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05 Jun 03 - 07:46 PM (#962953) Subject: 'little' songs From: GUEST,emily rain racking my brain for a short song to insert between reps of an instrumental piece, i found there were quite a few that i love and have never performed because they're not the standard 3-5 minutes in length. what are your favorite one or two verse songs? i love: balm in gilead jesus wept she changes etc. :) |
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05 Jun 03 - 08:14 PM (#962968) Subject: RE: 'little' songs From: curmudgeon Look at Burns's songs; many are only two verses -- Tom |
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05 Jun 03 - 09:28 PM (#962985) Subject: RE: 'little' songs From: Uncle_DaveO The great majority of the story songs I typically sing run from 2 to 3 minutes; some only a minute and a half. One has to understand that this is solo vocal with guitar or banjo, and most of them without much of a musical break between verses. I do try to work in between-verse turnarounds, which may run 5 or 6 seconds, but that doesn't add much length. What variety of song are you interested in? My repertoire is, as I say, almost entirely ballads, story songs, many of which are very old in their roots. A large proportion of them are, if not outright funny, at least of good humor. If this sort of thing would fit what you're looking for, I probably can help. Dave Oesterreich |
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05 Jun 03 - 09:31 PM (#962989) Subject: RE: 'little' songs From: Uncle_DaveO In retrospect, I see I may have misinterpreted your original post. A few I sing a lot are Eggs and Marrowbone The Devil and the Farmer's Wife, The Ratcatcher's Daughter And a lot more. Dave Oesterreich |
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05 Jun 03 - 09:47 PM (#962992) Subject: RE: 'little' songs From: GUEST,leeneia 1.Since I met you baby, my whole life has changed... 2. Well, when I lost baby, I al-mo-st lost my mind... 3. Elm tree branches have caught the moon. Cricket fiddles a lonely tune. When I'm restless, I never count sheep. I let cricket lullabyes sing me to sleep. 4. Hey, there, you with the stars in your eyes... 5. A maiden fair to see, the pearl of minstrelsy, a bud of blushing beauty... |
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06 Jun 03 - 01:28 AM (#963038) Subject: RE: 'little' songs From: Joe Offer I think Step By Step packs a lot of power into one little verse - and a group can sing it easily. -Joe Offer- |
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06 Jun 03 - 08:56 AM (#963169) Subject: RE: 'little' songs From: Grab TINKY-WINKY By Tom Paxton Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle "Tinky-Winky must be gay," I heard Jerry Falwell say. "He is purple, and -- what's worse -- Tinky-Winky has a purse. That triangle on his head, Is a symbol," Jerry said. But, for me, it's just a sign That Jerry has too much free time. |
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06 Jun 03 - 09:19 AM (#963194) Subject: RE: 'little' songs From: GUEST,John Hernandez Tom should give Wolfgang A. Mozart credit for the tune! |
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06 Jun 03 - 10:08 AM (#963218) Subject: RE: 'little' songs From: Abby Sale In 1959, MacColl & Seeger did a concert at Univ of Pennsylvania which I taped. They did a set of Epigramatic Songs. That is, complete songs or ballads in one or two verses. I've collected a few more since and I'll try to copy the whole file. There are also "Travesties." These are jokes on known songs eg, Amazing Grace / She had three tits.... The two ideas have considerable cross-over but I won't include that file. Bessie Bell and Mary Grey (Child #201) Bessie Bell and Mary Grey, They were twa bonnie lasses. They biggit their bower on yon burnside And thackit ower wi' rushes. They thackit ower wi' rushes green, They thackit ower wi' heather; But the plague cam' fae the borrow toon An' burried them baith thegaither ------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Colorado Trail Eyes like the morning star, Cheeks like the rose, Laura was a pretty girl, Everybody knows. Weep all ye little rains, Wail winds wail, All along, along, along, The Colorado Trail. