Tune Req: 'I Want a Man' traditional (?) camp song

Subject: Tune Req: 'I Want a Man' traditional(?) bawdy song
From: John M.
Date: 06 May 05 - 01:05 PM

Does anyone sing the following "teasing" bawdy song?   If yes, to what tune?

Any help is apprecated.

I WANT A MAN

I want a man, I want a man
I want a mansion in the sky
I wanna neck, I wanna neck
I wanna necklace from my guy
And when the dam, dam, dam, dam
Damage is done
We'll have a child, child, child, child
Childish fun
And there was Granny
Swingin' on the outhouse door
Without her nightie
Swingin' on the outhouse door
One more time
Swingin' on the outhouse door
The outhouse door
Oh, yeah

This text was retreived from here. According to this search, this is a very rare song.

So does anyone know this song?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'I Want a Man' traditional (?) camp song
From: GUEST,Joe_F
Date: 07 May 05 - 08:31 AM

The tune is that of "Alexander's Ragtime Band". I can't remember where I saw this, tho.

--- Joe Fineman    [e-mail]

||: If you will not while you may, you shall not when you will. :||

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'I Want a Man' traditional (?) camp
From: Joe Offer
Date: 07 May 05 - 03:01 PM

All I got at camp in Wisconsin was this fragment:

And then there's Granny,
Swingin' on the outhouse door,
Without her nightie,
And Grandpa yellin' "More, More, More!!!"

I can't think of the name of the tune - I can sing it for you, though.
-Joe Offer-

---

"Outhouse Door" thread (click).

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'I Want a Man' traditional (?) camp song
From: GUEST,Sue
Date: 04 Jun 07 - 08:52 PM

I remember that song from Lutheran camp in Canada! One line went; "I wanna pet, I wanna pet, I want a petticoat that swirls, I wanna neck, I wanna neck, I wanna necklace made of pearls" It ends: "And there was granny, swingin' on the outhouse door, without her nightie, waiting for the garbageman, roll over Mabel, Harold's coming back for more....ten dollars please" (the "ten dollars please" was to the tune of "and many more" after the Happy Birthday song)

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'I Want a Man' traditional (?) camp song
From: GUEST,meself
Date: 04 Jun 07 - 08:59 PM

And to think I almost let my kids attend a Lutheran camp once!

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'I Want a Man' traditional (?) camp song
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 05 Jun 07 - 08:42 AM

I learned the first part of this song from my sisters who learned it in Girl Scouts. They never sang the Granny part.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'I Want a Man' traditional (?) camp song
From: Snuffy
Date: 06 Jun 07 - 03:47 AM

The song itself is new to me, but we used to have a similar finish, which I always assumed to be a parody of a music hall/vaudeville Big Finish:

Roll over, Mabel
Let's have it on the other side.
It's better in Blackpool
Let's have it on the other side.
Without your kecks on
Let's have it on the other side.
Just like the dogs do
Let's have it on the other side.
A sixty-niner
Let's have it on the other side.
GOOOOOD EEEEEEVENINNGGG FRIEEENDS

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'I Want a Man' traditional (?) camp song
From: HouseCat
Date: 06 Jun 07 - 01:23 PM

I once got in trouble as a kid for teaching this song to 2 preschoolers I was babysitting :~). I learned it at Girl Scout camp. Though we sang the last bit:

Swingin' on the outhouse door,
Without my nightie,
Waitin' for the boy next door
To hold me tightie,
(Big Finish...)
SWINGIN' ON THE OUTHOUSE DOOOOOOOOR!!!!!!!!!!

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'I Want a Man' traditional (?) camp song
From: GUEST,Cvanmeter_Houston,TX
Date: 10 Feb 12 - 09:41 AM

I wish I could remember all fo it but we use to sing it on the bus rides to Grand Assembly every summer but our included the following verses I know:

I wanna man...I wanna man...I wanna a mansion in the sky!
(can't remember the next line that paired with the previous)

I wanna pet...I wanna pet...I want a peticoat made of swirls!
I wanna neck...I wanna neck...I wanna necklace made of pearls!

(There was at least one other verse). The the chorus in between was done as...

And when the dam, dam, damage is done....
I'm gonna have my child, my childish fun...
Just a swinging on the outhouse door!

(And for the finally and in a different tune it goes into...) Just a swinging in the outhouse door....without my nightie....just a swingin on the outhouse door.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'I Want a Man' traditional (?) camp song
From: GUEST,Sandra Jean
Date: 25 May 12 - 11:57 AM

I sang I Wanna a Man, all the time as a 60's kid. Here goes, sung to the tune of Alexander's Ragtime Band:I wanna man. I wanna man. I wanna mansion in the sky. I wanna neck. I wanna neck. I wanna necktie for my guy. And when the dam dam dam dam damage is done, home to mother I will run, with my child, with my child, with my childhood memories. And there was granny, swingin' on the outhouse door,without her nighty, waitin' for the garbage man, he had her nighty, wrapped up in a cellophane bag.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'I Want a Man' traditional (?) camp song
From: GUEST,Mike Yates
Date: 25 May 12 - 12:18 PM

Didn't the Appalachian singer Horton Barker sing the following short fragment:

I feel like hell,
I feel like hell,
I feel like helping some poor soul,
To find a man,
To find a man,
To find a mansion in the sky.

