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12 Sep 08 - 05:51 PM (#2438755) Subject: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: GUEST,Bob Coltman www.immortalia.com prints the 1945 Song Book of the Wild Hares. It has a number of good bawdy songs in it, including this one. I have seen only one other reference to "Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann." But the reference makes it sound like it is reasonably well known. Does anyone know any more of this? It does not appear in Cray's Erotic Muse or in the Legman/Randolph collection. Could it be a parody of a pop song? I'm still looking but I haven't found any that might be its source. Anyone know any variants? More verses? -- Bob PULL YOUR SHADES DOWN MARY ANN As "Mary Ann" in the Song Book of the Wild Hares, Marine Corps, 1945. Pull your shades down, Mary Ann, Pull your shades down, Mary Ann, Late last night by the pale moonlight, I saw you, I saw you, You were combing your golden hair, You were changing your underwear, If you want to keep your secrets from your future man, Pull your shades down, Mary Ann. |
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12 Sep 08 - 06:20 PM (#2438787) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: Q (Frank Staplin) May be a college parody. There is a version at the Montclair State University website. Pull your shades down Marianne (2x) I was out last night by the pale moonlight And I saw you, yes I saw you You were combing your lovely hair It was hanging upon a chair If you want to keep a secret By the pale moonlight Pull your shades down Marianne Posted at Alumni Online Community site by a member of the class of 1951. |
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12 Sep 08 - 07:17 PM (#2438831) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: GUEST,JeffB Isn't this a parody of the English music-hall song "Hold your hand out, you naughty boy." ? Haven't got any words handy unfortunately. |
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12 Sep 08 - 07:35 PM (#2438842) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: GUEST,JeffB A quick trawl of the Net has come up with only one verse. It's the only verse I've ever heard but there must have been others. In fact, it could well have just been the chorus. Quite a number of these old songs had long verses telling improbable stories to rather vague tunes, with punchline-type choruses with great tunes that everyone remembered. E.g. Lily of Laguna, My old man said follow the van, Knocked 'em in the Old Kent Road. Hold your hand out, you naughty boy! Hold your hand out, you naughty boy! Last night in the pale moonlight I saw you! I saw you! With a nice girl in the park, you were strolling in the dark, and you told me that you'd never kissed a girl before, Hold your hand out, you naughty boy! |
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12 Sep 08 - 08:10 PM (#2438868) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: Joe_F thread.cfm?threadid=31970 has some further data here & there. |
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12 Sep 08 - 11:31 PM (#2438941) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: Q (Frank Staplin) The WW1 verses also look like parodies based on a popular song. Dolph gives two versions. Here is one, attributed to Lt. Gitz Rice, 1915: Keep your head down, Fritzie Boy, Keep your head down, Fritzie Boy, Last night, in the pale moonlight, I saw you, I saw you, You were fixing your barb' wire When we opened rapid fire. If you want to see your Vater und der Vaterland, Keep your head down, Fritzie Boy. E. A. Dolph, 1929, "Sound Off!" Soldier songs from the Revolution to World War II, p. 145. The other, also a single verse, begins "Hold your head down, fusileer," |
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12 Sep 08 - 11:37 PM (#2438945) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: The Fooles Troupe "Mary Ann" Also brings to mind the parodies on the song "All Day, All Night, Mary Ann Down by the seaside, sifting sand" ... I'll leave the rest to your imagination... but suspect there may have been some crossovers... |
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13 Sep 08 - 12:14 AM (#2438965) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: Q (Frank Staplin) Can't find a precursor so far. Barnyard Dance Called traditional, UK. A few lines- Late last night in the pale moonlight All the vegetables give a spree. They put out a sign saying dancing at nine And all the admissions was free. ------------------------------------------------ Many of these late last night verses- Late last night, When the moon shone bright, Felt dizzy about my head. Rapped on my door, Heard my baby roar, "Honey, I'se gone to bed!" etc. From Scarborough, On the Trail of Negro Folk-Songs. ---------------------------- "Hold Your Hand Out, Naughty Boy," written 1913, C. W. Murphy & Worton David, was a staple of Florrie Ford, although others copied her. See Michael Kilgarriff, "Sing Us One of the Old Songs," Oxford Univ. Press. May be related to "Hold Your Hand Out," a routine of Bernard Russell, but I haven't seen it anywhere. |