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dog Tick (from Peggy Seeger) Dog tick, dog tick, dog tick, 'bacco worm, Why can't a dog tick dance like a 'bacco worm? ------------------------------------------------------------------------- I Was Standing On the Corner (From Ed McCurdy) I was standing on the corner Just as lonely as could be, When up there came an ugly man And tied his horse to me. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Lady in Red (From Dr. IS Posen) See the lady in red, Makes her living on her bed. For fifteen cents she'll do it once; For twenty-five cents she'll do it twice. Here I stand With a nickel in my hand... Hey buddy, can you spare a dime. The first Posen-song I ever learned was "The Lady in Red." In Randolph/Legman vol I ("Unprintable") on page 246 is that same song, collected from a 20-year-old college girl in 1946. Legman notes that the 15 cent price is part of the joke as ludicrously low since typical depression-era low-cost cost was about $2, rising to $5 with the War. He suggests that the song may include the hidden admonition "that the reward of sin may not always necessarily be death, but it ain't much." ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bob-Tailed Mare As sung by Phil & Sid Taylor of near Edinburgh Of all the horses in the merry green wood The bob-tailed mare bears the bells away. There is "Hey," there is "Ree," there is "Whoa" there is "Gee," But the bob-tailed mare bears the bells away. "Hey, Ree, Whoa, Gee," But the bob-tailed mare bears the bells away. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- There's many more verses (see cotton-i.txt), but I think probably 99% of the times its actually sung, "Cottoneye Joe" is simply: Where did you come from? where did you go? Where did you come from, Cottoneye Joe? I come for to see you, come for to sing, Come for to show you my diamond ring. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- The 1930'S (by Bob Davenport) The 1930's was always on my mind, So a steady job was the thing to find. Now as Wall Street totters and a slump grows near, Thank the Lord, I've got a barber's job...in a maternity ward. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ye Can't Put Yer Muck in Oor Dustbin (Glasgow street song) Ye can't put yer muck in oor dustbin Oor dustbin, oor dustbin. Ye can't put yer muck in oor dustbin Oor dustbin, fu' ------------------------------------------------------------------------- WAD YE DO THAT? (Robert Burns, in _Merry Muses of Caledonia_, page 14 Tune: John Anderson, my jo) Gudewife when your gudeman's frae hame, [away from] Micht I but be sae bauld, As come to your bed-chamber, When winter nichts are cauld; As come to your bedchamber, When nichts are cauld and wat; And lie in your gudeman's stead; Wad ye do that? Young man an ye should be so kind, When our gudeman's frae hame, As come to my bed-chamber, Where I am laid my lane; [alone] And lie in our gudeman's stead, I will tell ye what, He f---s me five times ilka nicht, [fucks, every] Wad ye do that? ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Supper Is Na Ready (Robert Burns, in _Merry Muses of Caledonia_, page 45, Tune: Clout the Cauldron - as they all are- learned from MacColl. That is, I did. I don't know where Burns got it.) Roseberry to his lady says, "My hinnie and my succour. "O shall we do the thing you ken, "Or shall we take our supper." Fal lal &c. [MacColl didn't sing "Fal lal &c."] Wi' modest face, sae fu' o' grace, Replied the bonny lady; "My noble lord do as ye please, "But supper is na ready." Fal lal &c. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- My Brither Bill (Glasgow street song, per MacColl) My brither Bill's a fireman bold, He pits oot fires. Only twenty-three years old, He pits oot fires. He went to a fire the other night When somebody shouted, "Dynamite!" Wherever he is, he'll be all right. He pits oot fires. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- My Ma's a Millionaire (Glasgow street song, per MacColl) My ma's a millionaire, Big feet and curley hair, Walking down Buchannan Street With her big banana feet My ma's a millionaire. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Old Aunt Kate" (From Peggy Seeger) Old Aunt Kate she baked a cake She baked it 'hind the gar-den gate. She sift the meal and gimme the dust, She baked the bread and gimme the crust, She eat the meal and gimme the skin," And that's the way she took me in. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Old Mother Riley (learned from Phil & Sid Taylor & also in _101_ Scottish Songs) Old Mother Riley at the pawnshop door, Baby in her arms and a bundle on the floor. She asked for ten bob, she only got four, And she nearly pull't the hinges off the pawnshop door. