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19 Feb 97 - 11:19 AM (#2389) Subject: I Carried Water For The Elephant From: Kevin Jim Kweskin And The Jug Band recorded a song in the mid to late sixties that included the words....
The circus came to town, to the circus I went.
I carried water for the elephant. Anyone know any more? Thanks, Kevin |
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26 Feb 97 - 09:12 AM (#2587) Subject: RE: I Carried Water For The Elephant From: Scott I know one more verse. I said to the man in the stand up collar, "I betcha two bits ya elephant's hollow." He gave me a ticket so I could see all the animals in the menagerie.
there is a final verse that I can't remember that begins------- I saw the wild...(etc.) The verse goes on to list the various animals in the circus. I hope this helps, maybe it will jog someones memory on the final verse. |
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04 Feb 02 - 12:24 PM (#642080) Subject: Lyr Add: THE CIRCUS SONG (Thompson, Guernsey) From: Jim Dixon Copied from www.kididdles.com/mouseum/c018.html :
THE CIRCUS SONG
The circus came to town. To the circus I went.
The circus man said to see the show without a cent,
I carried water for the elephant.
I said to the dude in the stand-up collar,
He handed me a ticket, said, "First you'll see
First I sawed the lion and the lion roared.
I saw the wild snake and the wild snake hissed.
I saw mister possum sittin' on a limb,
I saw the little monkey, like in a zoo.
I saw the hippopotamus splash in the water,
I saw the gazelle and the big kangaroo.
I saw the wild donkey and the wild donkey brayed.
I saw the wild seal and the wild seal barked.
I went down to the circus tent. [Recorded by Maria Muldaur on "Sunny Side of the Street," 1992, and by The Jim Kweskin Jug Band on "Garden of Joy."] |
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04 Feb 02 - 12:27 PM (#642082) Subject: RE: I Carried Water For The Elephant From: Mrrzy ...But I gave buns to the Elephant when I went down to the Zoo... |
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04 Feb 02 - 12:55 PM (#642114) Subject: RE: I Carried Water For The Elephant From: GUEST,Leonard Check out the 1930 recording of this titled "I Carried Water for the Elephant" by bluesmen Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell, it's available on many CD's. This would be the likely source for the Kweskin version and has many verses. |
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04 Feb 02 - 05:38 PM (#642374) Subject: RE: I Carried Water For The Elephant From: Mark Cohen Not to be confused with the guy who swept up after the elephant in the circus. He would complain endlessly to his friend about what a dirty, smelly, awful job he had. One day his friend said, "Look, man, if you hate it so much, why don't you just quit?" The man gave his friend a puzzled look, and said, "What? And leave show business?" Aloha, Mark (creeping back out of the thread...) |
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04 Feb 02 - 06:36 PM (#642430) Subject: RE: I Carried Water For The Elephant From: masato sakurai Leroy Carr's sound clip is HERE. ~Masato |
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04 Feb 02 - 07:11 PM (#642463) Subject: RE: I Carried Water For The Elephant From: Mark Clark Of course Maria Muldaur was a member of The Jim Kweskin Jug Band when they made the “Garden of Joy” album. The Kewskin version included lines such as “...I saw the wild drunk and the wild drunk barfed, BAAARRRRFFFF!” and lot of other antics. I enjoyed that album; I don't know how many copies I bought only to loan (read give) to other people. - Mark |
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04 Feb 02 - 10:13 PM (#642618) Subject: RE: I Carried Water For The Elephant From: Mark Cohen Unless I'm mistaken (which is always a possibility), this song was on a children's folk music CD I bought for my stepson in 1994 or so. I don't remember the name of it or what label it was on, but it had wonderful artists like Michael Cooney and Sweet Honey in the Rock. Does anybody know what I'm talking about? Dave...my mind is going...I can feel it...I can feel it... Aloha, mark |