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19 Mar 09 - 11:17 PM (#2593088) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: GUEST,Old Lady Here's the version my mom taught to me: Pull your shades down, Mary Anne Pull your shades down, Mary Anne Last night when the moon was bright I saw you, I saw you. You were combing your yellow hair You were changing your underwear If you want the admiration of a democratic nation Pull your shades down, Mary Anne! |
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13 May 09 - 09:02 AM (#2630768) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: GUEST,Bob Coltman So to summarize, it appears "Pull/Keep Your Shades Down, Mary Ann" is a parody of "Hold Your Hand Out, You Naughty Boy." (As is "Keep Your Head Down, Fritzie Boy.") Speaking personally, my main interest is in "Pull Your Shades Down, Mary Ann." Excluding the earlier and later "Mary Ann" songs (there are several) ... Has anyone ever heard any more verses to the "Pull Your Shades Down, Mary Ann" song? If you have, would you please post them? Thanks! Bob |
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30 May 09 - 01:46 PM (#2644257) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: GUEST,Another old lady Some research into WWI reminded me of those old songs. My mother, who was a very proper lady, had the same lyrics to Fritzie Boy but Mary Ann was slightly different. Keep your shade down, Mary Ann, Keep your shade down, Mary Ann, Last night by the pale moonlight I saw you, I saw you. You were combing your auburn hair, It was hanging upon a chair. If you want to keep a secret from your future man, Keep your shades down, Mary Ann. |
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27 Jun 09 - 05:52 PM (#2666117) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: GUEST Pull your shades down, Mary Ann Pull your shades down, Mary Ann Hang your hair on the back of a Chair Pull your shades down, Mary Ann |
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29 Jul 09 - 09:40 PM (#2690052) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: GUEST,Sophia Lewis Hi all! Gotta love Google -- I was wondering about this song myself, and found the thread here. I had heard it from my grandmother, who's currently in her 80's. She had sung it in a barbershop quartet easily 20 years ago, and the typical tight harmonies of that style always come to mind when I hear the tune -- indeed the same melody as "Hold Your Hand Out, You Naughty Boy." When I got the chance I sent her an email asking for any information she could provide, recalling that I had seen it written as "Marianne." Here's what she had for me: ----- The title is right. The song went as I rememmber it: Pull your shades down Marianne Pull your shades down Marianne If you want to keep your secrets from your future man Pull your shades down Marianne She was combing her golden hair Then she hung it upon a chair If you want to keep your secrets from your future man Pull your shades down Marianne I was admiring her eyes of blue, Then she took one of them out too, If you want to keep your secrets from your future man Pull your shades down Marianne She was touching her pretty leg, Then she hung it upon a peg, If you want to keep your secrets from your future man Pull your shades down Marianne This was a song one of the barbershop group knew from her childhood, and she taught it to us. I am sure that I don't have all the small words correctly, but they are close. You might go on the internet and see if others my age remember? Hope this helps! ----- Likewise, I hope this helps in terms of more verses; it's not much but she said she'd had a blast making it into a stage skit some time ago with all the various props for taking out the eye, removing the leg, etc. and a girl acting out the lyrics as they were sung, having a sharp backlight to cast a silhouette. |
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23 Oct 09 - 02:39 PM (#2751220) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: GUEST,Bob Coltman I did some more research, and I think it's conclusive that "Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann" is a parody of the Andrews Sisters' 1940s hit "Keep Your Skirts Down Mary Ann." That in turn was a remake of the Billy Murray-Aileen Stanley rendition dating back to the teens of the 20th century. Murray and Stanley did it as an Irish humor specialty, more or less talking their way through the lyrics. It was the Andrews Sisters who slowed the song down, made it swingy, and provided the framework for the "Pull Your Shades Down" parody. Thanks Sophia for your grandmother's words! (Sorry I didn't respond before this, but life took me away from this board for extended times this past summer). What fun it must have been to see that skit. Your grandmother's lyrics stem from what some have called the "dismantled bride" tradition, which brought us classics like Jimmy Driftwood's "Unfortunate Man (The Warranty Deed)," "After the Ball Was Over" (Mary Took Out Her Glass Eye)," "Burglar Man," etc. etc. I'd never heard this one before. Bob |
