Lyr Req: Peeping through the knothole in Father's

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Peeping through the knothole in Father's
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 24 Jun 12 - 07:54 PM

My gram's version, it was taught to me when I was la little girl, my grandmother learned it when she was a little girl in the 1920s.

While peeking' through the knothole in Daddy's wooden leg
Why do they build the shore so near the ocean

Who cut the sleeves out of dear old daddy's vest
And dug up Johnny's grave to build a sewer

Now mother sleeps much better
since daddy washed his feet
He's gonna cut his toenails so he don't rip up the sheets

Run Johnny, run there's a fly on baby's... Head
A boy's best friend is his mother

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Peeping through the knothole in Father's
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Jun 12 - 03:48 PM

My mom, born in 1912, said she sang it as a young child.
Her second verse:

Why do they build the ocean
   so close to the shore?
There's wrinkles even in a young prune.
Father cut your toenails
   You're ripping all the sheets!
My girl's as sweet as sugar, twice as lumpy!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Peeping through the knothole in Father's
From: GUEST,slehto
Date: 16 May 13 - 11:45 PM

My dad used to sing this tune to we kids in the 1950s. He learned it at San Francisco, Boy Scouts in the late 1920s I think. He knew a few crazy song that really made a hit with us.
The horses run around, their feet are on the ground
Who will wind the clock when I'm away... away.
Go get the Listerine, sister's got a beau.
Oh, I hope that grandma's teeth will soon fit Jenny, fit Jenny.

Lookin through the knothole, on grandpa's wooden leg,
Why do they build the shore so near the ocean. the ocean
A snakes belt always slips, just because he has no hips,
and his belt line is just below his neck tie, his neck tie.

Lookin through a window, a second story window,
I slipped and sprained by eyebrow on the pavement, the pavement,
Go get the axe, there's a hair on baby's chin,
Oh a boy's best friend is his mother, his mother.

She spanked him with a shingle, and made his panties tingle,
Because he socked his little baby brother, his brother,
Runnin down the lane, with his britches full of pain,
Oh a boy's best friend is his mother, his mother.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Peeping through the knothole in Father's
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Sep 15 - 12:59 PM

I learned this from a cartoon I used to see on TV in the 50s.

I fell out the window,
A second story window
Stubbed my eyebrow on the windowsill
Go get the axe, there's a flea in Lizzie's ear
For a boy's best friend is his mother.

Sittin' on a buzz saw
A hand-embroidered buzz saw
Why is the ocean near the shore?
Go get the flea, there's an axe in Lizzie's ear
For a boy's best friend is his mother.

Peepin' thru the knothole
In Grampaw's wooden leg
Why is the ocean near the shore?
Go get the axe, there's a wart on Father's nose
For a boy's best friend is his mother.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Peeping through the knothole in Father's
From: GUEST,cynthia
Date: 11 Mar 16 - 12:30 PM

this is how my family sang it

Lookin through the knothole in Grampa's wooden leg
who'll wind the cat when I'm gone
Go get the axe there's a flea on lizzies ear
and a boys best friend is his mother..

I never heard any over verses.. this is so cool to see how we all passed this song down through our families!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Peeping through the knothole in Father's
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Jun 18 - 03:23 PM

this seems to have waves of populairty, 1920a, 40s, 50s, etc. but there is a line of it in James Joyce;s "Ulysses" (just read over the weekend for Bloomsday) so it must have been a music hall song in the late 19th c. in one form or another. the line quoted is "Papa's pants will soon fit Willie"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Peeping through the knothole in Father's
From: Joe_F
Date: 18 Jun 18 - 06:18 PM

In the Scottish Students' Song Book, the line "Father's pants will soon fit Willie" belong to another song, TTTO "Cwm Rhondda". The rest of it is "Will 'e wear 'em? Willie will" over & over. It is merged with "You must eat when you are hungry" etc.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Peeping through the knothole in Father's
From: GUEST,Banjerbob
Date: 20 Apr 19 - 03:47 PM

My dad and his dad would sing that all the time. Grandpa said he learned asa child in Cinderford, Gloustershire England, near the Welsh border.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Peeping through the knothole in Father's
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 20 Jun 19 - 06:27 PM

My mother used to sing a variation of these lyrics. She was born in 1925, and I remember her singing this song when I was about 4 in 1955:
"Looking through a knothole, in grandpa's wooden leg,
I slipped and broke my eyebrow on the pavement.
Go get the Listerine, sister wants a beau,
But the beau's best friend is his mother."
Since I was about 4 or 5, "beau" could have been "bowl", and in the last line, "beau's" could have been "boy's".
However, what I thought I heard made/makes the most sense to me, and it's what still runs through my head.
I don't remember hearing any more lines to the song.
Very interesting reading the different lyrics that other people know.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Peeping through the knothole in Father's
From: RTim
Date: 20 Jun 19 - 07:43 PM

Did you know that "Listerine" was originally marketed as a Floor Cleaning product!!!