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oor Cat's Deid (learned from Phil & Sid Taylor & also in _101_ Scottish Songs) Lingle lingle lang tang oor cat's deid Whit did she dee wi'? Wi' a sair heid! A' ye that kent her When she was alive Come to her funeral Atween four and five. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Siembamba (a S. African mother's song, per Marais & Miranda) Siembamba, momie's baby, Siembamba, momie's baby, Twist his neck and hit him on his head, Throw him in the ditch and he'll be dead. Siembamba, momie's baby, Siembamba, momie's baby, Just for love she throws him in the ditch, Momie's sweet little, sweet little.........baby. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Drunken Sailor verse (Aparently from the singing of Pete Seeger) I had me a wife and I got no good of her; Here is how I easy got rid of her; Took an ax and chopped the head off her. Early in the morning. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Paul J. Stamler" Robin Williamson's "The Son of Noah's Brother" 'Many were the lifetimes of the son of Noah's brother See his coat, the ragged riches of the soul' Art Thieme calls the world's shortest ballad (14 words): 'Papa loved mama Mama loved men Mama's in the graveyard Papa's in the pen' ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stamler: Barry Louis Polisar's "My Name is Hiram Lipschlitz (Oh, to be a Smith or Jones)", which at 10 words holds the record so far (note that the title is longer than the song): 'My name is Hiram Lipschlitz and my problem's pretty clear.' ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Sam Hinton My sweetheart's a mule in the mines; I drive her without any lines. On the bumper I sit And I chaw and I spit All over my sweetheart's behind. "Foggy Foggy Dew" fits the ancient words My bishop's eyes I've never seen Though in them the light may shine; For when he prays, he closes his, And when he preaches, mine. That same tune seems to go with I rode out on my motor-bike, And Ruth, she rode with me. I took a bump at sixty-five -- And rode on Ruthlessly. "Plaisirs d'Amour" furnishes a tune for another very old one: The horse bit the parson; Why did this come to pass? Because the horse heard him say "All flesh is grass." Lots of them can be sung to the tune of "O God, Our Help In Ages Past:" When I was young, the bathing girls All dressed like Mother Hubbard. But nowadays, the Lord be praised, They dress more like her cupboard." To the tune of "The Irish Washerwoman:" MacTavish is dead and his brother don't know it; His brother is dead and MacTavish don't know it. They're both of them dead, and in the same bed, And neither one knows that the other is dead. "Black Socks" has its own tune, and is a fine round: Black socks -- they never get dirty, The longer you wear them the stronger they get. Some times I think I should wash them, But something keeps telling me "Don't wash them yet! Not yet! Not yet! Not yet! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Michael Cooney "Fleas" Adam had 'em. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Wade Tarzia This song is short at last report it won the nanometer sport whose prize is small: when on the wall the ants do bruise their toes and fall. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Simon Furey The old Tom Paxton song: "I sing of Spiro Agnew and the things that he has done..." (followed by a deathly hush) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Ed Cray (learned ca. 1960 by Pipe Major James MacColl) Oh, ye canna push your grannie off a bus. Oh, ye canna push your grannie off a bus. Ye canna push your grannie, For she's your mammy's mammy Oh, ye canna push your grannie off a bus. (spoken) But... Ye can push your other grannie off a bus. Ye can push your other grannie off a bus. Ye can push your other grannie, For she's your daddy's mammy Ye can push your other grannie off a bus. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Joseph C Fineman (re the Peggy Seeger concert song) My mother had it this way: A peanut sat on a railroad track. His heart was all a-flutter. Railroad train came round the bend. Toot! Toot! Peanut butter. & from http://www.antenna.nl/wwwcisv/songs.html Netherlands children's songs A peanut sat on the railroad track, His heart was all a flutter. Round the bend came number ten: Toot! Toot! Peanut butter ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Eric Berge Icky-gooey was a worm A mighty worm was he; He sat upon a railroad track, A train he did not see. Icky-gooey. <--- Last line spoken. I don't remember the tune I used to use; when I try to sing it now, I invariably wind up with something that sounds like "Foggy, Foggy Dew", which I'm almost sure isn't right. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Frank Hamilton Don't know if this qualifies as a ballad. It emanates as folklore from the nether regions of the Bronx in New York City. Don't cry lady, I'll buy your god-damn violets Don't cry lady, your pencils too. Don't cry lady, take off those beggars goggles Hello mama, I knew it was you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Paul Tyler It's been lonely in the saddle Since my horse died ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Michael Cooney "It's so lonely in the saddle since my horse died" was one of the many New Lost City Ramblers' one-liner tuning jokes (in the 60's) that someone has turned into a complete song. Others (also turned into full songs) were, "How can I miss you when you won't go away?" and "I'm so miserable without you, it's almost like having you here." ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Wally Macnow" The full song as I learned it from Dave Olive went It's so lonesome in the saddle since my horse died Ridin' on the range ain't no more fun It's so lonesome in the saddle since my horse died Reckon I'll get another 'un. To the tune of "Turkey in the Corn" Oh, the horse ran around with his foot on the ground The horse ran around with his foot on the ground The horse ran around with his foot on the ground The horse ran around with his foot on the ground ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Mary Stafford (1) from Eric Von Schmidt "Edward Teller told me yesterday That his eyebrows are not real." (2) from Annie Lynch, a personal friend (sung to me ~ 1951) "She was only the garbageman's daughter; As she stood beside the swill, The smell of the garbage was mighty sweet, But she was sweeter still." (3) from Carl Sandburg "Cigarettes will spoil your life, Ruin your health and kill your baby- Poor little innocent child! They're so mild, they're so mild, they're so mild." ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Margaret MacArthur Learned from my husband's mother, Olive MacArthur Oh the grasshopper sat on the sweet potato vine The sweet potato vine, the sweet potato vine the turkey gobler came up behind And snapped him off the sweet potato vine ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Sam Hinton in Carl Sandburg's AMERICAN SONGBAG in 1927: Great Gawd,I'm feelin' bad, I ain't got the man that I thought I had! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Stefni Agin How about rounds such as Lady come down and see, the cat sits in the plum tree. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: dick greenhaus Never throw a lighted lamp at mother You never know when you can find another I'm sure you wouldn't want to see Ma lit up like a Christmas tree So never throw a lighted lamp at mother. and Don't never trun rocks on yer mudder It isn't the right thing to do; Don't never trun rocks on yer mudder She never threw none on you. Don't never trun rocks on yer mudder Don't never trun stones on her head; Don't never trun rocks on yer mudder Trun brick on yer fadder instead. Family values. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Paul Charosh Other song fragments, probably from the vaudeville stage and unpublished: [tune: paraphrase of "O Du Lieber Augustin"; all "w"s in text pronounced "v".] In the wintertime, in the valley green, When the wind blows on the window pane And the women working in vaudeville Ride velocipides in the vestibule. And, of course: Don't throw stones at your mother, You'll be sorry if you do. Don't throw stones at your mother, She never threw stones at you. She rocked you in your cradle, She tucked you into your bed. So -- Don't throw stones at your mother, Throw rocks at your old man instead. (both of the above from the memory of Mannis Charosh, 1906-1985) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Frank Hamilton When I grow too old to fight, I'll become a Trotskyite When I grow too old to see A Forward reader I will be. (Forward being the Yiddish newpaper) Let's not forget the coal miners song