Lyr Req: My Little Towhee / Mohee / Mohea

Subject: My Little Towhee
From: GUEST,jstens
Date: 20 Sep 05 - 08:59 PM

Years ago I had a book of folk songs including one called "My Little Towhee". Having watched Towhees in our yard for several years I have become curious about the lyrics of that song. Can anyone help?

Subject: RE: My Little Towhee
From: Allan C.
Date: 20 Sep 05 - 09:36 PM

I believe what you probably had was a book featuring a song called, "My Little Mohee". (Easy mistake to make.) Although spelled differently in various versions, you can find a discussion of that song by clicking here.

Subject: Lyr Add: MY LITTLE MOHEE
From: Peace
Date: 20 Sep 05 - 09:44 PM

My Little Mohee

As I went out walking upon a fine day
I got awful lonesome as the day passed away
I sat down a-musing, alone on the grass
When who should sit by me but a sweet Indian lass.

She sat down beside me and took hold of my hand
Said, "You sure be a stranger, and in a strange land."
She asked me to marry and gave me her hand,
Said, "My pappy's a chieftain all over this land."

"My pappy's a chieftain, and ruler be he
I'm his only daughter and my name is Mohee"
I answered and told her that it never could be
'Cause I had my own sweetheart in my own country.

I had my ain sweetheart, and I knew she loved me
Her heart was as true as any Mohee
So I said,"I must leave you and goodbye my dear
There's wind in my canvas and home I must steer."

At home with relations I tried for to see
But there wasn't a one like my little Mohee,
And the girl I had trusted proved untrue to me
So I sailed o'er the ocean to my little Mohee.

from

www.bsu.edu/web/fwburrack/webpage/american.doc

Subject: RE: My Little Towhee
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 20 Sep 05 - 11:10 PM

Little Mohee covered in Mudcat and the lyrics are in the DT.
Several threads and a link to the lyrics may be found by entering little mohee in the Lyrics and Knowledge Search blank.

Subject: RE: My Little Towhee
From: The Shambles
Date: 21 Sep 05 - 06:42 AM

Towhee is a Monte Carlo molecular simulation code originally designed for the prediction of fluid phase equilibria using atom-based force fields and the Gibbs ensemble with particular attention paid to algorithms addressing molecule conformation sampling. The code has subsequently been extended to several ensembles, many different force fields, and solid (or porous) phases.

Subject: RE: My Little Towhee
From: Big Jim from Jackson
Date: 21 Sep 05 - 10:17 AM

I remember the song from a Burl Ives recording.

Subject: RE: My Little Towhee
From: The Shambles
Date: 21 Sep 05 - 12:06 PM

Does the the bird's name come from its call or song?

Subject: RE: My Little Towhee
From: Bill D
Date: 21 Sep 05 - 12:34 PM

I don't think so in 'most' cases...

page with one example

"
The fact that towhee song variation is considerable is highlighted by the
fact that male spotted towhees from coastal central California do not
respond to song playbacks using spotted towhee songs from the Colorado
front range. Colorado spotted towhees show a small response to California
spotted towhee song. Neither subspecies respond to the Eastern Towhee
"drink-your-tea" song."

Subject: RE: My Little Towhee
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 21 Sep 05 - 02:19 PM

My Little Tutee

I woke up one morning feeling heavy as lead;
My only ambition was to skulk in my bed,
But an inner voice warned me that I was not free,
For waiting on campus was my little tutee.

I gulped down my coffee and glanced at the skies.
The pale sun looked watery and so did my eyes,
But duty kept calling, and I knew I must see-
For better, for worser- my little tutee.

I cowered in my office with Sweet and Sapir
Till along that dread passage I heard her draw near,
As always exuding insufferable glee!
How I quailed at the sight of my little tutee.

I tried her with syntax, she tied it in knots
Then nailed it with tin tacks in all the wrong spots.
Although in phonetics she clearly rejoiced,
Her bilabial plosives were distressingly moist.

She learned to distinguish twixt 'langue' and 'parole',
But thought that semantics came straight from the soul.
She mastered Ojibway, Swahili and Twee,
But she couldn't write English, my little tutee.

In morphemes and phonemes I nearly went spare;
She insisted we MUST make a minimal pair,
But I told her quite firmly such a thing could not be,
And I placed some constraints on my little tutee.

She haunts me by daylight, she lurks in each dream;
Her hot breath engulfs me till my spectacles steam,
But it's only one year now, till she takes her degree
And then I'll find peace from my little tutee.

U M Wadey

Subject: RE: My Little Towhee
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 21 Sep 05 - 04:54 PM

"Webster's Collegiate Dictionary" says the name to-whee is imitative. The OED says the same. A quote from 1893- " He uttered his loud 'towhee', a note so characteristic that it has become one of its names." First ref. in print, 1730. Which species is not stated.
The name apparently originated from a 'Newton' (OED), but reference not given.