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Who wrote 'Grandfather's Watch' parody?

22 Feb 02 - 11:26 AM (#655343)
Subject: Who wrote 'Grandfather's Watch' parody?
From: SharonA

The "Grandfather's Ferret" thread reminds me of a parody of the classic "Grandfather's Clock" song that I'd heard some 35-40 years ago. I was wondering if anyone else remembers it, or knows who wrote it and sang it (I just remember my older brothers repeating it!). Here are the lyrics as I recall them (if there are any mistakes, please post corrections!):

Oh, my grandfather's watch was the best ever made
By the Timex company.
It was just like the one John Cameron Swayze [sp?] displayed
Last night on the old TV.
It runs underwater so perfectly
And it still makes a ticking sound
Which my grandfather tried only this afternoon
And that's how the old man drowned!

22 Feb 02 - 11:40 AM (#655347)
Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Grandfather's Watch' parody?
From: GUEST,JJ

See this page.

Scroll down for lyrics

JJ

22 Feb 02 - 11:41 AM (#655349)
Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Grandfather's Watch' parody?
From: masato sakurai

Allan Sherman (1924-1973)

~Masato

22 Feb 02 - 05:49 PM (#655629)
Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Grandfather's Watch' parody?
From: SharonA

Thanks, guys! Great link, too.

Sharon

22 Feb 02 - 06:43 PM (#655672)
Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Grandfather's Watch' parody?
From: Murray MacLeod

The thread got me thinking too, except I was wondering who had wrtten the original "Grandfather's Clock"

Turns out to have been a gentleman with the unlikely name of Henry Clay Work. I can only assume that he was an American.

Murray

22 Feb 02 - 06:51 PM (#655678)
Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Grandfather's Watch' parody?
From: Murray MacLeod

And before anybody admonishes me, yes I do know that he also wrote "Marching Through Georgia"

Murray

22 Feb 02 - 09:14 PM (#655756)
Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Grandfather's Watch' parody?
From: masato sakurai

On the original, Any history on Grandfathers Clock? in the Forum.

The original sheet music from the Levy collection.

~Masato

23 Feb 02 - 04:27 AM (#655938)
Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Grandfather's Watch' parody?
From: Jon Bartlett

The parody I know starts: My grandfather's clock was too large for the shelf So we had to remodel the den.

Probably by Meryl Korn of Portland.

23 Feb 02 - 08:09 AM (#655983)
Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Grandfather's Watch' parody?
From: RoyH (Burl)

'Grandfather's Clock' is a lovely song,great fun to sing. Fred Jordan, our great traditional singer makes a grand job of it. But while we're speaking of parodies, how about this one, written and performed by the late George Formby Jnr, music hall star and father of George Formby, ukulele playing comedian of the '40's and 50's. This is all of the lyric that I can remember, it's a long while since I heard it. I presume 'Waterbury' was a well-known brand of watch at some time.

MY Grandfather's Clock was a Waterbury watch It could go seven days without food. With a top hat on it's head, and my father's mackintosh It was dressed up like a Piccadilly dude. It stood by the door with it's feet upon the floor 'Til we had no place the food for to stock So the butter and the eggs, and the little mutton legs We stuffed 'em in my grandfather's clock. And the works of the clock with the butter melting in it Sent the hands whizzing round at forty miles a minute. Said my Granddad with a sigh I haven't time to die So I'll put it off until the clocks repaired.

That's all I can remember for now. I'll try to get hold of the rest of it. Burl

23 Feb 02 - 08:11 AM (#655984)
Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Grandfather's Watch' parody?
From: RoyH (Burl)

Sorry. I don't know how to do line breaks. Burl

23 Feb 02 - 02:18 PM (#656208)
Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Grandfather's Watch' parody?
From: Susan of DT

(from dick greenhaus)

The big standing clocks started to be called "Grandfather Clocks" after the song became popular. Henry Clay Work was a fine and prolific songwriter ("Father Dear Father Come Home With Me Now" , "Ship That Never Returned", "Year of the Jubilo" and "Lost on the Lady Elgin" are all his, too. Plus he had one of the most magnificent set of bifurcated whiskers I've ever seen in a photo.

24 Feb 02 - 04:30 AM (#656623)
Subject: Lyr Add: SEQUEL TO "GRAND FATHER'S CLOCK"
From: masato sakurai

A bawdy parody MY GRANDFATHER'S COCK is in the DT.

Henry C. Work wrote a sequel to the song (in the Levy collection).

Title: Sequel to Grand Father's Clock. Song and Chorus.
Composer, Lyricist, Arranger: Words and Music by Henry C. Work.
Publication: New York: Willis Woodward & Co., 817 & 819 B'way, 1878.

