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Folk song duets

23 Apr 00 - 08:53 PM (#216761)
Subject: Folk song duets
From: GUEST,bpelsor@seidata.com

Wanted: Folk Songs for male/female duet arrangement, preferably comedy.

[Many song titles in this thread have been converted to links by a Mudelf.]

23 Apr 00 - 10:02 PM (#216778)
Subject: RE: Folk song duets
From: MMario

There are a few I can think of off the top of my head, but I don't know if you would consider them "folk". Lemmee think some more and I will post tomorrow...

23 Apr 00 - 10:22 PM (#216787)
Subject: RE: Folk song duets
From: Amos

Find some old Flanders And Swann LPs with songs like "I'm a Gnu". I think they did the Bawdy SOngs number about wallowing in the throes of fornication on one of their LPs, too.

24 Apr 00 - 11:23 AM (#216995)
Subject: RE: Folk song duets
From: Uncle_DaveO

MY BUCKET'S GOT A HOLE IN IT.

Where Are You A-Going, MY GOOD OLD MAN? (sort of)

Whatcha Gonna Do When the Well Runs Dry? [=SUGAR BABE?]

All I can think of at this instant.

Dave Oesterreich

24 Apr 00 - 11:33 AM (#217004)
Subject: RE: Folk song duets
From: MMario

nope - sorry, lots of sad ones that could be done as duets, but I can't think of any comic ones.

24 Apr 00 - 11:38 AM (#217007)
Subject: RE: Folk song duets
From: Vixen

The CRAWDAD Song (aka "Whatcha gonna do when the creek runs dry)

JENNY JENKINS a.k.a. JINNY JINKINS, a.k.a. What will ya wear o my dear o my dear

V

24 Apr 00 - 01:23 PM (#217087)
Subject: RE: Folk song duets
From: JamesJim

Not sure of the title:

MAN - (in a drunken voice) "I came home the other night, as drunk as I could be
and I saw a horse in the stable, where my horse ought to be.
I says to my wife, my pretty little wife, explain this thing to me.
What's this horse doing here in the stable, where my horse ought to be? She said,
WOMAN - You old fool, you blind fool, can't you plainly see,
it's nothing but a milk cow my mother sent to me.
MAN - Well I've travelled this wide world over, 10,000 miles are more,
but a saddle and bridle on a milk cow, I never did see before -
but a saddle and a bridle on a milk cow, I never did see before."

It goes on, "I came home the next night, as drunk as I could be
and I saw a hat on the hat rack where my hat ought to be.
I says to my wife, my pretty little wife, explain this thing to me.
What's this hat doing here on the hat rack, where my hat ought to be?
She says, you old fool, you blind fool, can't you plainly see,
it's nothing but a chamber pot my mother sent to me.
Well I've travelled this wide world over, 10,000 miles or more,
but a J.B. Stetson chamber pot, I never did see before -
but, a J.B. Stetson chamber pot, I never did see before.

The last two verses:

"I saw some pants upon the chair, where my pants ought to be.
And the woman replies: Nothing but a dish towel my mother sent to me.
Man says: Travelled, etc.,
but cuffs and a zipper on a dish towel, I never did see before (twice)."

I saw a head upon the pillow where my head ought to be.
Woman: Nothing but a cabbage head my mother sent to me.
Man says: but a moustache on a cabbage head, I never did see before (twice).

To end the song you simply say, "I guess I had better stop there."

Maybe someone can help with the title.

Jim

24 Apr 00 - 01:28 PM (#217089)
Subject: RE: Folk song duets
From: Sorcha

REUBEN AND RACHEL

24 Apr 00 - 01:29 PM (#217090)
Subject: RE: Folk song duets
From: MMario

Seven nights drunk...or FIVE NIGHTS DRUNK...or goodman...

24 Apr 00 - 02:23 PM (#217118)
Subject: RE: Folk song duets
From: Jeremiah McCaw

Contemporary: check out John Prine's "IN SPITE OF OURSELVES" (sung as a duet with Iris Dement).

24 Apr 00 - 02:45 PM (#217129)
Subject: RE: Folk song duets
From: Bert

Oh SOLDIER, SOLDIER
and Oh No John [=NO, JOHN, NO]

24 Apr 00 - 06:31 PM (#217261)
Subject: RE: Folk song duets
From: vindelis

How about Green and Yeller [=GREEN AND YELLA] -(Where have you been all day - 'enery my son? etc).
THE KEEPER -(On the Digitrad)
There is now a Flanders and Swann website complete with discography and lyrics to a lot of their songs.

24 Apr 00 - 08:57 PM (#217331)
Subject: RE: Folk song duets
From: GUEST,Bill

There was a well-known duo in Belfast here years ago who did a lot of songs in different languages, some comic and some not. There was ""I THANK YOU, MA'AM," SAYS DAN", a Spanish one about a donkey who died and they had a funeral for him, "Snoring Biddy". I'm sure there were others. I wonder what happened to them? Bill

24 Apr 00 - 09:05 PM (#217338)
Subject: RE: Folk song duets
From: Bev and Jerry

ARKANSAS TRAVELER

FOOLISH QUESTIONS

BUFFALO BOY

Bev and Jerry

25 Apr 00 - 12:00 AM (#217443)
Subject: RE: Folk song duets
From: Sandy Paton

Check out the songs of Peter and Lou Berryman. CLICK HERE The Berrymans write very funny contemporary songs, such as "Your State's Name Here." Brilliant stuff.

