Pig in the Parlor- Version 2 Brown Collection

Pig in the Parlor- Version 2
Brown Collection

We've Got A Pig in the Parlor/Bear went Over The Mountain, The/Go In And Out The Window/Pig in the Parlor/Cave Love Has Gained the Day/ We're Marching Round the Levee/ We'll All Go Down To Rowsers/We Won’t Go Home Till Morning

Traditional Old-Time Song and Breakdown

ARTIST: from "The Frank C. Brown Collection of North Carolina Folklore; the folklore of North Carolina, collected by Dr. Frank C. Brown during the years 1912 to 1943, in collaboration with the North Carolina Folklore Society"
 

CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes.

DATE: Melody circa 1762; lyrics "Bear Went" circa 1939 (Linscott); Earliest Date for Go in and Out the Window: 1915.

RECORDING INFO Bear Went Over The Mountain: 

A Bear Went Over the Mountain

Sm- For He's a Jolly Good Fellow; We Won't Go Home Till/Until Morning

Lorenz, Ellen J.(ed.) / Men's Get-Together Songs, Lorenz, Fol (1938), p122/#216
Glazer, Tom / Treasury of Songs for Children, Songs Music, Fol (1964/1981), p 30
Glazer, Tom. Let's Sing Fingerplays, CMS Records CMS 688, LP (1977), trk# A.03
Glazer, Tom. Glazer, Tom / Eye Winker, Tom Tinker, Chin Chopper. Fifty Musical Fin..., Doubleday/Zephyr Books, Bk (1973), p12
Hubbard, Frank Allen. Linscott, Eloise Hubbard (ed.) / Folk Songs of Old New England, Dover, Bk (1993/1939), p164 [1920-30s]

RECORDING INFO Go in And Out The Window: 

Go In and Out the Window [Me II-A10]

Rt-Breaking Sticks ; Cave Love Has Gained the Day
At- Go Round and Round the Valley
Ford, Ira W. / Traditional Music in America, Folklore Associates, Bk (1965/1940), p260b
Newell, William Wells / Games and Songs of American Children, Dover, sof (1963/1909), p128/# 63 (Go Round and Round the Valley)
Newell, William Wells / Games and Songs of American Children, Dover, sof (1963/1909), p229/#163 (Walking on the Levy)
Glazer, Tom / Treasury of Songs for Children, Songs Music, Fol (1964/1981), p 98
Bernie and Red. Oh What a Beauty, Crawley --, LP (198?), trk# A.01f
Cantrell, Mrs. Wesley. Solomon, Jack & Olivia (eds.) / Sweet Bunch of Daisies, Colonial Press, Bk (1991), p140 [1939] (Marching Around the Levee)
Chase, Richard. Chase, Richard (ed.) / American Folk Tales and Songs, Dover, sof (1971/1956), p191 [1930-40's] (We're Marching 'Round/Around the Levee/Level)
Glazer, Tom. Let's Sing Fingerplays, CMS Records CMS 688, LP (1977), trk# B.06
Glazer, Tom. Glazer, Tom / Eye Winker, Tom Tinker, Chin Chopper. Fifty Musical Fin..., Doubleday/Zephyr Books, Bk (1973), p26
Gunning, Sarah Ogan. Land of Yahoe, Rounder 8041, CD (1996), trk# 3b
Hartley, Savannah. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume III, Humorous & Play-Party ..., Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p338/#538D [1941/10/23]
Hubbard, Frank Allen; Family (Children). Linscott, Eloise Hubbard (ed.) / Folk Songs of Old New England, Dover, Bk (1993/1939), p 9 [1920-30s]
Millsaps, Ramona. Skip to My Lou, Pine Breeze 004, LP (1977), trk# A.06 [1975]
Parker, Maggie Hammons. Hammons Family. A Study of a West Virginia Family's Traditions, Library of Congress AFS L65-L66, LP (1973), trk# 19 [1970/09/20] (We're Marching 'R
Short, Lillian. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume III, Humorous & Play-Party ..., Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p337/#538C [1941/09/11] (Round and Round the Lev
Unidentified Children. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume III, Humorous & Play-Party ..., Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p337/#538B [1921/12/20] (Round and Round
Wilbur, Marie. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume III, Humorous & Play-Party ..., Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p336/#538A [1921/12/20] (Round and Round the Lev
Wills, Jim and May. Rosenbaum, Art (ed.) / Folk Visions & Voices. Traditional Music & So...., Univ. of Georgia, Bk (1983), p 52 [1982/03/24] (We're Marching 'Round/Around t
Go In and Out the Window (tune) - Traditional/Chapman, Owen "Snake"

