Lyr Req: The German Clockwinder

Subject: LYR: The German Clockwinder - HELP please
From: Ezio
Date: 21 Dec 98 - 02:12 AM

I cannot understand some words of this funny (and a little smutty) traditional song; also, I'm not sure to catch correctly the words I do understand.
Could you help, please? You can listen this song (as sung and arranged by Danny Doyle - RealAudio format) HERE
Thanks in advance, and .... best wishes for a merry Xmas to you all!

Ezio

---

The German Clockwinder

1) Well a German clockwinder to Dublin once came
2) Hector von Gerten was the _________ German name
3) All down the street with his little brass bell
4) 'Clocks for to wind' this old German would yell

Chorus

5) Too Dee Loo m My Too Dee Loo m
6) In the old fashion way
7) I wind them by night and I mend them by day
8) Ding dong - ding dong

9) Well he met a young woman in ___ William Square
10) She said __________ clock who's need of repair
11) She took him upstairs and he followed with delight
12) An in less than ten minutes he set her clock right

Chorus

13) Now this old German was the ladies' delight
14) And he often went to them by day and by night
15) Some went too fast and the others went too slow
16) But _________________________________ all go

Chorus

17) Now while they were busy at what they were at
18) ______________________ sudden there came a ____ hat
19) In came her husband who got such a shock
20) For to see the old German wind up his wife's clock

Chorus

21) Now ___________ clock _______ was mend ________ repair
22) And the poor old German he got such a scare
23) Never oh never for the rest of his life
24) Will he wind up the clock of another man's wife

Subject: RE: LYR: The German Clockwinder - HELP please
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Dec 98 - 02:56 AM

Here's what I hear, Ezio:
2. Dieter von Gerten was the old German's name
5. "I toodle 'em " is how I hear it.
9. Fitzwilliam.
10. She said her old clock was in need of repair.
12. AND in less than...
16. But nine out of ten, he'd a make 'em
18. All of a sudden, there came a rat-tat
21. I dunno - and went out of repair????

I think I did a pretty good job on everything but that last stanza. Hope somebody else can figure it out.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: LYR: The German Clockwinder - HELP please
From: Brack&
Date: 21 Dec 98 - 03:58 AM

2.ould
9.Fitzwilliam
10.her ould
16.But nine out of ten, he could make 'em all go
18.All of a sudden,there came a rat-tat

The last one I'll have to think about. I also have another version somewhere that I'll send later on.

Regards Mick Bracken

Subject: Lyr Add: THE GERMAN CLOCK WINDER
From: Brack&
Date: 21 Dec 98 - 04:43 AM

Still can't make out that last line. Here's another version.

A German clock winder to Dublin once came
Benjamin Fooks was the ould German's name
And as he was winding his way round the Strand
He played on his flute and the music was grand

Oh there was a young lady from Grosvenor Square
Who said that her clock was in need of repair
In walks the bold German, and to her delight
In less than five minutes he had her clock right

Now as they were seated down on the floor
There came this very loud knock on the door
In walks her husband and great was his shock
For to see the ould German wind up his wife's clock

The husband says he "Now look Mary-Ann
Don't let that bold German come in here again
He wound up your clock and left mine on the shelf
If your ould clock needs winding, sure I'll wind it meself

I know of a guy from Dublin called Helmut Fuchs. I wonder if his ancestors had anything to do with this song!

Regards Mick Bracken

Subject: Lyr Add: OLD GERMAN CLOCKWINDER
From: Ralph Butts
Date: 21 Dec 98 - 07:46 AM

I got the whole thing from somewhere on the web a while back. Seems to me there was a version with Helmut Fuchs....Tiger

OLD GERMAN CLOCKWINDER

A German clockwinder to Manchester came,
And Peter Von Gherkin was the old German's name..
All up our street with his little brass bell,
"Some clocks for to wind," this old German would yell.

CHORUS
I toodalum I toodalum, I toodalum I ay,
I toodalum, I toodalum in the old fashioned way.
I toodalum, I toodalum, I toodalum I ay,
Well I winds 'em by night and I mends 'em by day,
Ding dong, ding dong, ding dong, ding dong.

He met a young woman in Stephenson Square,
She said as her clock was in need of repair.
She took him upstairs and he followed with delight,
In less than ten minutes, he'd set her clock right.

Now this old German was the ladies' delight.
He often went to 'em by day and by night.
And some went too fast-like, others went too slow,
But nine out o' ten, he could make 'em all go.

While they were busy at what they was at,
All of a sudden there came a rat-tat,
And in came her hubby who got such a shock
To see this old German winding up his wife's clock.

Our clock it was bent and knocked out of repair,
Well that poor old German, he got such a scare,
That never, oh never, for the rest of his life,
Would he wind up the clock of another man's wife.

Subject: RE: LYR: The German Clockwinder - HELP please
From: Noreen
Date: 18 Sep 03 - 09:24 AM

Is there a tune for this anywhere?

(Real Audio link above is no longer working.)

Subject: RE: LYR: The German Clockwinder - HELP please
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 18 Sep 03 - 09:29 AM

take your pick - there are two versions in the DT

Old German Clockwinder

(there is a link to the other from there)

Subject: RE: LYR: The German Clockwinder - HELP please
From: Noreen
Date: 18 Sep 03 - 09:47 AM

Thanks MMario, and sorry- I'm not having a good day.

Subject: RE: LYR: The German Clockwinder - HELP please
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 18 Sep 03 - 09:49 AM

s'okay! everyone can't find everything every time! (except sorcha, and Masato, and Malcolm, and...)

