ADD: Don't Send My Boy to Prison

Subject: Lyr Req: Don't send my boy to prison
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 10:03 AM

trying to find the lyrics to: Don't send my boy to prison

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Don't send my boy to prison
From: SINSULL
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 10:42 AM

Some lyrics?
Not "I'm Here To Get My Baby Out Of Jail"?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Don't send my boy to prison
From: GUEST,J C
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 02:36 PM

Don't send my boy to prison,
It's the first crime wot 'e's done.
"Six months" replied his worship,
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh God 'elp my errin' son.


Didn't realise that there was any more to it than that - MacColl used to sing it at parties.

Subject: Lyr Add: MOTHER'S PLEA FOR HER SON (Charlie Poole?
From: GUEST,J C
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 02:39 PM

On the other hand,
Have just come across this - enjoy

The Mother's Plea for Her Son

Strolling to a courthouse
Not many miles from here
A boy stood in the prison dark
While his mother she stood near
The lad was quite a youngster
Although he'd gone astray
And from his master's cashbox
He'd stolen some coin away

The lad addressed his honor
As the tears flowed down his cheek
He said, "Kind sir, would you please allow
My mother here to speak"
His honor then consented
While the boy hung down his head
And turning to the jurymen
These words his mother said:

    "Remember I'm a widow
    And the prisoner is my son
    And gentlemen, remember
    It is the first crime he has done
    Don't send my boy to prison
    For that would drive me mad
    Remember I'm a widow
    And I'm pleading for my lad"

The widow's eyes were flashing fire
And her cheeks turned deathly pale
"The reason why I'm here today
Is to save my boy from jail
Although I know he's guilty
And I know his crime is bad
But remember I'm his mother
And I'm pleading for my lad"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Don't send my boy to prison
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 02:45 PM

Hi, JC - where did you find those lyrics?
I'm guessing you found it here: http://world.std.com/~gdallal/poole/Mothers_Plea_for_Her_Son.txt. - which means it may come from Charlie Poole...
-Joe Offer-

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Mother's Plea for Her Son: by Lewis Hall, published in 1893 as The Widow's Plea for Her Son

---

MP3 here (allegedly).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Don't send my boy to prison
From: Peace
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 06:46 PM

www.mustrad.org.uk/reviews/bennett.htm

Some history on it there.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Don't send my boy to prison
From: Peace
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 06:55 PM

That was also the A side of a 78 record, the B side of which was "She Was Poor But She Was Honest" recorded by Billy Bennett.

"N4307 BILLY BENNETT
Don't send my boy to prison/She was poor but she was honest
RE MR147"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Don't send my boy to prison
From: GUEST,J C
Date: 03 Mar 06 - 04:04 AM

"I'm guessing you found it here: http://world.std.com/~gdallal/poole/Mothers_Plea_for_Her_Son.txt."

Yup

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Don't send my boy to prison
From: GUEST,Lighter
Date: 03 Mar 06 - 06:21 PM

What about

"Don't send my boy to Harvard," the dying mother said.
"Don't send my boy to Harvard! I'd rather see him dead!
Send him to Columbia, to Princeton, or Cornell,
But don't send my boy to Harvard! I'd see him first in hell!"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Don't send my boy to prison
From: Billy Weeks
Date: 04 Mar 06 - 09:09 AM

Don't 'ang my 'arry
For 'e is my only son
Don't 'ang my 'arry
For a murder what 'e never done.
Don't take'im from me
We never could bear to part.
Remember that when
You're breakin''is neck
You're breakin''is pore muvver's 'eart.

Probably irrelevant to this thread, but it just reminded me...

Sorry I can't provide an American translation.

Subject: Lyr Add: PARODY ON WIDOW'S PLEA FOR HER SON
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 08 Mar 06 - 09:42 AM

The Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project, which Joe Offer linked to above, is a worthy site to bookmark. I couldn't find the original WIDOW'S PLEA FOR HER SON there, but I found this (my transcription from the mp3 file):

PARODY ON WIDOW'S PLEA FOR HER SON
As sung by Will F. Denny,
6602: Edison Gold Moulded Record, [1902?]

One morning in the courthouse, a boy stood up for trial.
His father stood beside him. On his face, there was a smile.
The old man told the jury: "That was not my only son,
But I have got three more like him and I'll bring them one by one.

This boy was born on Sunday and I'll tell you, he's a beaut.
He'll take anything that isn't nailed, and never tells the truth."
The boy took out a cigarette and the jury near fell dead.
When he struck his father for a match, the old man loudly said:

"Remember, I'm his father, and his mother is my wife.
Don't let him off with ten years, but send him up for life;
And when he's tired of living, just keep him there for fun.
There's no one more ... than a father on his son."

Now the boy spoke to His Honor and he said: "Well, judge, you see,
Just let my father here go home and bring the other three.
The other ones are crooked; why, they can't lay straight in bed.
They'd steal the whiskers off your chin and they'd put hair on your head."

The jurymen all fainted and the boy called out for beer.
The judge he stood upon his head and the wind blew through his ear.
And now there's thirteen funerals, for the jurymen are dead,
And the judge lived twenty minutes; then, before he died, he said:

"My boy, you are a daisy. Through others don't be done.
No matter who your father was, you are your mother's son."
And as the old judge neared the end, before he met his death,
He shook his head and softly said with his last dying breath:

"My boy, you are a daisy. Through others don't be done.
No matter who your father was, you are your mother's son.
And if ever you get married, just have one boy for fun,
And if he's a sport, don't go to court, but kill the son-of-a-gun."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Don't Send My Boy to Prison
From: GUEST,Cornell 61
Date: 16 Nov 07 - 05:48 PM

Don't send my boy to Harvard, the dying mother said,
Don't send my boy to Syracussssssssssssssse,
I'd rather se him dead.
But sendmy boy to princeton,
Or better still Cornell,
But as for Pennsylvania....I'd ee him first in Hell!