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24 Oct 09 - 08:11 AM (#2751614) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: GUEST,Bob Coltman I should qualify my message above, because "Pull Your Shades Down, Mary Ann" is not just a parody of one song. It seems to be one of the few that parody * two * songs simultaneously. On the one hand, it seems clear that "Pull Your Shades" is based on the framework of "Keep Your Head Down Fritzie Boy." It has the "I saw you, I saw you" and other lines that fit exactly. On the other hand the specific lyrics of "Pull Your Shades" seem to be inspired by the Andrews Sisters' "Keep Your Skirts Down, Mary Ann," which was current on radio in the early to mid-1940s when this parody was apparently invented. That leaves us with a problem. Did the Marines who sang "Pull Your Shades Down, Mary Ann" sing it to the tune of "Fritzie," the tune of "Skirt," or a combination of the two? Can anyone do an ABC of the tune they've heard sung to "Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann?" That might answer the question. Thanks! Bob |
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24 Oct 09 - 09:41 AM (#2751649) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: Lighter Bob, "Pull Your Shades Down, Mary Ann" was sung during WWI. That lets out the Andrews Sisters. See, for example, Katherine Mayo, "That Damn Y," 1920, p. 112: "Why —let's see — 'Pull Your Shades Down, Mary Ann! That 'll cheer 'em up." The "Naughty Boy" tune was apparently often played by brass bands. |
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24 Oct 09 - 12:21 PM (#2751719) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: GUEST,Bob Coltman Lighter—thanks! Till now I hadn't been able to find evidence of "Pull Your Shades" earlier than the 40s. So it still could stem in part from the Billy Murray-Aileen Stanley "Keep Your Skirts Down Mary Ann" but, as you say, has to be 1920 or more probably previous. Bob |
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24 Oct 09 - 12:45 PM (#2751730) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: Lighter Bob, Mayo's is just one of several immediately postwar references that place "Mary Ann" no later than 1918. |
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24 Oct 09 - 06:25 PM (#2751994) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: GUEST,Bob Coltman Yes, it now seems as if the "Pull Your Shades Down, Mary Ann" was a WWI song — and that it was solely based on "Keep Your Head Down, Fritzie Boy." The big determinant for me was finding that the Billy Murray and Aileen Stanley Victor recording of "Keep Your Skirts Down, Mary Ann" (their spelling)was *later." The info I have is that it was recorded and issued in 1925. So (unless that duo recorded it earlier in their careers as well ... or unless they were covering another earlier version dating to WWI), "Skirts" cannot have had any formative influence on "Pull Your Shades Down" as I'd first thought. This raises the possibility that "Fritzie" was first, "Pull Your Shades Down, Mary Ann" came as a parody of that, and the Murray-Stanley "Keep Your Skirts Down, Mary Ann" was a pop-market makeover of "Pull Your Shades Down." It wouldn't be the first time the bawdy song came first — "Lavender Blue," "Sweet Violets," "The Fireship/Roving Kind" and lots of others were cleaned up for the pop market. So we're left where we were before, wondering what tune was used for "Pull Your Shades Down." As of now, it looks like "Fritzie Boy" is the only candidate left. Bob |
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24 Oct 09 - 06:46 PM (#2752006) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: GUEST,Bob Coltman ... And the trail may indeed end at the song "Hold Your Hand Out, You Naughty Boy," as cited in one of the messages above. That song was published in 1914 by Clarence Wainwright Murphy and Worton David. My best guess is that the tune as sung by Cogan is the original tune to "Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann." No way to confirm it absolutely, but that's my best guess. My apologies for seeming to yank this discussion all over the place ... but that's how this song has been yanking me. I plan to sing the song to the "Naughty Boy" tune and be done with it. Unless I learn anything more that tears up all the previous, I stand pat. With my shades down. Bob |
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24 Oct 09 - 07:19 PM (#2752020) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: GUEST,Bob Coltman One more thing. Cogan belts the song, and in doing so distorts it colorfully. To hear "Hold Your Hand Out, Naughty Boy" as it originally was, you can listen to the full 1913 recording, with verses, as debuted by Florrie Forde in the London music hall at Internet Archive: http://ia341009.us.archive.org/0/items/CollectedWorksOfFlorrieForde/HoldYourHandOutNaughtyBoy1913.mp3 Bob |
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27 Mar 12 - 05:29 PM (#3329813) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: GUEST,a friend Pull your shades down MaryAnn, Pull your shades down, MaryAnn, Last night by the candlelight, I saw you, I saw you. You were combing your golden hair, It was hanging on a chair, If you want to keep your secrets from your future man, Pull your shades down, MaryAnn |
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29 Mar 12 - 08:23 AM (#3330572) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: GUEST,HABBY Sorry - Pull your shades down Maryann came long before the Andrews sisters - 1940. My family of 'UNCLES" were harmonizing this song in the late '30's that i know of and i was only 4. The words i know are - Pull your shades down Maryann,(twice), the other night by the pale moonlight - i saw you, i saw you -you were combing your golden hair - as you sat in your underwear (your rocking chair), if you want to keep a secret from your future beau - pull your shades down maryann. |
