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15 May 07 - 10:11 AM (#2052341) Subject: Lyr Req: 'My Old Man was a man like Lincoln'.... From: GUEST,Robin Greenstein hello all, I learned a song when I was 11 or 12. It went like this: (C)"My Old Man was a man like Lincoln (C) My Old Man, he wasn't big or strong (C7) My Old (F) Man was a man like (C)Lincoln Cause he (G) knew right from (C) wrong" I think it's possibly a Tom Paxton song? Looking for the rest of it. (it's a lovely ballad, by the way). Thanks for your help! Robin in NYC robinpg@aol.com |
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15 May 07 - 10:15 AM (#2052343) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'My Old Man was a man like Lincoln'.... From: Peace Sandy Paton sings that song. |
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15 May 07 - 01:15 PM (#2052476) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'My Old Man was a man like Lincoln'.... From: Grab (To the tune of "My old man's a dustman") My old man's a Lincoln, He wears a stovepipe hat, He wears corblimey whiskers And he lives in a big log hut. Not that one, I presume...? ;-) |
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15 May 07 - 09:04 PM (#2052994) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'My Old Man was a man like Lincoln'.. From: dick greenhaus Bettt Sanders used to sing this. I think it was in the old People's Song Book, but I can't locate my copy. |
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15 May 07 - 10:36 PM (#2053044) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'My Old Man was a man like Lincoln'.... From: Peace "The People's Song Book" is on e-bay. Starting bid is $9.95. No bids so far. Closes May 17, FYI. Link here. |
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15 May 07 - 10:38 PM (#2053046) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'My Old Man was a man like Lincoln'.... From: Peace PS I Googled "My Old Man Was a Man Like Lincoln" (in the quotation marks), and the only two places it shows up being mentioned under that title is on two Mudcat threads. |
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16 May 07 - 12:51 AM (#2053159) Subject: ADD: My Old Man (Boudin and Kent) From: Joe Offer I'd swear I've heard Sandy Paton sing this, but I couldn't find it on a recording. Of course, there are lots of "My Old Man" songs. I couldn't find it in The People's Song Book, either. I did find it in the pink Collected Reprints from Sing Out! (1959-1964) book. My Old Man (by Jean Boudin and Paul Kent, 1947) My old man was a man like Lincoln... My old man wasn't big and strong, My old man was just like Lincoln 'Cause he knew right from wrong. My old man never seen the White House, Never made a speech on Capitol Hill, But he shone just like a light-house -- When wrong was done, he wouldn't be still. My old man, he punched a steel press; Couldn't buy his wife a fancy gown. All he had was troubles and distress, And the folks he loved in that little steel town. Folks got laid off, paychecks grew thinner; But that steel boss kept on growing fat. Couldn't pay no rent, kids had no dinner -- The steel boss said, "Don't care about that." My old man heard his children crying, Saw his neighbor's wife just sway and fall. My old man wasn't one for dying -- He sent out a union call. Steel bosses heard of all that meetin', Called their goons and finks and thugs to town, Tossed a tear bomb for a greetin', Took my old man and clubbed him down. They dragged him off behind the quarry. Asked for names, he gave them his alone. The night was cold, the skies were starry, When they crushed his skull with a ton of stone. My old man was just like Lincoln, 'Cause he fought to make his union strong; Lived and died, just like Lincoln, Fightin' to make right from wrong. |
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16 May 07 - 09:14 PM (#2054109) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'My Old Man was a man like Lincoln'.... From: Peace Way cool. Good one, Joe. |
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16 May 07 - 09:43 PM (#2054131) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'My Old Man was a man like Lincoln'.... From: bbc Yes, Sandy definitely sings it & well! best, bbc |
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18 May 07 - 08:57 PM (#2056040) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'My Old Man was a man like Lincoln'.. From: Joe Offer Yeah, but did Sandy record it? Where? -Joe- |
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18 May 07 - 10:49 PM (#2056118) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'My Old Man was a man like Lincoln'.... From: Sandy Paton No, I've not recorded it. I've thought about it, and would certainly include it on any future recording because it's a song that moves me very deeply. I'm not sure where I learned it, lo, those many decades ago, but my memory (which is often faulty) tells me that I heard Walt Robertson sing it back in my Seattle days. Perhaps Deckman can confirm that Walt sang it. A few years ago, Caroline and I were asked to participate in a Father's Day program up at the Cafe Lena in Saratoga Springs. We were rummaging through our memories for "father" songs and I brought this one up from the depths. Caroline and i had been married and singing together for over