I think that I read this in the notes to a Horton Barker LP (Folkways?)

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'I Want a Man' traditional (?) camp song
From: GUEST,Songbob
Date: 25 May 12 - 01:42 PM

Indeed Horton Barker sang that. I set it to a tune from godknwoswhere, since there was no tune given. I don't think Barker would have used "Alexander's Ragtime Band," but you never know.

That said, I don't know how to fit the words above to Alexander's anyway. I can't hear it in my head.

Ah, well.

Bob

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'I Want a Man' traditional (?) camp song
From: GUEST,sly
Date: 26 Jul 12 - 08:31 PM

OK, so I know a different version...

I want a man, I want a man... I want a mansion by the sea
I want a neck, I want a neck... I want a necklace made of pearls
And when the damn damn damn damage is done
I want to have some child child childish fun
Sung by the whorehouse... quartet
We're not pregnant... not yet
But give us time!

And there was Granny swingin' on the outhouse door
Without her nighty and grampa yelling "more more more"
without her nighty and grampa yelling "you ol' whore!"

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'I Want a Man' traditional (?) camp song
From: GUEST,Grill scout in the early 60s
Date: 10 Apr 15 - 09:42 PM

Learned in Camp Four Winds :

...I feel like hell, I feel like hell, I felel like helping some poor guy
And when the dam dam dam dam damage is done,
I'm gonna have my child child childish fun
I want a mansion IN the sky.

I want some gin, I want some gin, want some gingerbread to munch
I want some rye, I want some rue, I want some rue bread for my lunch.
When the...

The daycamp counsellors in CT didn't like us ( pre- teens) singing this...

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'I Want a Man' traditional (?) camp song
From: GUEST,nostalgic
Date: 02 Mar 17 - 08:55 PM

Yes, at camp we sang this in the 1970's to the tune of Alexander's Ragtime Band:

I wanna man, I wanna man, I wanna mansion in the sky.
I wanna hell, I wanna hell, I wanna help some birdie fly.
And when the damn, damn, damn, damn, damage is done,
We'll have a-child, child, child, child, childish fun,
In our mansion in the sky.

We'll go to bed, we'll go to bed, we'll go to Betty's house tonight.
And we'll get hot, we'll get hot, we'll get hot dogs on the way.
And when the damn, damn, damn, damn, damage is done,
We'll have a-child, child, child, child, childish fun,
In our mansion in the sky.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'I Want a Man' traditional (?) camp song
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Jun 18 - 11:38 AM

I want a man. I want a man
I want a mansion in the sky....

I want a neck, i want a neck,
i want a necklace made of pearls...

I want a screw, i want a screw
I want a screwdriver for my car....

Let’s go to bed (bet) let’s go to bed (bet)
Let’s go to Betty’s house tonight...

And when the dam dam dam dam damage is done
We’re gonna have our child child childish fun
In the good ole summertime

And there was granny
Swinging on the outhouse door
Without her nightie
And even though she’s 84
She’s pretty sexy
And grandpa’s yelling “More more more”
He’s 94

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'I Want a Man' traditional (?) camp song
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Jun 19 - 01:07 AM

That last version is the one I remember, except on the chorus we ended with "up in that mansion in the sky, blue sky" instead of "in the good ole summer time ". We also had an alternative verse:

I want to screw, I want to screw,
I want to scrutinize the facts

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'I Want a Man' traditional (?) camp song
From: beachcomber
Date: 01 Jun 19 - 08:16 AM

" Oh God, the vulgarity !!!" as my dear old mother would have said :-)

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'I Want a Man' traditional (?) camp song
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Aug 19 - 07:23 PM

i wanna man

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'I Want a Man' traditional (?) camp song
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Jul 21 - 05:36 PM

I wanna neck, i wanna neck, i wanna necklace made of pearls,
I wanna pet, i wanna pet, I wanna petticoat that swirls,
and when the damn damn damn damn damage is done,
we're gonna have ourselves some fun
we'll have a son, we'll have a son, we'll have a sunny smile for you,
we'll be like granny swinging on the outhouse door
without her nighty
grandpa's out there shouting for more
without his nighty
swinging on the outhouse dooor
with me and my gal... *yeah*

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'I Want a Man' traditional (?) camp song
From: GUEST,Oriel
Date: 24 Jul 21 - 01:55 PM

There are rumours of an "Old Maid's Hymn" which apparently starts "She wants a man, she wants a man, she wants a mansion in the sky" but I don't know if really exists.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'I Want a Man' traditional (?) camp song
From: and e
Date: 04 Jan 25 - 12:51 PM

I want a man,
I want a man,
I want a mansion in the sky.