Chapman, Owen "Snake". Up in Chapman's Hollow, Rounder 0378, CD (1996), trk# 10

RECORDING INFO We're Marching Round The Levee: 
Cantrell, Mrs. Wesley. Solomon, Jack & Olivia (eds.) / Sweet Bunch of Daisies, Colonial Press, Bk (1991), p140 [1939] (Marching Around the Levee)
Chase, Richard. Chase, Richard (ed.) / American Folk Tales and Songs, Dover, sof (1971/1956), p191 [1930-40's] (We're Marching 'Round/Around the Levee/Level)


RECORDING INFO Pig in the Parlor: And that Was Irish Too (Chubby Checker 1931)That Was Irish Too [Me II-A12]

Rt - Pig in the Parlor
At - And That Was Irish Too
Surber, Elsie. Morris, Alton C. / Folksongs of Florida, Univ. Florida, Bk (1950), p445/#239 [1934-39]

RECORDING INFO We'll All Go Down To Rowsers
We'll All Go Down to Rowsers

Rm - We Won't Go Home Till/Until Morning
Ford, Ira W. / Traditional Music in America, Folklore Associates, Bk (1965/1940), p247
Hammontree, Doney. Ozark Folksongs, Rounder 1108, CD (2001), trk# 16 [1941/12/12]
Harlan, E. R.. Pound, Louise (ed.) / American Ballads and Songs, Scribner, Sof (1972/1922), p237/#119 [1914]
Lane, Rose Wilder. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume III, Humorous & Play-Party ..., Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p319/#528B [1930/05/16]
Payne, Frank. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume III, Humorous & Play-Party ..., Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p319/#528D [1933/05/01]
Sharp, Clyde. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume III, Humorous & Play-Party ..., Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p318/#528A [1928/08/14]
Smithers, Rena. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume III, Humorous & Play-Party ..., Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p319/#528C [1934/04/17] 
 

Breaking Sticks

Rt - Go In and Out the Window
Davenport, Bob. Postcards Home, Topic 12TS 318, LP (1977), trk# A.02e

 

WE WON'T GO HOME TILL MORNING. AKA and see "Malbrook," "Marlbrouk," "Marlbrough," "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow." English, French, Irish; Air, Country and Morris Dance Tune (6/8 time) and Jig. G Major. Standard tuning. AB (Bacon, Raven, Sharp): ABA'B'A' (Karpeles): AA'BB (Merryweather). The tune probably originated in 18th century France. Kidson (1915) reports it was a favorite with the unfortunate Queen Marie Antoinette, who learned it from a peasent woman brought in to nurse her child. It was the vehicle for a morris dance (in two parts, linked with a phrase from "The Cuckoo's Nest") collected from the village of Bidford, Warwickshire, in England's Cotswolds. Bacon (The Morris Ring), 1974; pgs. 67 & 73. Karpeles & Schofield (A Selection of 100 English Folk Dance Airs), 1951; pg. 2. Merryweather (Merryweather’s Tunes for the English Bagpipes), 1989; pg. 48. Raven (English Country Dance Tunes), 1984; pg. 27. Sharp (Country Dance Tunes), 1909/1994; pg. 3.


FLOATING LYRICS: "Cindy" "Jinny Go Round and Around," "Liza Jane,"

CLOSELY RELATED TO: "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow," "Marlbourouck"

OTHER NAMES: "We'll Dance a Jig for the Irish," “Bear went Over The Mountain," "Go In And Out The Window," "We're Marching 'Round the Levee,"  "Pig in the Parlor," "We Won't Go Home till Morning!" "Go Round and Round the Valley," "Cave Love Has Gained the Day" "Breaking Sticks" "We'll All Go Down To Rowsers"
 

MOLLY BROOKS. AKA and see "Marlbrouk," "Malbrou(c)k," "We Won't Go Home Until Morning." Old‑Time, Play‑party and Dance Tune. In Virginia it is sung as a play‑party tune beginning:

Moll Brooks, come out of the water,
Moll Brooks, come out of the water
Moll Brooks, come out of the water
Until you learn to swim.

