Lyr Add: The Two Sisters (of Sadie Damascus)

Subject: Lyr Add: Cruelish Sister
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 07:27 PM

This is the seventh time I've attended San Francisco's Camp Harmony, and I have to say that this time was a disaster. By my estimate, some 40 people got violently sick from what Dr. Mark Cohen and epidemiologist Dick Holdstock diagnosed as a virus. My boss Debby McClatchy got sick, so I had to do extra duty in the kitchen. Besides all that, we had no power (and no sewers) in half the camp, including the kitchen.
But still, there was good music. For me, the absolute high point was when Sadie Damascus sang this song at the New Year's Eve concert. I was standing next to Lani Herrmann, and watching Lani's response was almost as fun as listening to the song.
Sadie e-mailed me the song because she forgot how to post songs at Mudcat.
Remember that this is Sadie's song (nobody else in the world could come up with a song like this), and all rights are reserved.
Thanks, Sadie.
-Joe Offer-

---

Cruelish Sister   (Child Ballad #10)
by Sadie Damascus (sung to the tune of "Mademoiselle from Armentieres")

Two sisters lived by the harbor mouth  (parlez vous)
Some guy came by to court them both  (parlez vous)
He stole their hearts, both one and two;
He stole them better than he knew  (rinky dinky, parlez vous)

He took them riding on his horse  (parlez vous, etc)
And he fell for the younger one, of course.
He bought the older sister things
But he gave the younger his gold rings.

O, little sister, come with me;
We'll walk the cliffs above the sea.
But as they walked along the edge
She shoved her tumbling off a ledge.

"O sister, help!  O, save me, please!
There's rocks and sharks and stormy seas!"
The older sister grinned and said,
"No, I'll only get married when you are dead."

"O , throw me a rope!" she cried in fear.
"You can marry him, and I'll disappear."
"No, I didn't kill you just for that,
But next to you, my butt looks fat."

So the older sister walked away
And the drowned one floated all the day.
I found her lying on the sand.
I took the pretty lady's hand.

I made a backscratcher from it;
I tried to use her, every bit.
I dried her guts, and I tanned her hide
And made a fine saddle for me to ride.

I used every part of the lady fair.
I sold her gown and her underwear;
I had her gold rings melted down,
And that's how I got this here gold crown.  (Here I open my mouth wide and point inside)

I made a guitar from various bones
With a nice voice box and a wondrous tone;
I strung it with some of her long dark hair,
And tuned it with pegs from her fingers fair.

(The next four lines are recited, not sung, and do not include "parlez vous" or any chorus***)

   I made her feet into vases neat;
   I made her toes into dominoes;
   I used her head for baking bread;
   Her teeth for a rattle to scare the cattle.....

Then I heard of a nearby wedding planned (parlez vous, etc).
I went to crash it and jam with the band.
I left my saddle and horse in the stable
And grabbed a seat at the bride's own table.

But as i turned to remove the guitar
From off my back, it started to swear
and holler, "My sister acts as if
She hadn't pushed me off a cliff!"

And the saddle outside cried, loud and clear,
"You drownded me, but I made it here!"
Then voices from pockets and bags and teeth
Cried, "Give back my boyfriend, you murdering thief!"

So the sister was busted, and she was burned.
The wedding gifts, they were all returned.
I gave all the stuff I made from the sister
Who drowned to the boyfriend, because he missed her.

Now he plays his music from the heart;
He and his love will never part.
He rests his head on her breast again,
And what does he keep his pencils in?

So, maids, don't envy your sister fair:
You can cut the cards---you can learn to share.
You don't have to do your sister in---
You've got one sister; there's lots of men.


***Joe's note: When Sadie sings this part, she chants it like Vaughn Monroe singing the "Duckworth Chant."

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Two Sisters (of Sadie Damascus)
From: DADGBE
Date: 04 Jan 06 - 07:44 PM

Absolutely a high point! I'm still chuckling. Thanks Sadie!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Two Sisters (of Sadie Damascus)
From: Bev and Jerry
Date: 05 Jan 06 - 12:58 AM

We missed the song the first time she sang it but we caught it the second time. It's great.

By the way, Joe, the disaster is just ending for us. We both got the virus, Bev first and then Jerry, and are just now recovering. Also, we got home Sunday night and the power went off here just past noon on Monday. We just got it back about an hour ago. Off for 56 hours. We had a helluva storm here on Monday. About 100 trees went down with at least ten of them within 100 yards of our house. Several houses were totaled. We got pelted with pine cones and branches but no damage.

Bev and Jerry

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Two Sisters (of Sadie Damascus)
From:
Date: 08 Jan 06 - 04:37 PM

Thanks for your praise. I must point out that "Rinky dinky" parlez vous is a typo. I don't know what it MEANS, but i meant to type "Hinky dinky," which is how I learned the original song.

Does anyone know what it used to mean?

Sadie

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Two Sisters (of Sadie Damascus)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Jan 06 - 07:43 PM

Oh, dang - I liked the "rinky dinky."
Do I have to change it, Sadie?
Glad to year you're on the mend, Bev & Jerry.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Two Sisters (of Sadie Damascus)
From: Snuffy
Date: 09 Jan 06 - 08:33 AM

It's usually "Inky Pinky" for us Yookers, Joe, so I suppose you could explain "rinky dinky" as just another regional variant.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Two Sisters (of Sadie Damascus)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 07 Jan 09 - 04:19 PM

Sadie sang this song at a concert at Camp New Harmony last week, while wearing a red velvet corset that gave her what looked like a 52-inch bust and a 17-inch waist (with cleavage to match). It made her look like the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland. In her honor, I think the thread deserves to be refreshed. The song has been added to the Digital Tradition, by the way.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Two Sisters (of Sadie Damascus)
From: Barbara
Date: 21 Feb 09 - 04:31 PM

I learned it "Hinky dinky parlez vous", and I though it was just a way of making French sounding nonsense. But whichever you sing, Sadie's parody is a classic.
I love it.
Thanks, gal.
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Two Sisters (of Sadie Damascus)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Feb 09 - 09:21 PM

Maybe it should go on the next In Harmony's Way CD.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Two Sisters (of Sadie Damascus)
From: sharyn
Date: 21 Feb 09 - 09:26 PM

I've brought this up before: Sadie had help on this one: she pulled me into her car and we re-wrote some lines. But don't take my word alone for it -- ask Sadie.

Sharyn