ol' fool But still ya' canna see That's the lovely new kitten that My mother sent to me
Well many's a day I travelled sure A hundred miles or more, But a kitten standin' at six foot two I never saw before.
Jack Elliot a miner from the Durham Coalfield with a wealth of songs used to sing this but his version ended up with the line about a rolling pin! Jack died back in the sixties
This is a version heard at rendezvous called SEVEN NIGHTS DRUNK.
Well the first night that I came home so drunk I could not see, Found a horse in the stable where my horse ought to be. "Come here, my little wifey. Explain this thing to me. How come a horse in the stable where my horse ought to be?" "You blind fool, you drunken fool, can't you never see? It's only a milk cow your granny sent to me." I've traveled this world over, ten thousand miles or more, But a saddle on a milk cow's back I never did see before.
Well the second night that I came home so drunk I could not see, Found a coat on the coat rack where my coat ought to be. "Come here, my little wifey. Explain this thing to me. How come a coat on the coat rack where my coat ought to be?" "You blind fool, you drunken fool, can't you never see? It's only a bed quilt your granny sent to me." I've traveled this world over, ten thousand times or more, But pockets on a bed quilt I never did see before.
Well the third night that I came home so drunk I could not see, Found a head on the pillow where my head ought to be. "Come here, my little wifey. Explain this thing to me. How come a head on the pillow where my head used to be?" "You blind fool, you drunken fool, can't you never see? It's only a cabbage head your granny sent to me." I've traveled this world over, ten thousand times or more, But a mustache on a cabbage head I never did see before.
Well the fourth night that I came home so drunk I could not see, Found an a** in the covers where my a** ought to be. "Come here, my little wifey. Explain this thing to me. How come an a** in the covers where my a** ought to be?" "You blind fool, you drunken fool, can't you never see? It's only a pumpkin your granny sent to me." I've traveled this world over, ten thousand times or more, But a a**hole on a pumpkin I never did see before.
I've heard the version that Richard McD. Bridge refers to sung by Gregg Clarke from the Albany area (who knows more obscure songs than anyone!). He learned it from Michael Cooney.
It's the only version I've come across in which the husband (who's NOT drunk)gets his revenge (the trusty 12-bore). The best verse is the one that takes place in the bed, where the fellow spots someone's "bum." The wife replies that it's only a pumpkin, and the punch line is "But pimples on a pumpkin I never saw before." Gregg gives the name of the song as Pimples on a Pumpkin.
I don't know if you have ever heard of a group called The Wayfarers. They put out an album called "The Wayfarers at the hungry i" in the early 60's. They did a version of Seven Drunkin' Nights with that ending, but they called it Old Fool.
I came the last night drunk as I could be, And I saw a monster standing in the door where my wife ought to be. I called to my wife, my pretty little wife, "Explain this thing to me. What's a monster doin' standin' in the door where you ought to be?" She said, "You old fool, you blind fool, can't you plainly see? It's nothin' but your own dear wife. Now, give a kiss to me." Well, I've traveled this wide world over, ten thousand miles or more, And I kiss my wife most every night, but I've got to get drunk before.
Don't ask me where I learned this, I cannot remember. I think it finishes the song off well, whether it is seven nights or five nights or four.
It has been said that this Child ballad is second only in popularity to "Barbara Allen", and I have no doubt new verses will continue to appear as long as the institution of marriage lasts.
An 18th century broadside version in the Roxburghe and Douce collections has not been reprinted exactly, but with some minor expurgation it is in Dixon's 'Ancient Poems, Ballads and Songs', 1846, and Bell's expanded edition, 1857. The latter is on the web, but with an ungodly long URL, so, if you want to see it, go the 'Sixteenth Century Ballads' site in Mudcat's Links and near the bottom of the page click on Bell's book (where it says 'large ftp file') and use the find command of your browser on 'Wichet' (Old Wichet and His Wife) [The headnote there, that the song is in Herd's 1769 collection, is wrong. It's only in the 1776 two volume edition. The file is about 382 Kbytes, so it will take a while to load.] J. W. Ebsworth, 'Roxburghe Ballads', VIII, p. 187, 1895, called the broadside version 'a vile imitation' of Herd's text.
It appears the Herd's text is the original, from which all others are descended.
When the Maryland band Clam Chowder did it, they had a verse which had a hat where my hat ought to be...
It is just a chamber pot/My mother gave to me... Well, I've been around this whole wide world A dozen times or more, But a J.B. Stetson chamber pot I've never seen before!
There is an unusual last verse that I can only half remember (in addition to the usual ones)
As I came home on Sunday night A little before my time I crept into our cellar My old twelve bore to find (Now the bit I forget, then) I never saw two buggers run So bloody fast before
I have also heard a blues version - might have been Muddy Waters. Fragment as
Wake up//Woman//Explain all these things to me Whose face is/ On the pillow/ Where my face/supposed to be
Oh darlin' / You talk right silly Why don't you open up your eyes and see It's nothin'/but a ?? My mother (etc.) sent to me
sj