Subject: RE: LYR: The German Clockwinder - HELP please
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 18 Sep 03 - 11:37 AM

This is very similar in substance to The German Musicianer, found HERE, IN THE DT

I have not yet compared this with The German Clockwinder, to figure out whether the same tune would serve for both. You can hear The German Musicianer sung by Peter Bellamy on the 3-CD set called Wake the Vaulted Echoes.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: LYR: The German Clockwinder - HELP please
From: Jeanie
Date: 18 Sep 03 - 11:49 AM

There seem to be loads of slightly different versions of this one, both in tune and lyrics ! The one I learned years ago from a book bought from the EFDSS, I think, had the German clockmender coming to England, and being called Benjamin Snooker and meeting the young lady in Finsbury Square. It had one final verse, which doesn't seem to appear in the other versions here:

So come all you young fellows, take a warning by me
If the German clockmender you chance for to see,
Take hold of your lassie as firm as a rock,
If you leave her behind, he'll be winding her clock
With his tooraliay, his tooraliay etc. etc.

- jeanie

Subject: RE: LYR: The German Clockwinder - HELP please
From: Joan from Wigan
Date: 18 Sep 03 - 12:32 PM

The last verse I sing is similar:

The moral of this story is simple to tell:
If ever you see a German with a little brass bell
Crying "Clocks for to wind!" - on your door he will knock,
And if you're not careful, he'll wind your wife's clock!
With his...

Subject: RE: LYR: The German Clockwinder - HELP please
From: Nerd
Date: 18 Sep 03 - 12:42 PM

I transcribed a version some years ago where the German's name was Englebert Schnook. But Benjamin Fooks has got the great sexual subtext going for it.

Subject: RE: LYR: The German Clockwinder - HELP please
From: GUEST,Wolfgang
Date: 19 Sep 03 - 03:47 PM

Benjamin Fuchs is a possible German name, whereas Fooks isn't. The pronounciation, however, still is exactly as in Fooks.
Another possible German name which gives you perfectly the pronounciation sought for is Benjamin Vack. And then, why not Kurt Klaus Max Vack? All perfect innocent German names.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: LYR: The German Clockwinder - HELP please
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Jun 04 - 03:02 PM

does anyone know where this song originated? a broadside perhaps?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The German Clockwinder - HELP please
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Jul 04 - 06:25 AM

or from a rugby club?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The German Clockwinder - HELP please
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Jul 04 - 11:03 AM

Are there no broadside examples of this song? Or musichall references?
I dimly remember seeing a Victorian illustration of the song somewhere.

Subject: Lyr Req: THE NEWFIE CLOCK-WINDER (Harry Hibbs)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 12 Jul 04 - 11:16 PM

From http://nfldsongs.tripod.com/05/clock.htm

THE NEWFIE CLOCK-WINDER

A Newfie clock-winder, to Dublin he came.
Sylvester Snooks was the old Newfie's name,
And as he was crossin' his way 'cross the Strand,
He played on his squeeze-box and his music was grand.

CHORUS: Ah, me, too-ra lum-ma lum-ma, too-ra lum-ma lum-ma
Too-ra lie-ay, too-ra-lie-oo-ra-lie-oo-ra-lie-ay.
Too-ra lum-ma lum-ma, too-ra lum-ma lum-ma
Too-ra lie-ay, too-ra-lie-oo-ra-lie-oo-ra-lie-ay.

A woman came out in Fitzwilliam's Square
She said her old clock was in need of repair.
She invited him in and to her delight,
In less than five minutes, sure he had her clock right. CHORUS

They sat down together, takin' in stock
When all of a sudden there came a loud knock (knock...knock)
In came her husband and oh what a shock
To see the old Newfie wind up his wife's clock. CHORUS

Oh, wife Marianne, wife Marianne,
Why did you take in such an innocent man
To wind up the clock and leave me on the shelf?
If yer old clock needs windin', sure, I'll wind it meself. CHORUS

[Recorded by Harry Hibbs on "The Incredible Harry Hibbs."]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The German Clockwinder - HELP please
From: LadyJean
Date: 13 Jul 04 - 12:43 AM

Clam Chowder recorded the song on one of their tapes. I'm sure there are clamfans who will be able to tell you where to find it. Ding dong! Ding dong!

Subject: song on the late late show
From: GUEST,brian roche ireland
Date: 08 Feb 09 - 06:05 PM

some years ago on the late late show on rte telly in ireland i heard
a man sing a song solo . it was about his love and himself
some of the words went as follows
i bought my love some carninations
some pink and blue carniations
o i bought my love some carnitations
costing two pounds ninty nine

she gets up set over the cheap flowers and some more of the song goes
she said you can stick you ould carnitations etc
does anyone know the full song words????

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The German Clockwinder
From: kendall
Date: 08 Feb 09 - 07:11 PM

Cliff Haslam recorded this for Folk Legacy long time past.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The German Clockwinder
From: Tradsinger
Date: 09 Feb 09 - 03:05 AM

The Green Willow band recorded the song on vinyl in 1980.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The German Clockwinder
From: GUEST,Steve the Box
Date: 07 Jan 14 - 02:52 PM

Mike Harding used to sing the German Clockwinder - version about Manchester obviously.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The German Clockwinder
From: Tradsinger
Date: 07 Jan 14 - 06:32 PM

In meeting old boys in Gloucestershire, I have encountered the "German Clockmender" several times, not always complete but it seems it was very well known amongst pub singers in recent memory. I too would be interested to know when it was first noted. It seems to be a distant cousin of Harry Cox's "German Musicianer".

Tradsinger

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The German Clockwinder
From: GUEST,Ian G
Date: 07 Jan 14 - 06:47 PM

Someone was asking about Tony McCarthy recently. He had a good version of this which I have written down somewhere, I will dig it out.