Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Great American Bum From: GUEST,John Canada Date: 18 Aug 04 - 07:42 AM Harry Mcclintock "The Great American Bum" CD D082 is available from Britain from "the British Archive of Country Music", http://bacm.users.btopenworld.com/CD-details5.html. 22 of his records, restored, including both "Bum" songs, "the Big Rock Candy Mountain" and a few I've never heard of. John |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Great American Bum From: Jim Dixon Date: 21 Aug 04 - 10:14 PM Cisco Houston sings THE GREAT AMERICAN BUM on "The Folkways Years 1944-1961," Smithsonian Folkways CD 40059, 1994. On that album, it is attributed to "M. McClintock." There is a sound sample at allmusic. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Great American Bum From: Cap't Bob Date: 22 Aug 04 - 12:39 AM I learned this song from my dad back in the late 30's. The first song I can remember singing. His version was a combination of the above verses with a few slight changes. "Oh gather around you jolly old bums and listen while I hum, A story I'll relate to you of a great American bum, From north to south to east to west, like a swarm of bees they come, They sleep in the dirt and wear a shirt that's dirty and full of crumbs." "It's early in the morning when the dew is on the ground, The bum arises from his nest and gazes all around. From the boxcar to the hay stack, he wanders everywhere, He never gets back upon the track until he gets a square." "We three bums, we jolly three bums; we live like royal Turks, We have good luck, and bum on our chuck, God bless the man that works." Cap't Bob |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Great American Bum From: Uncle_DaveO Date: 22 Aug 04 - 12:28 PM For those few who don't already know it, "crumb" or "crumbs" in this song are not those little pieces of torn-off bread or cake that we sweep off the table. "Crumbs" here are body lice. Dave Oesterreich |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Great American Bum From: Strollin' Johnny Date: 23 Aug 04 - 12:36 PM I thought the Great American Bum belonged to Jennifer Lopez? OK, I'll leave now............... |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Great American Bum From: Strollin' Johnny Date: 24 Aug 04 - 08:26 AM I knew you Americans had no sense of humour............:0) |
Subject: Lyr Add: THE GREAT AMERICAN BUM From: GUEST,Bill Hamilton Date: 25 Jun 08 - 12:39 PM The number of verses and versions give a real insight to this county. I grew up in a railroad town and most of the men in the family for several generations were railroad men. They sang this song and similar ones on a regular basis. I learned the words below in the late thirties and early forties as well as many of the other verses floating around. Some versions leave the word "bay" off after "Frisco" and this doesn't make sense to me. As a side note, when I visited Maine for the first time last years, I confirmed the rock bound coast and remembered this song my dad sang. Hope someone likes the "town clowns and harness bulls" bit. Come all you jolly jokers And listen while I hum The story I'll relate to you The great American bum From north to south From east to west Like a storm of bees they come They lay in the dirt And where a shirt All dirty and full of crumb Tra-la-la-la-la-lation That's my recommendation Hurrah, horree, horrum For we're three bums Three jolly old bums We live like royal Turks We have good luck in bumming our junk God bless the man that works I beat my way from Frisco bay To the rockbound coast of Maine From Canada to Mexico And wandered back again I met town clowns and harness bulls As tough as the cops could be I've been in every calaboose In this land of liberty Oh we're three bums.... |
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Great American Bum From: Abby Sale Date: 25 Jun 08 - 10:29 PM I added the Cisco Houston in 1996 and Joe Offer did again in 1998. Still not in the data base. But search on the song for the several discussions and versions. I like the Vernon Dalhart recording. I've got a .ra but I don't know where I got it. There's a fair copy at Clicky |
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Great American Bum From: Jon Bartlett Date: 26 Jun 08 - 12:29 AM I wouldn't be surprised if Haywire Mac McClintock recorded this, too. Jon Bartlett |