Tim Radford

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Peeping through the knothole in Father's
From: Mrrzy
Date: 22 Jun 19 - 12:16 PM

No more booze, no more booze, no more booze on Sunday
No more booze, no more booze, gotta get your can filled Monday
Was the chorus of the We need them sheets for the tablecloth/face like a hoooorrrse and buggy song. Ed McCurdy.

Also they are moving Father's grave to nuild a sewer is in here somewhere...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Peeping through the knothole in Father's
From: Mrrzy
Date: 22 Jun 19 - 01:36 PM

Build. Build a sewer.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Peeping through the knothole in Father's
From: Lighter
Date: 29 Mar 20 - 03:31 PM

Trenton [N.J.] Evening Times (Aug. 28, 1903), p. 3:

"The program: Opening chorus, 'Hail! Hail!' march, 'Susie's Delight'; ballad, 'Give Back the Horn Thou Tookest'; overture, 'Globenblookerski'; song, 'Looking Through the Knot-hole in Papa's Wooden Leg' [etc.]."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Peeping through the knothole in Father's
From: leeneia
Date: 30 Mar 20 - 04:20 PM

Is 'tookest' really a word?

Ah, Lighter, how you tantalize. But I can't find any music called 'Give Back the Horn Thou Tookest' or 'Globenblookerski.'

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Peeping through the knothole in Father's
From: GUEST,ramapith
Date: 03 Nov 20 - 02:02 AM

The 24 Sep 15 poster says, "I learned this from a cartoon I used to see on TV in the 50s."

This can only be ALASKA, an Oswald the Lucky Rabbit short:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eMFJvDtWAo

Those were certainly on TV in the 1950s, and they're all over YouTube today. The cartoon has "Who will wind the clock when I am gone?" rather than a repetition of the ocean/shore line, but otherwise has every one of the lyrics this poster remembered.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Peeping through the knothole in Father's
From: Lighter
Date: 03 Nov 20 - 06:58 AM

St. Louis Republic (Apr. 24, 1904), p.1:

"GRIDIRON CLUB...Washington, Apr. 23.--Four members of the [United States Supreme Court] then sang...a song, the title of which was given as 'Peeping Through the Knothole in Papa's Wooden Leg; or, Why Was the Ocean Built So Near the Shore?'"

Time for a reprise.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Peeping through the knothole in Father's
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Nov 20 - 09:15 AM

A looking through a knot hole in father’s wooden knee
I slipped and sprained my eyebrow on the pavement
Go get the axe
There’ a hair on baby’s chest
For boys best friend is his mother

I wish I had. Buick
A six cylinder Buick
But a Ford will fit my pocket book much better
Go get the axe
There’s a hair on baby’s chest
For a boys best friend is his mother
.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Peeping through the knothole in Father's
From: GUEST,GUEST
Date: 28 Apr 22 - 06:35 PM

First heard this on a TV kids cartoon show in the 1950's. They used to run those old 1930's black and white ones, like Bosco, or Betty Boop and Grampy.

Oh, peeking through the knothole On grandpa's wooden leg Who will wind the clock when I am gone Go get the axe There's a wart on Nelly's nose And a boy's best friend is his mother

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Peeping through the knothole in Father's
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Jan 23 - 10:01 PM

While looking through a window, a second story window
I fell and sprained my eyebrow on the sidewalk, the sidewalk.
Go get the Lysterine, Sister wants a beau, and a boy's best friend is his mother, his monther.

While looking through a knothole in Father's wooden leg
Why do they build the shore so near the ocean? the ocean?
A snake's belt slips because he's got no hips
And a boy's best friend is his mother, his mother.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Peeping through the knothole in Father's
From: Lighter
Date: 27 Jan 23 - 08:33 AM

A little earlier:

Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Ut.) (July 24, 1902), p. 2:
“‘Why I cut loose from Sarah,’ ‘Slide, Kelley, slide,’ and ‘Looking through the slats of grandpa’s wooden leg.’”

Buffalo [N. Y.] Morning Express (July 29, 1903), p. 7:

“I expected I might be called on to speak on peeping through the knothole in papa’s wooden leg or on some kindred wholesome subject.”