SEQUEL TO "GRAND FATHER'S CLOCK"

1.
Once again have I roamed thro' the old-fashioned house,
Where my grandfather spent his ninety years.
There are strangers in charge, and the change they have wrought--
Oh! it saddens me, even to tears.
Dear old clock! when they found you were speechless from grief,
Then they went and swapped you off, case and all.
For that vain, stuck-up thing
(tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick),
For that vain, stuck-up thing on the wall.

Chorus:
Grandfather sleeps in his grave;
Strange steps resound in the hall!
And there's that vain, stuck-up thing
(tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick),
There's that vain, stuck-up thing on the wall.

2.
While we talked of the old clock they all ran it down.
Tho' they claimed that it couldn't be made to run.
It was useless they said-- it was quite out of style;
Built, no doubt, just about the year One.
And the words echoed round, with a faint, mocking sound,
As if some one gave assent to it all;
'Twas that vain, stuck-up thing
(tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick),
'Twas that vain, stuck-up thing on the wall.

Repeat Chorus

3.
From the clock-peddler's cart in the junk-shop it went,
Where its cog-wheels were sundered one be one;
And the brass-founder joked as they writhed in the flames--
"Melt'em up," says he; "then they will run."
There is grief in my heart, there are tears in my eyes.
Yet indignantly the sight I recall
Of that vain, stuck-up thing
(tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick),
For that vain, stuck-up thing on the wall.

Repeat Chorus

4.
"An extremely hard case!" said the junk-dealer's wife,
As she carried it for kindling wood and sighed--
That mahogany case, with its quaint, figured face,
Which so long was my grandfather's pride.
"There is hope for the small; there's a change for us all;
For the mighty ones of Time, they must fall!"
Says that vain, stuck-up thing
(tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick),
Says that vain, stuck-up thing on the wall.

Repeat Chorus

Another song on the related theme (also in Levy):

Title: Since Grandfather Died.
Composer, Lyricist, Arranger: Words and Music by Charlie Baker.
Publication: Cincinnati: F.W. Helmick, 136 W. 4th St., 1878.
Form of Composition: strophic with chorus
Instrumentation: piano and voice (solo and satb chorus)
First Line: Yes, grandfather's clock, it is still standing there
First Line of Chorus: Many years has it slumbered, no tick, tick, tick

~Masato

24 Feb 02 - 12:25 PM (#656822)
Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Grandfather's Watch' parody?
From: Ditchdweller

There was of course the Rugby parody "My Grandfather's C**k was too long for his jock, so it dragged 90yards on the floor"

24 Feb 02 - 06:26 PM (#657007)
Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Grandfather's Watch' parody?
From: Snuffy

That's in the DT, Sapper: Masato posted a link to it in the message before yours.

30 Oct 10 - 07:36 PM (#3019575)
Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Grandfather's Watch' parody?
From: GUEST,Mark

I think this is what you were talking about
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRgC4PRozyk

02 Nov 10 - 06:34 PM (#3022050)
Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Grandfather's Watch' parody?
From: GUEST,Tim Rodger

It was Alan Sherman, the same guy who did Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah.

17 Nov 15 - 11:29 AM (#3751613)
Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Grandfather's Watch' parody?
From: GUEST,Guest -Dave Whitehead

Very many thanks to Roy H for the Verse about "Little mutton legs" etc.
I can remember my father singing this version in 1940's/50's. BUT I couldn't remember how the whole verse went There was another verse about -- - - "The coalman with the coal couldn't get it down the hole, so he put it in my grand fathers clock. When it stood by the fire and the pendulum swung higher, Evr'y time it swung it knocked some coal into the fire, And my Granddad who was dead changed his mind got up instead - he said he'd put it off till the clock's repaired"
Like you , I'm not too sure about the scan of the lines but I hope it may remind somebody of even more of this version.
Good luck all. Dave W

17 Nov 15 - 12:19 PM (#3751617)
Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Grandfather's Watch' parody?
From: GUEST,#

https://idletigers.wordpress.com/2008/06/20/grandad-who-was-dead-changed-his-mind-got-up-instead-northern-nonsense-in-the-music-hall/

Formby doing it.

17 Nov 15 - 07:48 PM (#3751729)
Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Grandfather's Watch' parody?
From: EBarnacle

I still use his cut when it appears the counterman is being chintzy:

Do not make a stingy sandwich.
Pile the cold cuts high;
Customers should see salami [or the meat you have specified]
Coming through the rye.

Try it, it works--especially when sung loudly enough for others to hear.