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Great American Bum From: GUEST,NYMusicLover Date: 26 Jun 08 - 01:08 AM Hey Uncle Dave, The Chad Mitchell Trio did the Great Historical Bum combined with The Braggart's Song (I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago) I have it, and if it's possible to upload music to this site, I can try to bring it here... |
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Great American Bum From: Mark Ross Date: 26 Jun 08 - 03:18 PM Haywire Mac wrote it! And also recorded BUM SONG #2. Mark Ross |
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Great American Bum From: Newport Boy Date: 27 Jun 08 - 08:41 AM The combination of the Great Historical Bum (Biggest Thing Man Has Ever Done) and I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago was in Sing Out in 1961. The first (which begins "I'm just a lonesome traveller, the great historical bum") is credited words and music by Woody Guthrie. The version printed says "One of Woody Guthrie's finest songs brought up-to-date." Ten Thousand Years is credited as collected, adapted and arranged by John & Alan Lomax. The combination is entitled "Just The Facts, Ma'am", and uses 5 verses of Ten Thousand Years and 4 verses of Biggest Thing Man Has Ever Done. The notes say: Larry Mohr has put a new tune to Woody's song, and he and Odetta Feilous perform this friendly competition on a new disc called "Odetta and Larry" (Fantasy). Woody's original version of Biggest Thing had about a dozen verses and dates from around 1936. He added verses later and the last one about Hitler is about 1944/5. I don't think there's any real relationship to Great American Bum, except that Woody might have known and modified the phrase. Phil |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Great American Bum From: GUEST Date: 20 Mar 12 - 10:23 PM Owen Clark, Murray UT 84107 Ph 801-266-8308 I heard and sang this song when I was age eight, in Star Valley, Wyoming, on the Dairy farm of my Uncle & Aunt. I am now age 92. We played those 78 records on a Wind-Up Victrola. They had two records, one was McClintock`s "Big Rock Candy Mountain," with the flip side of "Hallelujah, I`m a Bum." "Oh I went to a house and I knocked at the door, And the lady said Bum, Bum, you`ve been here before! (Chorus after each verse) "Hallelujah, I`m a Bum; Hallelujah, Bum again! Hallelujah, give us a handout to revive us again." The 2nd two-sided recording was already mentioned here by someone else: "The Bum Song #1" and "The Bum song #2. The lyrics and the performer are now a dim blur, but I sang with the recording, "Come all you jolly jokers, and listen while I hum; A story I`ll relate to you of the Great American Bum; On the highways and the railroad tracks, You`ll find theme everywhere! They`re shootin` Snipes or smokin` pipes, Or Bummin` for a square. "Oh once I met John Farmer, he stopped me on me way, He says, "I`ve got some potatoes, and I want them dug today." Now I can`t dig no potatoes, because I`m gettin` fat! Go hire the guy what planted `em, cause he knows where they`re at! Oh, leave the work to the other guys, To honest working men, but I dowanna dig no spuds, I`m on the bum again. "As I was sleepin` in the shade to pass the time away, A man came up and asked me To help him pitch some hay; He said his land was rolling, I said, "Now if that`s true, Just roll it here to this shady spot, and I`ll see what I can do." "Oh the weather`s gettin` chilly, and soon we`ll all be froze, I`ve got to a sunny state, where the weather fits me clothes." And the closing phrase: "I`ll see you in Califoria, I`m on the Bum again." I also remember "Mum, I have a button here. Could you sew a shirt on it for me?" The lady sharply says, "Where`s that broom? Outta here! On yer way! And the bum hastily answers,"I`m goin` Mum, Goodbye Mum! The lady responds gruffly, "Goodbye Bum!" I have a cousin who is still living, whose Dad & Mother were the owners of the 78`a and the Victrola, so am gonna phone her to see how many of those lyrics SHE remembers, and will get back to you all. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Great American Bum From: Mark Ross Date: 21 Mar 12 - 09:59 AM Written and recorded by Harry Kirby "Haywire Mac" McClintock. Anyone out there know if Mac and Woody Guthrie ever crossed paths? Ther were both in California at the same time. Mark Ross |