about the "sweetheart". Believe it may be in Archie Green's "Only a Miner". My sweetheart's a mule in the mine I drive her without any line On her bumpers I sit, tobacco I spit All over my sweetheart's behind. (Based on the tune My Sweetheart's a Man in the Moon) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jeffrey Kallen To the tune of 'Love me Tender' or whatever you want to call it... When a rock falls on an egg, Too bad for the egg. But when an egg falls on a rock, Too bad for the egg. =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= From: Michael Cooney When a rock falls on an egg, ...is the chorus (there are a couple verses) of a song made up by someone in Northern California. His pen name was Biggs Tinker. And his tune was original -- not 'Love me Tender'. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Mary Stafford which sounds suspiciously to me like a few lines from Carl Sandburg's monumental "The People, Yes" Whether the rock hits the jug Or the jug hits the rock It's bad for the jug ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: jkallen@tcd.ie (Jeffrey Kallen) Trinity College Dublin for Turkey in the Straw: Oh the cat couldn't kitten and the puppy couldn't pup, And the old man couldn't get his rhubarb up ('You see the man was a farmer and he had trouble harvesting his crops...') ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Edie Gale Hays Ot the short songs Allen Sherman used to do on his records Every time you take vaccine take it orally as you know the other way is more painfully! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Linn Schulz "Battle of Bull Run" (collected by Frank Warner, Electra #3) This day will be remembered by America's loyal sons If it hadn't been for Irishmen, what would our Union done? "Twas hand to hand we fought 'em, all in the broilin' sun. Stripped to the pants we did advance at the Battle of Bull Run. Scots Children's Song (to tune "Cornwallis Country Dance") Long and thin goes too far in And doesn't please the ladies. Short and thick will do the trick And bring out proper babies. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Joseph C Fineman Another case of brevity achieved by truncation. The rest of it is Our Mary did it once. Once was once too many. Wasn't she a silly dunce? Did it for a penny. That fills out the tune, which is that of "Pop Goes the Weasel".) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Linn Schulz the Robert Burns contributions: "No Hair On't" (Burns) Yesterday I wed a lady fair and wad ye believe me On her c*nt there grows no hair, and that's the thing that grieves me. It vexed me sair, it plagued me siar, it put me in a passion To think that I had wed a wife whose c*nt was oot o' fashion "Johnnie Scott" (Burns) How can we mak a coat for Johnnie Scot among us maidens a"? How can we mak a coat tae mak the laddie braw? There's your c*nt hair an my c*nt hair And we'se twine it wond'rous small And if the weave be scarce, we'se crop oor arse Tae mak him a kilt and a' Back to Scots children's song: Oh I thocht when I wore the kilt I could walk frae tay tae Forth Trochlin' up and doon the street Whistlin' the "Cock o' the North." But a' the youngsters shouted, "Awa' mon wha're ye kiddin'? Instead o bein' the cock o' the North Ye're only the cock o' the midden." ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Robert B. Waltz Scots children seem to have been highly precocious. "He's torn a', ripped a', torn a' ma goon (x3) Did ever ye see sic an ill-tricket loon?" With such wondrous verses as "Oh she wadna dae it, she wadna dae it, she wadna dae it ava, In bed or oot of bed or up agin the wa', But she did it on the pantry floor, the best ye ever saw; She hotchit up her petticoat and cried, 'Ca' awa!'" (Learned from the Friends of Fiddler's Green) [Also recorded by Arthur Argo - ajs] ------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the wintertime, in the valley green, When the wind blows on the window pane And the women working in vaudeville Ride velocipides in the vestibule. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Joseph C Fineman Ven de falling-apple season's chust begun And de vormy apples fall from off de trees And de caterpillar mit deir hair in curls Pick dem apples up to make sveet ci-der. Ah, vimmens, Ah, men! My mother sang it when I was little (1940s). Carl Sandburg sings the first stanza (but not the above one), plus "Ah, vimmens,...", on _The Great Carl Sandburg_, Lyrichord Stereo LLST 766. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Dick Swain The shortest traditional song I've heard is Scots Says Tweed to Till "Wha gars ye run so still" Says Till to Tweed "Though you run wi' speed and I run slow, For aye man that ye droon. I droon twa." ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Bill Cameron "We are sinking deep in sin Won't you come and push us in?" also Bob Dylan's perhaps trad-influenced: "All the tired horses in the sun, How'm I s'posed to get any riding done? Mmmmm, mmmmm, mmmmmm, mmmmmm" Finally, my 11-yr old daughter Emily likes to sing, roughly to the tune of "John Brown's Body": "I know a song that get's on everybody's nerves On everybody's nerves, on everybody's nerves. I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves On ev-ry-bo-dy's nerves." ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ed cray (Erotic Muse) 161. SHORT SONG Melody--Turkey in the Straw Oh, the wiggle of her ass would make a dead man come, And the nipple on her tit is as big as my thumb, She's a mean motherfucker, she's a great cocksucker, She's my girl, she fucks! From Paul Woodford, "Hash Hymns II" (Honolulu, Hawaii, 1994) This is an aggregation of quatrains sung to the familiar melody, collected by Hubert Canfield in 1926. According to Canfield's unidentified informant, the last verse is sometimes used as a chorus. I dreamt last night and the night before That the devil was a knocking on the shit house door. I went down stairs to let him in And he cracked my ass with his rolling pin. I ran upstairs to crawl into bed And fell in the pisspot over my head. I couldn't swim and I couldn't float, And a great big turd slid down my throat. I went donwtown to buy a penny drum Knocked on the door and nobody come. I picked up a brick and broke the glass. Out come the Devil a-sliding on his ass. The Devil shit a monkey and the monkey shit a flea. The flea shit a sailor and they all went to sea. The sea begun to roar, the piss begun to pour, The sailor got a hard-on and couldn't get ashore. Oh, here's to Sally, who's a goddam whore. She wiped her ass on the knob of the door. The moon shone bright on the end of her tit, And she brushed her teeth with bluejay shit. Oh, she rolled over once and she rolled over twice, And she rolled over three times, Jesus Chris~t! The hair on her coozie was strawberry color, And the fleas up her ass were fucking one another. Here's to the Kaiser, the son of a bitch, May he died of the pox and the seven-year itch. We'll batter his balls with a seven-pound hammer Till his asshole whistles "The Star Spangled Banner." The old man sat on a barbed wire fence Screwing up his nuts with a monkey wrench, The grass grew up and tickled his balls And his gun went off in his overalls. Fill up the bowl, boys, fill up the bowl, And drink to the dean, God damn his soul. We'll all be there when he calls the roll For we're all going to Heaven up the dean's asshole. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Naemanson Sung to the tune of The Mermaid: The true Story of the only voyage of His Swedish Majesty's Famous and Most Powerful Warship, The "Vasa." It was Friday morn and we set sail, And we sank to the bottom of the sea. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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06 Jun 03 - 10:20 AM (#963222) Subject: RE: 'little' songs From: Roger the Skiffler I like this one and would use it as an encore (if anyone ever asked me to do an encore!). I know Herself sympathises with the sentiment! I AIN'T HEARD YOU PLAY NO BLUES (Steve Goodman) My baby came to me this mornin' She said: "Honey, I'm confused. If me and B.B. King were drownin' Which one would you choose?" I said: "Baby", I said: " Baby" I said: "Hey, baby" I ain't never heard you play no blues ." RtS |
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06 Jun 03 - 11:08 AM (#963244) Subject: RE: 'little' songs From: Schantieman We used to sing 'You can't put your muck in our dustbin' as one part of a three-part round - at Cub camp, aeons ago. The other two bits went... Fish and chips and vineeegar, vineeegar, vineeegar Fish and chips and vineeegar Pepper, pepper, pepper pot! and One bottle pop, two bottle pop Three bottle pop, four bottle pop Five bottle pop, six bottle pop Seven, seven bottle pop! Scarcely art, but we liked it when we were ten! Steve |
