Lyr Req: Me Old Game Cock

18 Jan 97 - 05:34 PM (#1433)
Subject: Old Game Cock
From: [e-mail]

This one's is for me!

Whilst in Cheddar this year, at the White hart Folk Club we heard a song about an old game cock (tried searching but got some rather strange results!!!!!)

chorus something like:-

every morning, every morning, everything it quiet alright
cos' I don't need a knocker up and I don't need a clock
for underneath me bed I keep me old game cock
every morning, every morning I never over sleep it's true
Off I go when the cock begins to crow - cock cock cock a doodle do.

Or something similar ( It was late, noisy and I had a half a shandy!)

Anyone help with the rest and the chorus if wrong?

Thanks, Pete [e-mail]

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16 Feb 97 - 11:00 PM (#2292)
Subject: RE: Old Game Cock
From: Barry

There is a song "I Went To Market" to buy a , and the chorus goes cock, cock ,cock a doodle do and after every farmers cock did my cock crow. This comes from the Watersons, I thought it might have some intrest to you. good luck

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24 May 11 - 12:17 PM (#3159790)
Subject: Lyr Add: ME OLD GAME COCK
From: Jim Dixon

I found this at the web site of Tom & Barbara Brown who sing it on their album "West Country Night Out." They don't indicate who wrote it or where they got it. It looks like a music-hall song to me, but I have not succeeded in finding any references to it in my usual sources.


ME OLD GAME COCK

1. I used to oversleep meself each morn,
I never got up early since the day that I was born,
Then last week I had a bright idea;
I went to Molton market just to make it clear;
I bought a big red rooster, the sort that doesn't lay,
'Cos then I thought that he could wake me up each day.

CHORUS: Every morning, every morning, everything is quite alright,
I don't need a knocker-up and I don't need a clock,
For underneath me bed I keep my old game cock;
Every morning, every morning I never oversleeps, 'tis true,
For out I go when the cock begins to crow,
Cock cock cock-a-doodle doo.

2. Now I thought this rooster led a lonely life,
So I went and bought a hen for him and made them man and wife;
Each night she sleeps in the baby's cot,
She sits on the water bottle, nice and hot,
So now I gets me breakfast when I get out of bed,
'Cos on the water bottle is a nice boiled egg.

3. So all you maidens that have just got wed,
If you've got a husband that you can't get out of bed,
Take my tip and you will all rejoice,
Just get a good old rooster with a tenor voice,
And when he hears his love song, he'll get out quick, you bet,
So join me in this chorus and you won't forget.

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25 May 11 - 02:48 AM (#3160145)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Me Old Game Cock
From: Ann N

:) Haven't heard that for ages   :) ...... caused mental thread drift and set me looking for Jake Thackray's 'The Bantam Cock'

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31 May 11 - 07:18 PM (#3163387)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Me Old Game Cock
From: Jim Dixon

The British Library Archival Sound Recordings has this brief excerpt:

Oh, I don't need a knocker-up; I don't need a clock,
For underneath the bed I pop the old game cock.
Every morning, every morning, I never oversleep, it's true,
For out I go when the cock begin to crow,
With 'is cocky-ocky-ocky-doodle-doo.


And here is the description from the catalogue:

Duration: 00:00:36
Shelf mark: 1CDR0010662 (copy of C1002/89)
Subjects: English folk songs and music (Suffolk); Music hall
Recording date: 1973
Collection: Keith Summers Collection
Recording locations: Worlingworth Swan, Worlingworth, Suffolk, England, UK
Performers: Arthur
Recordists: Summers, Keith
Description:
Item notes: First line: Oh I don't need a knocker up, I don't need a clock. Short ditty. Possibly the same song as 'Every morning' (Roud Folk Song Index No. 10733). Recording notes: Mono

They give it the title COCKY-OCKY-OCKY-DOODLE-DOO but I suspect that is arbitrary.

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