I wanna pet,
I wanna pet,
I want a Parker Pencil Set

And when my man-man, man-man mansion is done
I'm going have my child-child childish fun.

I want a man,
I want a man,
I want a mansion in the sky.

Retrieved from here: https://able2know.org/topic/64737-1

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'I Want a Man' traditional (?) camp song
From: and e
Date: 07 Jan 25 - 09:18 AM

HE WANTED TO BE SAFE.

Although it wasn't leap year, the old-maid soloist in the village
choir began her morning melody by screeching out very earnestly :

"I want a man ! I want a man !"

This was repeated, in whole or in part, after the modern style of
solos and anthems, until a traveling-man who happened to be in the
audience, thinking she was looking straight at him, decided it was
time to leave, so, with hat in hand, started for the door just as she
finished:

"I want a mansion in the sky !"

1916.   Wit and Humor for Public Speakers by WILL H. BROWN


See here: https://ia903206.us.archive.org/5/items/withumorforpubli00brow/withumorforpubli00brow.pdf


Posted to another thread... but should be here also for completeness.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'I Want a Man' traditional (?) camp song
From: and e
Date: 07 Jan 25 - 02:54 PM

I WANT A MAN

I want a man, I want a man,
I want a mansion in the sky.
I feel like hell, I feel like hell,
I feel like helpin’ some poor guy.
And when the dam, dam, dam, dam, damage is done,
I'll have had my share of fun.
I’ll have my child,
I’ll have my child,
I’ll have my childish notions done.

I wanta pet, I wanta pet
I wanta Petty book of girls.
I wanta neck, I wanta neck,
I want a necklace made of pearls.
And when the dam, dam, dam, dam, damage is done,
I’ll have had my share of fun.
I’ll have my child,
I’ll have my child,
I’ll have my childish notions done.

1950s. The Uofficial College Song Book. Undated [1950s]. pg 10.


See online here: https://archive.org/details/1950s-the-unofficial-college-song-book-university-of-wisconsin/page/10/mode/1up?q=mansion

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'I Want a Man' traditional (?) camp song
From: meself
Date: 07 Jan 25 - 05:25 PM

A "Petty book of girls"?? Whatzat?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'I Want a Man' traditional (?) camp song
From: and e
Date: 07 Jan 25 - 05:41 PM

"Petty book of girls" is a reference to George Petty's pin-up art from
ESQUIRE centerfolds, pin-up calendars, full-color ads, and many
original airbrush paintings


URL: https://able2know.org/topic/64737-2

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'I Want a Man' traditional (?) camp song
From: and e
Date: 07 Jan 25 - 06:16 PM

"I can sing a hymn," said Will, "which I heard in the
choir in the Methodist meeting house when I went there with cousin."

"Let us hear you, Will," said his mother.

"Mother, I have only a little of it," said Will.

"Say all you remember," said she, "and sing it."

"The ladies first said, ma," said he, commencing,—

'O for a man—O for a man—O for a mansion in the skies.'

"The men answered,—

'Send down sal—send down sal—
Send down salvation to our souls.'"

At this specimen of ludicrous poetical composition the mother burst
out a-laughing, in which she was joined by the two arch Irish lads;
and Will, discouraged, blushed and stopped.

"I would rather not have any prayer than have that foolish hymn," said
Ben. "O Will! O, you goose!"

1853. The Cross and the Shamrock.


Read here: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/16958/16958-h/16958-h.htm

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'I Want a Man' traditional (?) camp song
From: meself
Date: 07 Jan 25 - 09:38 PM

Thanks for the explanation re: Petty.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'I Want a Man' traditional (?) camp song
From: and e
Date: 08 Jan 25 - 07:48 AM

--- A good joke or anecdote not unfrequently becomes uninteresting
by too much repetition, and the one below may suffer in this way some
of these days if the papers dont cease copying it. For fear it should
spoil on our own hands, we now make use of it. The Milwaukee News says:--

"A friend of ours who possesses a quiet vein of humor, was
recently on a visit to Maryland, and relates and amusing account
of a 'colored chorus' witnessed by the 'relator' at one of the
African churches. The masculine darkies were arranged 'like four
and twenty blackbirds all in a row' on one side, and the females on
the other. The latter commenced the chorus with "Oh! for a man --
oh! for a man -- oh ! for a mansion in the skies;" to which the
former responded: 'send down sal -- send down sal -- send down sal --
send down salvation to my sould.'"

January 29, 1853. The Pen and Pencil. Volume 1, Number 5.

See here: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Pen_and_Pencil/fK4RAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22for+a+mansion+in+the+skies%22+%22send+down%22&pg=PA159&printsec=frontcover