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05 Feb 02 - 01:49 PM (#643178) Subject: RE: I Carried Water For The Elephant From: Kenny B (inactive) Just a thought on the subject of elephants Have you ever seen an elephant pee? Oh! what a wonderful scene, It does it for an hour and a quarter, And you can' see it's belly for steam. Maybe I should have posted this on Campsite at Drumcree, Sorry for the thread creep ;<} Kenny B
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06 Feb 02 - 01:41 AM (#643598) Subject: RE: I Carried Water For The Elephant From: Mark Cohen Found it! It is Maria Muldaur's version, on an outstanding CD called Family Folk Festival. Highly recommended, even for those without kids. Aloha, Mark |
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17 May 05 - 04:49 PM (#1486786) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Carried Water for the Elephant From: GUEST,Bob Coltman Can anyone who has the CD post Leroy Carr's lyrics? Might they differ from the version posted above??? Trying to do some research on the song's origins---trying to find out: was the song written pre-Carr? Did it originate in black tradition, or was it really an F. Thompson-J.E. Guernsey original? I'm chasing around some of the older lyrics libraries and will post anything I come across. |
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17 May 05 - 05:25 PM (#1486806) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Carried Water for the Elephant From: Chris in Wheaton Kweskin also did the great Leroy "Fingers" Carr version of "Poppa's on the Housetop" - that song should not be lost to the memory of jug bands!! Kate posted the Circus song on Keep the Coffee Coming a few weeks ago - must be some kind of harmonic convergence - feel it?? Chris |
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15 Dec 11 - 01:17 AM (#3274033) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Carried Water for the Elephant From: GUEST,B in Edmonton Anyone know the chords for this tune? |
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15 Dec 11 - 01:12 PM (#3274258) Subject: Lyr Add: CARRIED WATER FOR THE ELEPHANT (L Carr) From: GUEST,999 Carried Water For The Elephant - Leroy Carr Circus came to town, to the circus I went Didn't have a ticket didn't have a cent Circus man said "To see the show without a cent" "You got to carry water for the elephant" Instrumental verse I carried water for the elephant Back and forth to the well I went Arms got sore and my back got bent But I couldn't fill up the elephant Instrumental verse I says to the man with the standin' up collar Bet four bits that elephant's a holla He gave me a ticket, said "first You'll see" "The animals in the menagerie" First I saw the lion and the lion he roared: "A-Rrrrrrr" Saw the wild duck and the wild duck quacked: "Quack, quack quack" Saw the wild cat and the wild cat meowed: "Meow-ow" Saw the old crow and the old crow cawed: "Caw caw caw" Saw Mr. Possum sittin' on a limb, big black bear sittin next to him Saw the old monkey like in a zoo, and the wild rooster says: "Cock-a-doodle-doodle-doo" Instrumental verse Saw the hippopotamus splash in the water Tryin' to flirt with the crocodiles daughter saw the giraffe and the big kangaroo Saw an owl holler: "Hoo hoo hoo" Saw the wild birds and the birds sang sweet: "Tweet tweet tweet" Saw the wild dogs and the wild dogs barked: "Arf arf arf" Saw the cuckoo and the cuckoo cooed: "Cuckoo cuckoo" Saw the hyena and the hyena laughed: "Ha ha ha" I went down to the circus tent Sure was doggone glad I went Saw the whole show and didn't cost a cent 'Cause I carried water for the elephant Instrumental verse |
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15 Dec 11 - 01:21 PM (#3274260) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Carried Water for the Elephant From: GUEST,999 There is a fellow from Netherlands who does a version on Youtube. Search I Carried Water for the Elephant |
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16 Dec 11 - 06:34 PM (#3275144) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Carried Water for the Elephant (L Carr) From: Jim Dixon Re: The Leroy Carr recording: If you listen only to the piano accompaniment, it sounds like he's playing PAPA'S ON THE HOUSETOP—which was recorded by (guess who?): Leroy Carr. |
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17 Dec 11 - 10:46 AM (#3275463) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Carried Water for the Elephant (L Carr) From: wysiwyg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGdFe7TwDOc |