Lyr ADD: The Investigator's Song (Harold Rome)

Subject: Who's going to investigate the guy who's
From: Cool Beans
Date: 22 Mar 05 - 05:49 PM

Wasn't there a song that went "Who's going to investigate the guy who's investigating the guy who's investigating me?" If so, whodunit? Limeliters? Chad Mitchell Trio? Somebodies else?

Subject: RE: Who's going to investigate the guy who's
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 23 Mar 05 - 02:44 AM

Si Kahn. It's called "Who's Watching the Man" and was on "Doing My Job" from 1982, a wonderful album. I can't find the lyrics online, and can't find the cassette tape right now to transcribe it. I'm sure somebody has them. The chorus goes:

Tell me, who's watchin' the man who's watchin' me?
Who's watchin' the man who's watchin' the man who's watchin' me?
Who's watchin' the man who's watchin' the man who's watchin' the man who's watchin' the man who's watchin' the man who's watchin' me.

(I might be off a watchin' or two!)

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Who's going to investigate the guy who's
From: Mark Ross
Date: 23 Mar 05 - 10:17 AM

The song you're asking about dates from the beginning of the McCarthy era. I remember a description of it being sung by Zero Mostel in the '40's. I think it was penned by a couple of guys who normally wrote for the pop market, although they had very progressive tendencies, as did a lot of people in those days, even if they were starting to feel a little beleagured.

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Who's going to investigate the guy who's
From: open mike
Date: 23 Mar 05 - 11:02 AM

it is on Si Kahn's c.d. called Doin' my Job which is currently out of print, it was a flying fish recording. It was recorded in 1982 and the
Red Clay Ramblers are playing on that recording too.
http://redclayramblers.tripod.com/music.htm

Subject: RE: Who's going to investigate the guy who's
From: open mike
Date: 23 Mar 05 - 11:19 AM

i forgot to put Si Kahn's web page link here:
http://www.sikahn.com/

Subject: RE: Who's going to investigate the guy who's
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 23 Mar 05 - 11:24 AM

Sounds like Mark is on the right track...I wonder if anyone has more details.

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Who's going to investigate the guy who's
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 23 Mar 05 - 12:26 PM

If anyone has a copy of the old "Peoples Songbook" it's there--my copy's vanished. Yes, Zero Mostel sang it--it dates back to the late 1940s;
pre-McCarthy, as I recall, but dating back to the HUAC.

It begins:

"Who's gonna investigate tha man who investigates
The man who investigates me?
I don't doubt my loyalty
But who can tell what his may be?"

Written by Vern Partlow? (posibly)

Subject: RE: Who's going to investigate the guy who's
From: open mike
Date: 23 Mar 05 - 01:11 PM

Vern Partlow wrote Old Man Atom--a talking blues
here: http://www.lyrics.ly/albums.php/Vern+Partlow

Subject: RE: Who's going to investigate the guy who's
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 24 Mar 05 - 01:11 AM

OK, here's a test of my memory. BEFORE I look up the lyrics, I'm going to see how much I can remember of the first verse of Old Man Atom, which I believe I saw in the old Oak publication "The Coffeehouse Songbook" -- which had a photo of the interior of The Main Point in Bryn Mawr, PA on the cover. And if anybody has access to that book, I'd love to know about it.

Folks, let me tell you 'bout Old Man Atom
Now I don't mean the Adam in the Bible datum
I don't mean the Adam that Mother Eve mated
I mean the atom that science liberated
You know, Einstein says he's scared
And if he's scared...
Brother, I'm scared!

How'd I do?

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: ADD: The Investigator's Song (Harold Rome)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Mar 05 - 04:20 AM

Dick Greenhaus, you're quite amazing. Yes, it is in the People's Songbook, but all my searching didn't find it. The Si Kahn song follows the same line, but I had the feeling it wasn't the one. I'd swear I've heard a recording of this song, but I couldn't find one.

Since I spent 25 years as a federal investigator, this song has special meaning to me.

Words and music were by Harold Rome, who wrote a lot of good songs, but not many that sold very well. "Be Kind to Your Parents" and "Sing Us a Song with Social Significance" are two of his better-known songs.

-Joe Offer-

The Investigator's Song
(Harold Rome)

I've got a problem that is bothering me;
I've got a real unsolvable mystery;
It would stun G.K. Chesterton, Foil Conan Doyle,
Drive Sherlock Holmes to the wall;
Stump Humphrey Bogart and Bacall;

CHORUS:
Who's gonna investigate the man who investigates the man who investigates me?
I don't doubt my loyalty, But how about what his may be?
Who'll check the record of the man who checks the record of the man who checks the record of mine?
Seems to me there's gonna be an awfully long line.
One more problem puzzles me; Pardon my strange whim.
But who's gonna investigate the man who investigates the man who investigates him?

Who's gonna investigate the man who investigates the man who investigates me?
Maybe they won't like the face he's wearing;
Maybe he'll have too much brass.
Maybe he's a guy who's fond of herring;
Maybe he drinks tea from a glass.
Believe me, brother, that won't pass.
CHORUS

Who's gonna investigate the man who investigates the man who investigates me?
Maybe they won't like the books he's reading;
Or the way he wants to pray.
Maybe he won't have the proper breeding;
Maybe he ran T.V.A.
Believe me, brother, That's out-ray.
CHORUS

Who's gonna investigate the man who investigates the man who investigates me?
Maybe he's the kind does his own thinking;
Maybe tries to use his head.
Maybe he goes in for vodka drinking;
Maybe his corpuscles are red.
Believe me brother, Off with head.


Copyright 1947, by Harold Rome

Notes: "The Investigator's Song" was written for the PCA meeting in Madison Square Garden on March 31, 1947. The great comedian Zero Mostel crept out into the spotlight dressed in a Hawkshaw outfit, and armed with a huge magnifying glass. "Stop this affair," he shouted to the audience of 20,000 people, which included Henry Wallace and Frank Kingdon, among other speakers, "I have to make an investigation."

The tune is rather complicated, but I'll transcribe it if somebody asks me.

---

Oh, Dr. Mark,....
Did you ever think of looking in the Digital Tradition for "Old Man Atom"???
(click)
(click)

Subject: RE: Who's going to investigate the guy who's
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 24 Mar 05 - 06:39 AM

Quis custodiat ipsos custodes

Subject: RE: Who's going to investigate the guy who's
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 24 Mar 05 - 11:44 AM

Of course, Joe, but this was a test of my own faltering memory, since I hadn't even thought about the song in a large number of years. And, taking folk process into account, I think it did OK.

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Investigator's Song (Harold Rome)
From: GUEST,Dan
Date: 30 Nov 05 - 11:47 PM

> The tune is rather complicated, but I'll transcribe it if somebody asks me.

Would you, please? My Mom and my father's sister are both old folkies who would love to be able to sing it together.

Thanks,

Dan

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Investigator's Song (Harold Rome)
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Dec 05 - 10:57 AM

Does anyone know who else recorded Old Man Atom (Talking Atomic Blues) under the title of Old Man Atom on a 78 other than:
Vern Partlow, Sam Hinton, Sons of the Pioneers, Pete Seeger, Fred Hellerman aka Bob Hill, Oscar Brand and Ozie Waters? Just looking for the name of the other person who recorded it on a 78 in the early 50's. My brother used to have the record, but we can't remember the artist. We just know it was a different version than the ones listed.