Subject: ADD Version: Great American Bum From: GUEST,Bob Coyle Date: 16 Apr 12 - 09:33 PM These are the lyrics I heard on an old 75 rpm in 1955. The record was much older and I know nothing about it. but it had more verses than the others here... so here it is.. as far as I can member THE GREAT AMERICAN BUM Come all you jolly jokers if you and listen while I hum I'll relate to you the story of of the great American bum. From the east and west and north and south like a swarm of bees they come. They sleep in the dirt and they wear a shirt that's dirty and full of crumbs. (chorus) I am a bum, a jolly old bum And I live like a royal Turk. And I have good luck and I bum all my chuck God bless the man that works. It's early in the morning when the dew is on the ground, The bum arises from his nest and gazes all around. From the boxcars and the haystacks they get up everywhere and they never look back upon their track until they had a square. (chorus) Now I beat my way from Frisco Bay to the rock-bound coast of Maine Througth Canada and Mexico and I been back again I've met town clown and railroad bulls as tough as tough can be and I've been in every calaboos in this land of liberty. (chorus) well I've topped the spruce and worked the sluice and taken my turn at the plow I've panned for gold in the rain and cold and worked on a river scow. I built the dam and dug the clam and packed the elusive prune. But my troubles fail when I hit the trail packin my ol maloon. (chorus) I'm waiting in the station, waiting for a train waiting for a west bound freight, I think it's all in vane. While going east they're loaded, and going west sealed tight, "I reckon we'll have to ride aboard the fast express tonight." (chorus) Well, I met a man the other day that I never met before, And he asked me if I wanted a job a-shovelin' iron ore. I asked him what the wages was and he said: "ten cents a ton." I said: "Old man go chase yourself", I'd rather be on the bum. (chorus) Oh, lady would you be kind enough to give me somethin' to eat, A piece of bread and butter and a tender slice of meat. Some apple pie and custard just to tickle me appetite, For really I'm so hungry, don't know where I'll sleep tonight. (chorus) (end chorus) sleeping in the station, tra la la lation perpetual vacation, that's my recommendation, haree, haree, harum We are three bums, three jolly ol bums we live like royal turks we have good luck in bumming our chuck And we never bother to work |
Subject: ADD Versions: Great American Bum From: Joe Offer Date: 17 Apr 12 - 02:54 AM johnbob.net has four versions: A song Dad used to sing... (a BIG thank you to Cat Yronwode for sending me the words. I only ever heard Dad sing about 1 or 2 verses. Cat says she's still missing a verse about "that's our recommendation". Hopefully someone else can come up with it.) The Great American Bum Harry McClintock Come, all you jolly jokers, and listen while i hum, A story I'll relate to you of the Great American Bum From the east and west and north and south Like a swarm of bees they come They sleep in the dirt and wear a shirt That's dirty and full of scum Oh, it's early in the morning 'ere the dew is off the ground The bum arises from his shack and gazes all around From the boxcars and the haystacks, He gazes everywhere He never turns back upon his track Until he gets a square (a square meal, that means) (this next part is spoken dialogue, with a woman who has a strong "Oirish" accent) [knock! knock! knock!] —Good mornin, Mum! —Good morning, Bum! —Mum, could you spare a loaf of bread? —Go away, Bum, the baker is dead. —But, Mum, i've been walking all morning! —Well, you can keep right on walking! —Honestly, Mum, wouldn't you have a bite to eat in the house? —Aye, that i would, Bum -- and a six-foot Irishman comin' home at five o'clock to eat it! On your way, now! —Goodbye, then, Mum. —Goodbye, Bum Oh, sleeping in the pokey, fogey-ogey-ogey Smoking pipes and stogies, ha-ree, ha-rah, ha-rum For we are three bums, three jolly old bums. We live like royal Turks We have good luck in bumming our chuck To heck with the man who works! Here's some more verses from Tolbert Eldon Ashbrook (not sure where they fit in the song but at least we got'em) Oh it's early in the morning, Ere the dew had left the ground, The bum arises to his feet, Begins to search around, From the hammock to the mansion, He searches everywhere, Never lights upon a strike, (meaning a lucky strike cigarette) Until he stikes a square, Bum the streets in Gad, boys... Leathery leathery dad, boys... What a drunk we had, boys... Leathery leathery day....
Here's a similar version emailed to me from Harold Recknagle
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