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06 Jun 03 - 11:44 AM (#963268) Subject: RE: 'little' songs From: Joe Offer Then there's the world's shortest cowboy song: I'm so lonesome in the saddle-Joe Offer- |
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06 Jun 03 - 11:46 AM (#963270) Subject: RE: 'little' songs From: Uncle_DaveO From Carl Sandburg: In de vinter, in de vintertime Ven de vind blowss on de vindowpane And de vimmen in de vaudeville Ride velocipedes in the de vestibule, Ah vimmens! Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah mens! Dave Oesterreich |
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06 Jun 03 - 04:26 PM (#963382) Subject: RE: 'little' songs From: GUEST,Songster Bob I have two : (to a tune shared by no other song I know -- in other words, I can't tell you what tune) There are just two things in this world That are sure, that's death and taxes. From what I've been reading in the papers today, They're about to do something about death. and (to the tune of "Jealousy") Entropy, why ... must ... there ... be .... zzzzzzz (sound of snoring) I just remembered another, a traditional one from the singing of Horton Barker: I feel like hell I feel like hell I feel like hel-ping some poor soul. To find a man To find a man To find a man-sion in the sky. That's it. Bob Clayton |
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06 Jun 03 - 09:11 PM (#963524) Subject: RE: 'little' songs From: Mudlark Not traditional but a nice bridge between more modern tunes is My Blue Heaven, also Let the Rest of the World Go By, and an old tear jerker, Dear Old Girl...all about a minute...even with bridge and repeat of last verse. |
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06 Jun 03 - 09:41 PM (#963536) Subject: RE: 'little' songs From: SINSULL Merry Minuet |
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07 Jun 03 - 04:18 AM (#963623) Subject: RE: 'little' songs From: Snuffy Oh Matty Groves he was a prat He screwed Lord Darnell's wife. Lord Darnell caught him on the job And Matty lost his life. |
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07 Jun 03 - 04:20 AM (#963624) Subject: RE: 'little' songs From: Gurney Abby Sale, if you haven't digitised your personal songbook, that is the most selfless post I've seen, and if you have, it is very nice of you indeed. Emily, if you can get hold of some tapes of England's Mike Harding, particularly his television shows from the 70-80s, he had some very funny collations of short songs, including, from memory: Outside a Lunatic Asylum, I was breaking stones, when a lunatic popped up his head, said, "Good morning Mr. Jones. How much d'you get for doing that?" "Four quid a week" I cried. Well, he shook his hair, and nodded his head, and this to me replied: "Come inside, you silly bugger, come inside! I thought you'd have a bit more sense! Working for a living? Take my tip! Act bloody silly and become a lunatic. You get your meals quite regular, and a brand new suit besides. Four kids to keep, on four quid a week? Come inside, you silly bugger, come inside." |
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02 Dec 10 - 07:26 AM (#3044807) Subject: RE: 'little' songs From: GUEST I had a job outside a lunatic asylum it was a good job breaking stones. When all of a sudden, a head popped over the wall and said "good morning Mr Jones". He said "how much a week, do you get for doing that"? 15 bob I cried and I've got a wife and seven little kids, then he looked and me and sighed, Come inside you silly bugger come in side, You ought to have a bit more sense. Working for a living! Take my tip. You ought to act balmy and become a lunatic. you get 3 meals, quite regular, and two new suits besides. So if you've got a wife and seven little kids, Come inside you silly bugger come inside. This song was frequently recited by my Grandfather, The late - William Tomkinson b1901 – d1986 Originally from Lancashire England regards Ian Bell |
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02 Dec 10 - 07:42 AM (#3044813) Subject: RE: 'little' songs From: GUEST remember this ? Mareseatoats and doeseatoats and littlelambseativy. Ian again |
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02 Dec 10 - 08:15 AM (#3044832) Subject: RE: 'little' songs From: Acorn4 Famous Belgians |
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02 Dec 10 - 08:15 AM (#3044833) Subject: RE: 'little' songs From: Acorn4 |
