Lyr Req: The Grass Is Always Greener (Egan/Whiting

Subject: Lyr Req: 'The Grass Is Always Greener' 1924 song
From: Blackcatter
Date: 20 Oct 04 - 09:36 PM

As some of you know, I host a website: Blackcatter's World of TV Theme Lyrics

And am constantly looking for lyrics for the site. Gonna post some request here. Was thinking about putting a whole bunch in one thread, but they're from different generes so hopefully listing a bunch seperately will work better.

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The Small Fry Club (hosted by "Big Brother" Bob Emery) Dumont daytime, 1947 - 1951

When television was in its infancy, Bob Emery moved to New York and got a job as an announcer and producer at the Dumont Television Network in 1946. The "Small Fry Club" was a 5-day-a-week show Monday through Friday, which lasted on Dumont for three years; and some say it was the first live daily children's show on network TV.

Theme: "The Grass Is Always Greener" a 1924 popular song

Composers: Richard A. Whiting and Raymond B. Egan

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Grass Is Always Greener' 1924 song
From: Cool Beans
Date: 21 Oct 04 - 01:01 PM

Oh the grass is always greener
In the other fellow's yard.
Little rows, we have to hoe
Oh boy, that's hard.
Now if we all could wear green glasses
Then it wouldn't be so hard
To see how green the grass is
In our own back yrad.

(Strictly from memory)

And, I swear this is true: Young Ronnie Gilbert, THE Ronnie Gilbert, was on the TV show "The Small Fry Club." She told me so herself.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Grass Is Always Greener' 1924 song
From: Cool Beans
Date: 21 Oct 04 - 01:04 PM

Well, let me amned my previous statement. Ronnie gilbert was on Bob Emery's RADIO predecesssor of the TV show, "Uncle Bob's Treasure House," in the 1version of

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Grass Is Always Greener' 1924 song
From: Cool Beans
Date: 21 Oct 04 - 01:06 PM

...in the 1930s. AND it gets better: One of Ronnie's castmates was young bubbles Silberman, later (and better) known as Beverly Sills.
Sorry for the mix-up.
And that last word is YARD not YRAD..

CB

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Grass Is Always Greener' 1924 so
From: Blackcatter
Date: 21 Oct 04 - 03:00 PM

Thanks!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Grass Is Always Greener' 1924 song
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 22 Oct 04 - 09:38 PM

Here's the index entry from The Indiana University Sheet Music Collections:

Title: Grass is always greener
Title: In the other fellow's yard
Composer: Whiting, Richard A.
Lyricist: Egan, Raymond B., 1890-1952
Performer: Jean Granese
Publisher: Jerome H. Remick & Co.
Place of publication: New York
Date of publication: 1924
Call Number: M1 .D48 Box: 216 Item: 050
Performance Medium: Piano and Voice (with lyrics)
First Line: Why do you wash your windows said Misses Haggerty so I can watch
Chorus First Line: Sure the grass is always greener in the other fellow's yard
Genre: Popular song
Subject term: Spring/Springtime

According to The Red Hot Jazz Archive, there were early recordings by the Original Memphis Five and by the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER (Egan/Whiting
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 15 Dec 10 - 03:30 PM

The lyrics were printed in a book called Proverbs: A Handbook by Wolfgang Mieder (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2004), page 230ff.


THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER (IN THE OTHER FELLOW'S YARD)
Words, Raymond B. Egan (1890-1952), Music, Richard A. Whiting (1891-1938).
New York: Jerome H. Remick & Co., 1924.

1. "Why do you wash your windows?" said Mrs. Haggerty,
"So I can watch the neighbors," said Mrs. Hennessey,
They have a new piano. She has a hat I like;
Lots better things than I have, so I took it up with Mike.
The language that he used might seem amiss.
Translated from profane it goes like this:

CHORUS: Sure the grass is always greener in the other fellow's yard,
And the little row you have to hoe seems mighty hard.

2. You loved our little roadster till O'Day's got their sedan,
And now you call our roadster just an old tomato can.
I can see where Pat is lucky as I look across the fence,
And as like as not he thinks I've got more luck than sense.
If we all could wear green glasses, then it wouldn't be so hard
Just to see how green the grass is in our own back yard.

3. You always see the fine clothes Maggie's hangin' on her back,
And never see the mortgage that is hangin' on their shack.
Mike is buying fancy bonnets just to decorate her dome,
But he hasn't got a single drop of rye at home.
Get the home brew and some glasses, then it wouldn't be so hard
Just to see how green the grass is in our own back yard.

4. Maggie and Mike are married; that may be why they fight.
They dearly love to battle; they're at it day and night.
He's always praising some girl who married someone else.
Surely a lot of trouble started with their wedding bells,
But there's one comeback that she loves to spring,
And he shuts up each time she starts to sing:

5. You're mighty fond of Pat's wife just because she isn't yours,
And I thought Pat was handsome till I found that he snores.
While you love to knock my cooking and to praise each girl you see,
Does it dawn on you there's husbands who rave over me?
If you'd only wear green glasses, then it wouldn't be so hard
Just to see how green the grass is in our own back yard.

6. You criticize my dresses 'cause I made each one I've worn.
If I wore what you bought me, I could shock September Morn.
When you stagger home some evening and you don't know who I am,
And you start to sing that you are king of old Siam,
After I remove your glasses, explanations won't be hard,
And you'll see how green the grass is in your own back yard.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Grass Is Always Greener (Egan/Whiting
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Dec 12 - 05:46 PM

I am so grateful to you for having this. I used to watch Big Brother Bob Emery faithfully and remembered most of the lyrics of the parts of "Grass is always greener" that he sang each day. I also forgot was that it was a weekday show, not Saturday. Thank you for helping an old man revive a mem ory.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Grass Is Always Greener (Egan/Whiting
From: GUEST,A frequent Big Brother cast member
Date: 15 Aug 21 - 02:05 PM

Bob Emery’s lyrics:

Oh, the grass is always greener
In the other fellow’s yard.
That little row, we have to hoe,
Oh boy, that’s hard.
Well, we all can see the fine clothes,
That the folks have on their backs.
But we never see the mortgage,
That’s hanging on their shack.
And we liked our little roadster,
‘Til the Days got their sedan.
Now we call our roadster,
Just an old tomato can.
And if we all could wear green glasses now,
It wouldn’t be so hard,
To see how green that grass is,
In our own .. back...yard.