forty-five years and she had never heard me sing it. That's how long I had neglected it. Since then, I've sung it a number of times, and almost always find myself becoming over-emotional by the time i finish the last verse. I suspect that the reaction is stimulated by the pride the son has in his father's courageous refusal to name others who were involved in the organization of the union. My own father and I didn't see eye-to-eye on anything and, indeed, there were many years when we didn't communicate at all. But then I learned from one of my sisters that he, a retired military man, was strongly opposed to the war in Vietnam and was even taking part in marches (pushing my mother in a wheelchair ahead of him) against the war -- and in San Diego, of all places, a thoroughly military town. I wrote to him for the first time in a couple of decades and we were able to ignore past disagreements and difficulties and communicate once again. It was pretty hard at first, I must admit, as our relationship had generated a lot of pain. I asked him what had changed him from an advocate of bombing Russia off of the face of the earth into a peacenik marching in protest of the Vietnam war. He told me that during his thirty years in the service, he rarely had a chance to read, but that after he retired he began to read and that had truly changed his thinking about a lot of things. Gawdamighty! I'm getting emotional just writing about it. Dad lived to be a hundred years old, so we had a few years to make amends. Many dark corners to explore in the new light. I guess that explains my attachment to the song. More, by far, than you wanted to know, I'm sure. Sandy |
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18 May 07 - 10:53 PM (#2056123) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'My Old Man was a man like Lincoln'.. From: Joe Offer Nope. Exactly what we wanted to know, Sandy. Thanks for stopping by. -Joe- |
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18 May 07 - 11:41 PM (#2056140) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'My Old Man was a man like Lincoln'.. From: katlaughing Exactly! More would be most welcome, SandyGramps. Good to *see* you!! |
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28 May 12 - 07:03 PM (#3356584) Subject: ADD: My Old Man (was a man like Lincoln) From: GUEST,Jeanne It predates Paxton by some years - my friends and I sang it as teenagers back in the late fifties. Here are the lyrics - I have no idea who wrote it. as we used to say, it is a folk song. My Old Man (was a man like Lincoln) My old man was a man like Lincoln; My old man he wasn't big and strong, But my old man was just like Lincoln, Because he knew the right from wrong. My old man; he punched a steel press; Couldn't afford to buy his wife a fancy gown; All he had was trouble and distress, And the folks that he loved in that little steel town. Folks got laid off; pay checks grew thinner. But that steel boss kept on getting fat. Couldn't buy no milk; kids had no dinner. Steel boss said, "I don't care about that." My old man heard his children crying; He saw his neighbor's wife just sway and fall. My old man wasn't one for dying. He sent out a union call. Steel bosses heard about that meeting. They sent their goons and ginks and thugs to town. Tossed some tear gas for a greeting; Took my old man and clubbed him down. They took him off behind the quarry. The asked for names; he gave them his alone. The night was cold; the sky was starry When they crushed his skull with a ton of stone. My old man was a man like Lincoln Because he fought to make his union strong. He lived and died just like Lincoln Fighting to keep the right from wrong. My old man was a man like Lincoln; My old man he wasn't big and strong, But my old man was just like Lincoln, Because he knew the right from wrong. My old man; he punched a steel press; Couldn't afford to buy his wife a fancy gown; All he had was trouble and distress, And the folks that he loved in that little steel town. Folks got laid off; pay checks grew thinner. But that steel boss kept on getting fat. Couldn't buy no milk; kids had no dinner. Steel boss said, "I don't care about that." My old man heard his children crying; He saw his neighbor's wife just sway and fall. My old man wasn't one for dying. He sent out a union call. Steel bosses heard about that meeting. They sent their goons and ginks and thugs to town. Tossed some tear gas for a greeting; Took my old man and clubbed him down. They took him off behind the quarry. The asked for names; he gave them his alone. The night was cold; the sky was starry When they crushed his skull with a ton of stone. My old man was a man like Lincoln Because he fought to make his union strong. He lived and died just like Lincoln Fighting to keep the right from wrong. |
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12 Aug 23 - 11:34 AM (#4179030) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Old Man (was a man like Lincoln) From: GUEST,david bernz Thank you Mudcat folks for helping keep a great old song like this alive. I was asked to sing at a memorial for my cousin's father who loved this song and was always asking me to play it, but neither of us could remember all the words so we had to settle for just the first verse. Now at the memorial, I will be able to sin the song for him. David |