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02 Dec 10 - 12:55 PM (#3045029) Subject: RE: 'little' songs From: Gutcher Post by Abbey Sale 6.6.03 Roseberry to his lady says, "My honey and my succour. O shall we dae the thing ye ken or shall we hae our supper" Wi" modest face, sae fu" o grace, replied the bonny lady; "My noble lord do as ye please, but supper is na ready" Sir Thomas Urquart of Cromartie. 17th C? may have been 16th C. |
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02 Dec 10 - 02:49 PM (#3045125) Subject: RE: 'little' songs From: Gutcher Sorry folk I was called away to my supper. ha ha. Sir Thomas is well worth a read if you can find him. On an elderly "young" lady entering the room Sir Thomas, who was deaf, remarked loudly for all to hear " what, do you tell me that auld hure still gaes tae the stallion!" He was of his time and certainly called a spade a spade. Joe. |
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03 Dec 10 - 12:48 AM (#3045377) Subject: RE: 'little' songs From: LadyJean From Percy's Relics: Blow the wind southerly southerly southerly Blow the wind southerly bonnie blue sea. Blow the wind southerly southerly southerly Blow bonnie breeze my true lover to me. They told me last night there were ships in the offing. I hurried down to the deep rolling sea. My eye could not see it, where ever I sought it. The barque that was bearing my lover to me. Blow the wind southerly etc. |
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03 Dec 10 - 09:29 AM (#3045539) Subject: RE: 'little' songs From: Gutcher Sir Thomas Urquarts dates were 1611--1660. It is suspected that he was not as deaf as he made out and that he used it as an excuse for making loud sarcastic remarks. On another tack. Is it allowable to quote a song given in a recent BS thread.I will take it as given and make the quote as an example of a short song which went down well when sung:- Bill Clinton is a notour loon and I bet he wishes he wisnae. On Seterday nichts he got his licks frae a lassie cried Lywinsky. As I remarked in the BS thread it is a pity I cannot give the tune here. Joe. |
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03 Dec 10 - 10:47 AM (#3045601) Subject: RE: 'little' songs From: tritoneman Derroll Adams wrote this one: I wish I was a rock sitting on a hill Doing nothing all day long But just a-sitting still. I wouldn't eat and I wouldn't sleep And I wouldn't even wash. I'd sit all alone for a thousand years And rest myself by gosh! |
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04 Dec 10 - 07:54 AM (#3046152) Subject: RE: 'little' songs From: Gutcher I refer to my post dated 3.12.10 and would challenge all you good people who claim that Scots is not a language to explain to the world why Scots speakers found it so amusing. A hint, the clue is in the last line. Scots, please do not give this away, let those with access to a wide variety of dictionaries and who make such claims provide an answer. Joe. |
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05 Dec 10 - 10:32 AM (#3046843) Subject: RE: 'little' songs From: Gutcher As all the self styled "experts" who have, during the short time I have been a member of this forum, proclaimed that Scots is not a language in its own right, appear to be in hibernation mode it falls to me to enlighten them:-- The younger members of the audience and others who were aquaint with modern sexual practices appreciated the fact that the activities of Mr Clinton and the young lady could be reported with such brevity. The older members and backwoodsmen like myself {I lie} no doubt had a vision of the leader of a world super-power receiving a sound spanking every Saturday evening from a young lady friend. I can honestly say I have never sung a song that has received such applause,every member of the audience put their own slant on the play on words. As boys we often received our licks from the schoolmaster wielding his leather tawse and I can honestly say no lasting harm resulted. Joe. |
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05 Dec 10 - 12:10 PM (#3046902) Subject: RE: 'little' songs From: puck The Scarlet and the Blue from 'Larkrise to Candleford' - Albion Band. |
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06 Dec 10 - 11:50 AM (#3047500) Subject: RE: 'little' songs From: GUEST,Scorpio A favourite of mine, courtesy of the Brownsville Banned as I recall. World's shortest country & western song: It's been lonesome In the saddle Since my horse died. |