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29 Mar 12 - 11:44 AM (#3330651) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: EBarnacle Whoa! Bob's postings cite a 1914 copyright date and a 1913 recording. |
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29 Mar 12 - 12:29 PM (#3330669) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: GUEST,Lighter "Naughty Boy" by Murphy & David was copyrighted on Oct. 15, 1913, seemingly at the same time in Washington and London. |
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08 Dec 13 - 08:10 PM (#3582730) Subject: Lyr Add: HOLD YOUR HAND OUT, NAUGHTY BOY From: Jim Dixon These lyrics are copied from Monologues.co.uk. Publication data is from The British Library: HOLD YOUR HAND OUT, NAUGHTY BOY Words and music by C. W. Murphy & Worton David London: Francis, Day & Hunter, ©1913. 1. At the club one ev'ning, Jones was telling all his pals How much he hated girls Despite their golden curls. "You wouldn't catch me with a girl, you bet your life," said he. "Girls possess no charm for me." Then one chap there at Jones began to leer, Picked up his cane, and said to him, "Come here. CHORUS: "Hold your hand out, naughty boy. Hold your hand out, naughty boy. Last night in the pale moonlight I saw you; I saw you With a nice girl in the park. You were strolling full of joy, And you told her you'd never kissed a girl before. Hold your hand out, naughty boy." 2. Brown got down to breakfast, and his wife said to him: "What kept you late last night?" He answered, "That's all right, I stayed down at the office, dear, just for an hour or two. I'd some pressing work to do." Just then the saucy servant standing near Bent down and whispered in his ear:h—CHORUS 3. Sanctimonious Obadiah to sweetheart May one night The tale was telling strong. Said he: "To flirt is wrong." "And am I then the only girl you've loved?" said darling May. He replied: "Yea, sister, yea." Then from beneath the sofa near the fire Her little brother shouted: "Obadiah,—CHORUS 4. All alone to Gay Paree on business went papa, And when he landed back, His wife said, "Tell me, Jack, While you have been in Paris, have you always thought of me?" "Always darling", murmured he. "For you, love, I've been pining night and day." And then the gramophone began to play:—CHORUS [This music-hall song was recorded by Florri Forde and by Kate Moore. Gitz Rice wrote a parody called "Keep Your Head Down, Fritzie Boy" that became popular during WWI. (Click the link to see the lyrics posted in another thread.)] |
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16 Feb 14 - 02:55 PM (#3602019) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: GUEST,Viki My grandfather sang: Keep your shades down Maryann Keep your shades down Maryann Last night by the pale moonlight I saw you, I saw you. You were sitting in a chair You were combing your auburn hair If you want to keep your secrets from your future man Keep your shades down Maryann. He always followed with K-k-katie. Which led me to believe it was from WWI. |
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22 Jun 14 - 06:41 AM (#3635534) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: GUEST My grandfather sang the song like this: Keep your shades down Maryann Keep your shades down Maryann It was late last night By the pale moon light I saw you I saw you You were combing your auburn hair It was laying on a chair Of You want to keep your secrets from your future man Keep your shades down Maryann |
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22 Jun 14 - 06:42 AM (#3635535) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: GUEST,Jody My grandfather sang the song like this: Keep your shades down Maryann Keep your shades down Maryann It was late last night By the pale moon light I saw you I saw you You were combing your auburn hair It was laying on a chair Of You want to keep your secrets from your future man Keep your shades down Maryann |
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22 Jun 14 - 06:47 AM (#3635537) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: GUEST,Jody My grandfather sang the song like this: Keep your shades down Maryann Keep your shades down Maryann It was late last night By the pale moon light I saw you I saw you You were combing your auburn hair It was laying on a chair Of You want to keep your secrets from your future man Keep your shades down Maryann |
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22 Jun 14 - 08:58 AM (#3635565) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: GUEST,# http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2206&dat=19610815&id=u4Y1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=ROkFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5603,7104619 From August, 1961. |
