Origins: VINCENT VAN GOGH bawdy ballad

Subject: RE: Origins: VINCENT VAN GOGH bawdy ballad
From: and e
Date: 27 Sep 23 - 06:56 AM

Bob Hudson's Party Pieces LP is available in full here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=oZT8x7VhrB8

The opening song is Vincent Van Gogh.

Subject: RE: Origins: VINCENT VAN GOGH bawdy ballad
From: and e
Date: 27 Sep 23 - 06:56 AM

Bob Hudson's Party Pieces LP is available in full here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=oZT8x7VhrB8

The opening song is Vincent Van Gogh.

Subject: RE: Origins: VINCENT VAN GOGH bawdy ballad
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Dec 17 - 08:56 PM

It is a song written by Push regular (sorry I can't remember his name) who claimed to be a dependent of Bethoven (nobody ate tat one) and he did look bloody Irish, but no question he wrote it as well as other songs. I remember when it was just being sung.

Subject: RE: Origins: VINCENT VAN GOGH bawdy ballad
From: Flash Company
Date: 20 May 05 - 09:55 AM

Mr Happy- I believe 'Oh my name it is Van Gogh' was written by Les Barker.

FC

Subject: RE: Origins: VINCENT VAN GOGH bawdy ballad
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 20 May 05 - 06:48 AM

G'day again,

I just realised that I had posted earlier to mention that Patricia reminded me that Australian radio broadcaster / singer / songwriter Bob Hudson also does a version of this song on his 1980 Larrikin Records LP Party Pieces (LRF-058). This record is a collection of the items considered not so presentable, polite of definable - from Bob's 2-hander concerts with Margret RoadKnight (now an occasional Maucatter!). The concert series was called The High and the Mitey - with reference to Margret's considerable height - compared with that of Bob ... roughly eye-to-eye with me!

As is all too common with Larrikin records, neither the record sleeve, nor the record label gives any copyright information or provenance.

Anyway, I just listened to this track ... and Bob's words are somewhate different, particularly in the first verse:

Vincent Van Gogh

Bob Hudson (Party Pieces LP)

Feeling quite sexy, I don't know why,
Feeling quite sexy, I don't know why,,
Let's go a-whoring, Vincent, says I
Let's go a-whoring, Vincent, says I.

Oh! Up to the brothel, all sexy and gay,
Turning to Vincent, I said: "It's your turn to pay.
It's your turn to pay Vince, it's your turn to pay.
Turning to Vincent, I said: "It's your turn to pay.

Well, the girl at the brothel says, "What's for you, dears?"
And turning to Vincent says, "Ooh! What funny ears."
Oh! "What funny ears, Vince, Oh, what funny ears."
Turning to Vincent, says "Ooh, What funny ears."

Well, he ran all the way home and he cut his ear off.
He ran all the way home and he cut his ear off.
It fair put me off … mate. It fair put me off.
And I'll no more go whoring, with Vincent Van Gogh.

Regards,

Bob

Subject: RE: Origins: VINCENT VAN GOGH bawdy ballad
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 20 May 05 - 05:45 AM

G'day mindblaster,

I understand the closer we (variously)Anglophone types can get to a proper pronunciation of Vincent's surname is perilously like "fun cock" ... an unfortunate rendering in English, of which Vincent, who had worked in the family's London shop, would have been well aware ... This probably explains why he just signed his paintings "Vincent"!

As I remember the song being sung, the name was always pronounced van "Goff" ... and so the rhymes worked.

Regards,

Bob

Subject: RE: Origins: VINCENT VAN GOGH bawdy ballad
From: mindblaster
Date: 20 May 05 - 05:19 AM

Yanks pronounce Gough "GOW" welsh say"GOFF" The rhymes in the above songs won't always work

Subject: RE: Origins: VINCENT VAN GOGH bawdy ballad
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 20 May 05 - 04:36 AM

G'day John,

I seem to have this one at the back of my mind ... but can't remember where or when I heard - from whom! I have never heard either John Meredith (who had an extensive, but unpublishable ... then ... collection) nor Rob Willis actually sing this song. I would have heard the song In Sydney, c. 1963/5 probably in a folk club.