Sandy

25 Apr 00 - 01:34 AM (#217479)
Subject: RE: Folk song duets
From: TheOldMole

where ye going, my old man [=MY GOOD OLD MAN]

anything by coot grant and kid Wesley Wilson

25 Apr 00 - 01:53 AM (#217488)
Subject: RE: Folk song duets
From: GUEST,JenEllen

William Pint and Felicia Dale do a lot of folk song duets as well. Worth a listen.

25 Apr 00 - 09:59 AM (#217596)
Subject: RE: Folk song duets
From: GUEST,FP

GET UP AND BAR THE DOOR... but I don't think it has a tune.

25 Apr 00 - 11:26 AM (#217646)
Subject: RE: Folk song duets
From: Grab

WILD MOUNTAIN THYME is good - alternate verses, then do chorus with harmony. Lovely song to harmonise with.

Grab.

25 Apr 00 - 12:52 PM (#217700)
Subject: RE: Folk song duets
From: Sandy Paton

It certainly does have a tune, and it's a fine ballad for a couple to sing. Jane Keefer's "Folksong Index" lists these recorded examples:

Get Up and Bar the Door
1. Gainer, Patrick. Folk Songs of the Alleghenies, Folk Heritage, LP (1963), cut#A.03
2. Gillette, Steve; and Cindy Mangsen. Light of Day, Compass Rose CRM 7, Cas (1996), cut#B.01
3. MacKay, Karen. West Virginia Woman, West Virginia Woman Rec., LP (199?), cut# 2
4. Marks, Phyllis. Folksongs and Ballads, Vol 2. Phyllis Marks, Augusta Heritage AHR 008, Cas (1991), cut#2.08
5. McCurdy, Ed. Ballad Record, Riverside RLP 12-601, LP, cut#A.04
6. Moser, Artus. North Carolina Mountain Folksongs

And I know that Ewan MacColl recorded it somewhere, too. It's Child Ballad #275, it's in the DT, and you could look it up in Bronson's Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads, provided that your library has or can get a copy for you.

Sandy

25 Apr 00 - 01:00 PM (#217708)
Subject: RE: Folk song duets
From: Sandy Paton

Sorry about that. Forgot to reformat the list. The ballad to which this refers is "Get Up and Bar the Door."

Get Up and Bar the Door 1.Gainer, Patrick. Folk Songs of the Alleghenies, Folk Heritage, LP (1963), cut#A.03
2.Gillette, Steve; and Cindy Mangsen. Light of Day, Compass Rose CRM 7, Cas (1996), cut#B.01
3.MacKay, Karen. West Virginia Woman, West Virginia Woman Rec., LP (199?), cut# 2
4.Marks, Phyllis. Folksongs and Ballads, Vol 2. Phyllis Marks, Augusta Heritage AHR 008, Cas (1991), cut#2.08
5.McCurdy, Ed. Ballad Record, Riverside RLP 12-601, LP, cut#A.04
6.Moser, Artus. North Carolina Mountain Folksongs

I managed to drop the publisher data from the Moser recording, sorry, but you can take a look at the Folk Index here: FOLK INDEX.

Sandy (cyberklutzing, as usual)

25 Apr 00 - 03:05 PM (#217767)
Subject: RE: Folk song duets
From: GUEST,Frank Hamilton

PAPER OF PINS.

25 Apr 00 - 03:08 PM (#217771)
Subject: RE: Folk song duets
From: GUEST,JenEllen

Also along the same lines as PAPER OF PINS ... THE OLD WOMAN FROM WEXFORD ... gotta love 'em when they come with a moral attached! *bg*
~Elle

26 Apr 00 - 07:57 PM (#218585)
Subject: RE: Folk song duets
From: Susanne (skw)

Proposal and Acceptance, from a VERY old McCalmans album.

27 Apr 00 - 12:19 AM (#218739)
Subject: RE: Folk song duets
From: DougR

It's not folk, but one of the best comic duo songs that could be close to folk is a song by Billy Edd Wheeler and recorded by Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash: "JACKSON."

DougR

28 Sep 15 - 12:05 PM (#3740342)
Subject: RE: Folk song duets
From: Acorn4

Look no further than these two:-

Quicksilver

28 Sep 15 - 12:28 PM (#3740345)
Subject: RE: Folk song duets
From: maeve

Thanks for refreshing this thread, Max.

I'd love to try some of the songs listed here with a duet partner.

28 Sep 15 - 01:27 PM (#3740357)
Subject: RE: Folk song duets
From: MGM·Lion

Not all need be male/female. Peter Bellamy and Royston Wood did an excellent duet version of HUSBANDMAN AND SERVINGMAN on one of Young Traditions records, way back when...

≈M≈

28 Sep 15 - 05:15 PM (#3740434)
Subject: RE: Folk song duets
From: Joe_F

Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger do a lovely duet version of "FALSE LOVER WON BACK". It's not exactly comic, but at least it has a happy ending.