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30 Jul 16 - 06:17 PM (#3802794) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: GUEST,Mary F. Ludvigsen My father, who was born in 1893 and volunteered to serve in WWI, sang the "Mary Ann" song like this: "Pull your shades down, Mary Ann (who could be seen combing her golden hair, which was haning upon a chair) continued like this: "if you want to keep your secrets from your future man, Pull your shades down, Mary Ann!" My father attached that ditty to this one: Keep your head down, Alamein! Keep your head down, Alamein! Last night in the pale moon light, We saw you ... We saw you! You were mending your broken wire - As we opened rapid fire! If you want to see your father in the father-land, keep your head down, Alamein!" Note: The broken wire refers to trench which separated the two opponoents. When he returned safely to America (home was in Cliffs, Idaho), a party was held in his honor, and he sang those two songs. One lady sniffed at the vulgarity. He told her, "These were the "clean" ones. You would not want to hear some of the others.! |
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17 Dec 16 - 03:13 PM (#3827112) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: GUEST,Linda Iltis I have a video recording of my grandfather, Leon Iltis Madison Wisconsin), playing this on piano and singing back in 1983. He said he wanted to play some army songs. He was also born in 1893 and served in WWI, and became a piano professor at University of Wisconsin. He played army songs for Kiwanis. The words he sang were: Pull your shades down, Mary Ann. Pull your shades down, Mary Ann. Last night in the pale moon light I saw you. I saw you. You were combing your golden hair It was hanging upon the chair If you want to keep your secrets from your soldier man Pull your shades down, Mary Ann. I'm wondering whether there is a connection with another song sung to the same tune in the 1920s and by the Anderson Sisters "Pull your skirts down Mary Ann"? |
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11 Aug 17 - 04:26 PM (#3871073) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: GUEST My grandmother used to sing this (she was born in 1891.) Pull the blinds down Mary Ann, pull the blinds down Mary Ann. Late last night in the pale moonlight, I saw ya, I saw ya, You were combin' your auburn hair It was hangin' aback the chair. If you want to keep your secret from your true lovin' man, Pull the blinds down, Mary Ann. |
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11 Nov 18 - 10:10 PM (#3961276) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: GUEST,guest My great uncle, who was from Italy but earned his US citizenship by fighting for us in WW1 used to sing this song, with his Italian accent as the lyrics below, however I was very young so can only remember the following lyrics: Keep your shades down Marianne Last night when the moon was bright I saw You I saw You |
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11 Apr 20 - 07:55 PM (#4045428) Subject: RE: Origin: Pull Your Shades Down Mary Ann From: GUEST,guest My Grampa sang these verses, as I remember them, to me in 1950 when he was 60 years old. Keep your shades down Mary Ann Keep your shades down Mary Ann Last night I saw you I saw you You were combing your golden hair It was hanging from a chair So from now on in the future if you want to keep your secrets Keep your shades down Mary Ann Keep your head down Fritzi boy Keep your head down Fritzi boy Last night we saw you we saw you You were bending the barbed wire (a soldier would BEND the barbed wire to crawl under it) Just before we opened fire ..... (not sure about the rest) |
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27 May 20 - 12:11 AM (#4055399) Subject: Lyr Add: KEEP YOUR SKIRTS DOWN MARY ANN From: Jim Dixon From the sheet music at York University (Toronto): KEEP YOUR SKIRTS DOWN, MARY ANN Words by Andrew B. Sterling, music by Robert King & Ray Henderson, ©1925.) 1. "Mary Ann, Mary Ann, I'm ashamed your name's McCann." "What's the matter, mama dear?" "Mary Ann, come over here. Faith, is that the dress you bought?" "Mother dear, they wear 'em short." "You'll get pinched if you get caught. Take this tip from me: CHORUS 1: Keep your skirts down; keep your skirts down. Keep your skirts down, Mary Ann. Just because you have a dimple on your knee, Don't think it was put there for the world to see. Keep your skirts down; keep 'em way down When you sit down, if you can. You'd make any man at all a nervous wreck. Remember you can wear your beads around your neck. Keep your skirts down; keep your skirts down. Going up, keep 'em down, Mary Ann. 2. "Mary Ann, Mary Ann, Faith, you'll never get a man." "Oh! I'll grab one, mama dear." "Mary Ann, just listen here: Men like the old-fashioned kind." "Mama dear, some men aren't blind." "Not with you to walk behind. When the north wind blows— CHORUS 2: Keep your skirts down; keep your skirts down. Keep your skirts down, Mary Ann. You won't catch a fellow with your stockings rolled. All that you will ever catch will be a cold. Keep your skirts down; keep 'em way down When you sit down, if you can. You must stop the traffic when you cross Broadway. It's getting tougher for the blind men ev'ry day. Keep your skirts down; keep your skirts down. Going up, keep 'em down, Mary Ann. - - - Recordings were made by: Aileen Stanley & Billy Murray, Victor (19795-A), 1925. Billy Jones and Ernest Hare, Banner (1670), 1925. Missouri Jazz Hounds, Domino (3647), 1925. Arthur Fields, Bell (390-B), 1926. ? This one sticks closest to the sheet music. Volunteer Firemen, Brunswick (3041-A), 1926. Johnny Long and His Orchestra, King (15112-AA), 1951. The Andrews Sisters on "The Dancing 20's" 1958. |