Subject: RE: Origins: Dunderbeck From: GUEST,Mango Date: 11 Jul 18 - 10:36 AM A slight variation that my father (born in 1917) used to sing to me. My mother always said that as an infant with colic, the only thing that would soothe me was my dad laying my belly on top of his while he sang: There was a man named Dunderbak, invented a machine, It was for grinding sausage meat, and it would run by steam, for little cats and long tailed rats, no more they will be seen, for they were ground to sausage meat, in Dunderbak's machine. One day a little boy came in, to Dunderbak's big store, there was a pile of sausage meat, a-lying on the floor, and while he was a-waiting, he whistled up a tune, the sausage meat began to skip, and run around the room. Oh Dunderbak oh dunderbak, how could you be so mean, someday you'll be so sorry, you invented that machine, for little cats and long tailed rats, no more they will be seen, for they were ground to sausage meat, in Dunderbak's machine. Something was out of order, that machine it would not go, so Dunderbak he crawled inside, to find it out you know, his wife got all excited, she got up in her sleep, she turned the crank and, turned old Dunderbak to sausage meat. One day a little boy came in, to Dunderbak's big store, there was a pile of sausage meat, a-lying on the floor, and while he was a-waiting, he whistled up a tune, the sausage meat began to skip, and run around the room. Oh Dunderbak oh dunderbak, how could you be so mean, for now I'll be you're sorry, you invented that machine, for little cats and long tailed rats, no more they will be seen, for they were ground to sausage meat, in Dunderbak's machine. |
Subject: RE: Origins: Dunderbeck From: Tradsinger Date: 11 Jul 18 - 03:52 PM The version I heard in West Virginia was called "Dangerback". It doesn't seem to have crossed the Atlantic. Tradsinger |
Subject: Lyr Add: DUNDERBECK (Our Own Boys Songster, 1876) From: GUEST,azansvan Date: 30 Jul 18 - 02:42 AM If anyone is still listening, I am happy to report "Our Own Boys' Songster" from 1876 has been located. It is in the Library of Congress in the collections of the American Folklife Center, as part of a special "songster" file. A songster in this context refers to a small pamphlet or booklet, often cheaply printed, containing mainly the lyrics of songs, sometimes with musical notation, jokes, theatrical sketches, etc. After several years of inquiry to the LC cataloging and reference staff who searched the stacks to no avail, I went to the American Folklife Center on a hunch. There I was able to find this booklet with the excellent help of Folklife Center staff, Jennifer Cutting and Stephen Winick. The lyrics consist of three verses plus the chorus, and the verses contain the basic core of the story that appear in most variants. The title is "Dunderbeck's Machine. By Ed. Harrigan." Ed. Harrigan is Edward Harrigan, q.v. at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Harrigan Also noted is the "Air--'Thomas's Machine.' " I would guess Thomas's Machine is similar to the Gambolier tune that many have mentioned and that I was familiar with, but I would love to know more, a topic for further study. The lyrics are largely similar, tho hardly identical, to the words that I learned as a boy from my father, who learned it in the 1920s and '30s as a Boy Scout in Brooklyn, N.Y. However, they are written in what was meant to pass for a German accent. [transcription] Dere vas a good old German man, His name vas Dunderbeck, He vas very fond of poodle dogs Und sour krout und spec; He had a great big butcher shop, Der nicest ever seen, He got him out a patent, boys, To make sausages by steam. CHORUS Den oh, Mister Dunderbeck, How could you be so mean? You vas sorry you invented Dat wonderful machine; Den pussy cats and long tail rats, No more dey will be seen, You grind dem up to sausage meat, By Dunderbeck's machine. De odder day a little boy He come into de store, He vant a pound of head cheese Dat vas walking round de floor; Und vhile he vas a-standing dere He whistled up a tune, Dem sausages began to dance And jump around der room. Den oh, etc. Now something vas der matter, Dat machine it wouldn't go, So Dunderbeck he crawled insite To find dat out, you know; His wife she took de nightmare, Und went walking in her sleep, She gave that crank one awful yank, Und Dunkerbeck vas meat. Den oh, etc. The publication is "Our Own Boys Songster," New York: Robert M. De Witt, 1876. De Witt claims the copyright. This is the earliest appearance in print of the Dunderbeck song that anyone has found reference to. Edward Harrigan was a prolific author of songs over a long Broadway career, and barring evidence to the contrary, it is likely that he wrote this one, too. I have several pictures taken with a cell phone camera of the cover, title page, Dunderbeck lyrics, and other pages of "Our Own Boys" and I will be happy to forward them if you contact me at < azansvan AT yahoo.com> . A. H. Haeberle |
Subject: RE: Origins: Dunderbeck From: Lighter Date: 30 Jul 18 - 09:34 AM Fantastic work, azansvan! |
Subject: RE: Origins: Dunderbeck From: GUEST,azansvan Date: 30 Jul 18 - 05:23 PM Thank you, Lighter! |
Subject: RE: Origins: Dunderbeck From: GUEST,john2two Date: 25 Feb 21 - 01:09 AM I learned this song from the 1963 Tom Glazer recording. I was slightly surprised not to see that version mentioned here. (But not too surprised, given the thread's focus on tracing the origin.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oH6sm2qaGNY |
Subject: RE: Origins: Dunderbeck From: Lighter Date: 06 May 23 - 08:05 AM Perhaps originally sung in (or inspired by): "A new comic drama by Charles Seabert, entitled DUNDERBECK IN A FIX Hans Von Dunderbeck......Gus Williams." (New York Herald, December 1, 1872) |
Subject: RE: Origins: Dunderbeck From: GUEST,Simshar73 Date: 18 Dec 23 - 12:03 PM I have been researching Edward Harrigan and his partner Tony Hart for the past 40 years (as well as performing Harrigan material). I have never come across "Dunderbeck" or any of it's variants associated with Harrigan. It is true Harrigan sang a few "Dutch" comedy numbers early in his career (like "Little Fraud") but nothing I have seen so far like "Dunderbeck". It is quite possible that the lyrics turned up in the one of many early Harrigan and Hart songsters. The songsters usually contained a number of songs that were not sung by Harrigan. No doubt included as "filler". |
Subject: RE: Origins: Dunderbeck From: Mrrzy Date: 24 Dec 23 - 05:03 PM I've known this sll my life. Offbeat Folk Songs, maybe? Oscar Brand? |
Subject: RE: Origins: Dunderbeck From: Mrrzy Date: 24 Dec 23 - 05:05 PM Yup. Laughing America album. |
Subject: RE: Origins: Dunderbeck From: GUEST Date: 21 Feb 24 - 01:24 AM I grew up in Massachusetts with French and Irish grandparents. Our families sang this as kids and to our kids and so on. It was always a fun favorite. I’ve read as much of this thread as possible to find out whether it was a song derived of WW1 because the frontlines were called meatgrimders. Maybe it was created in Europe during WW1. maybe it was about Kaiser Wilhelmina II , written by Germans who opposed the war (secretly). Celia |
Subject: RE: Origins: Dunderbeck From: Joe Offer Date: 24 Feb 24 - 12:10 AM Hi, Celia - I think it's late 19th century, from US immigrants with Germanic roots. Randolph says his source learned it in 1900. Where I grew up in southeast Wisconsin, the protagonist was Johnny Verbeck. (fur-BECK). -Joe- |
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