I presume The Bushwhackers' Practice Tape would be related to The Bushwhackers Band ... John's (~) 1952 - 1957 group which pioneered the Austrlian Folklore revival from the mid 1950s ... possibly John practicing for the 50 year reunion, which happened at the (Australian) National Folk Festival, Canberra, Easter 2002 ... without John, who died earlier in that year. At the reunion, Rob "filled in" for John's button accordion playing with the four surviving "Bushwhackers".

This song did not appear in that reunion - and would not, unless it was clearly of Australian origins ... and somehow related to The Bushwhackers Band era. I'll see if I can catch Rob Willis on the long-distance blower and run it past him.

Regards,

Bob

Subject: RE: Origins: VINCENT VAN GOGH bawdy ballad
From: Mr Happy
Date: 19 May 05 - 09:18 PM

VAN GOGH

Oh my name it is Van Gogh,
Lend an ear, lend an ear.
Oh my name it is Van Gogh,
Lend an ear.
My name it is Van Gogh
And all I did was cough
and my ear it just fell off
Lend an ear, lend an ear.

Oh my right ear's pale and wan
On the floor, on the floor
My right ear's pale and wan on the floor.
My right ear's pale and wan
It was 'ere but now it gone
And its just been trodden on
And its sore, and its sore.

But there's no need to shout
Or for gloom or for gloom
But there's no need to shout or for gloom.
But there's no need to shout
I'll take my ear 'ole out
And I'll pass my ear about
Round the room, round the room.

Drinking Lurcher leads to tears
I shall teach, I shall teach
Drinking Lurcher leads to tears
I shall teach.
Drinking Lurcherleads to tears
And the falling off of ears
And the parts that other beers
Cannot reach, cannot reach.

Subject: RE: Origins: VINCENT VAN GOGH bawdy ballad
From: GUEST,Lighter
Date: 19 May 05 - 08:21 PM

Tune is "Down in the Valley." The song may have been written in the wake of the popular 1956 movie about Van Gogh, "Lust for Life." Just a suggestion.

Subject: Origins: VINCENT VAN GOGH bawdy ballad
From: John M.
Date: 19 May 05 - 05:18 PM

Hello everyone,

If you are easily offended, please STOP READING.   This thread is for mature audiences only.  Please don't post "dreadful song" or "worst song written" as you are not helping. 

Below is a traditional bawdy song titled: "Vincent Van Gogh"   (recording)

              1.  Do you sing this song? 
              2.  If yes, when and where did you learn it?
              3.  Would you be willing to sing it for folklore purposes over the phone?

Any help is appreciated.

Sincerely,

John Mehlberg
[e-mail]
~
Afternoons:  314.647.3883
Evenings:     314.381.0492
~
My website: www.immortalia.com
~

VINCENT VAN GOGH   (recording)

Down in Arles, boys, Vincent and I -
Heads pointed upwards, towards the sky,
Towards the sky, boys, towards the sky,
Heads pointed upwards, towards the sky.

Feeling quite sexy, feeling quite gay,
Let's go to a brothel, it's your turn to pay,
It's your turn to pay, boys, it's your turn to pay,
Let's go to a brothel, it's your turn to pay.

The girl at the brothel said, "What's for you, dears?"
Turning to Vincent said, "What funny ears."
Said "What funny ears, boys, what funny ears."
Turning to Vincent, said "What funny ears."

He ran all the way home and cut his ear off
He ran all the way home and cut his ear off
And cut his ear off, boys, cut his ear off.
He ran all the way home and cut his ear off.

It fair put me off, boys, it fair put me off,
I'll ne'er go a-whoring with Vincent Van Gogh
With Vincent Van Gogh, boys, with Vincent Van Gogh
I'll ne'er go a-whoring, with Vincent Van Gogh.


Notes: This is transcribed from the John Meredith / Rob Willis Collection on the "Bushwhacker's Practice Tape".   I don't have dates or location for this and it is not in my note....will try to dig out the dates.

 

• Field Recording - John Meredith / Rob Willis Collection - See Notes.
  • Tape Recording - Various Informants - Disk 1
    • Vincent Van Gogh  Time: 1:44