MALBROU(C)K. AKA ‑ "Malbrook." AKA and see "Marlbrough," "Marlbrouk," "Molly Brooks," "We Won't Go Home Until Morning." French (originally), English; Jig. C Major. Standard. AABA. This is the tune for the well-known songs "We Won't Go Home Till Morning" or "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow." The title honors John Churchill, first Duke of Marlborough, a famous military figure and intriguer during the reigns of three monarchs; James II, Willaim III and Queen Anne. It was first printed by Valleyre between 1762 and 1778, according to Fuld (1966), in a collection of French street songs, Chansons, Vaudevilles et Ariettes Choisis par Duchemin where it appears as "La Mort de M. de Marlb'roug." It was a favorite of Marie Antoinette, according to Kidson (1915) who learned it about 1781 from a peasant woman called in to nurse her first child; by 1783 it had become fashionable and a number of printings of "Marlbourouck," "Malbrouk," "Adir de Marlbourouck" and other variants occurred. Fuld also notes the melody "Calino Casturame," which appears in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, is quite similar. Several writers have speculated on earlier origins for the tune. A famous legend has it that it was learned during the crusades in Jerusalem and was brought back to France by a soldier; Fuld traces this unsubstantiated story to Chateaubriand. Other speculations posit an 18th century hunting song, an ancient Arabic or Spanish song, and an old song called the "Duke de Guise." The melody appears in a few music manuscript copybooks in America during the War of Independence (and post-) era, as for example in those of Captain George Bush (see below), John Hoff (a Pennsylvania flute manuscript, 1797-1799), John Curtiss (a Connecticut commonplace book c. 1800), and Henry Livingston, Jr., to name a few.  Livingston purchased the estate of Locust Grove, Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1771 at the age of 23. In 1775 he was a Major in the 3rd New York Regiment, which participated in Montgomery’s invasion of Canada in a failed attempt to wrest Montreal from British control. An important land-owner in the Hudson Valley, and a member of the powerful Livingston family, Henry was also a surveyor and real estate speculator, an illustrator and map-maker, and a Justice of the Peace for Dutchess County. He was also a poet and musician, and presumably a dancer, as he was elected a Manager for the New York Assembly’s dancing season of 1774-1775, along with his 3rd cousin, John Jay, later U.S. Chief Justice of Governor of New York. Source for notated version: the music manuscript of Captain George Bush (1753?-1797), a fiddler and officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolution [Keller]. Howe (Complete Preceptor for the Accordeon), 1843; pg. 30. Keller (Fiddle Tunes from the American Revolution), 1992; pg. 22.

SOURCES: Kuntz; Brown; Mudcat; Randolph;Linscott, pp. 164-165, "A Bear Went Over the Mountain" (1 text, 1 tune); Pankake-PHCFSB, p. 43, "The Bear Went Over the Mountain" (1 text, tune referenced)

NOTES: This melody has been very popular as the melody of "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" etc. which was originally associated with the French "Malbrouk" song, the words of which appear in a collection of street songs, Chansons, Vaudevilles et Ariettes Choisis par Duchemin, published by Valleyre, on p. 10 under the title La Mort de M. de Marlb'roug; BN. The collection is not dated but is believed to be between 1762 and 1778. The song is also said to have been referred to in a play by Charles Simon Favart, Les Rêveries Renouvellées des Grecs performed and printed in 1779 in Paris, p. 26; however, there is an error in the citation, and the reference cannot be confirmed in the copy at BN.

"Commencing early in 1783, there was a rash of printing of the Malbrouk melody under that title or the title Marlbourouck, or other variation, apparently brought about when a nurse sang it to one of Marie Antoinette's infants as a lullaby about 1781. Mercure de France lists at least 10 printings by different publishers in 1783-1784, not all with words, the earliest of which in May 31, 1783, p. 240, is entitled Air de Marlbourouck, with nine variations for piano, published by Levasseur, Paris; no copy has been located. Other French editions were printed without name of publisher, and there were many early foreign printings. Various contemporary French and other editions are at BN, COP, BM and JF."--(James J. Fuld, The Book of World-Famous Music, 4th ed., Dover, 1995, p. 231)

Two old time country recording with the melody appeared: "And that Was Irish Too" (Chubby Checker 1931) AKA "Pig in the Parlor" and Kelly Harrell carzy titled "Cave Love has Gained the Day." It was supposed to be: "Cause (Ca'se) Love has Gained the Day. Harrell's song is a version of Go in and Out the Window.

Here's an article about Harrell's Version from The Celestial Monochord; Journal of the Institute for Astrophysics and the Hillbilly Blues June 2005:

[Many massive volumes could be written about the musician-recordist relationship, but my favorite stories about these worlds colliding in the 1920's are about the engineers misunderstanding the song titles.

In the 1920's, record companies took a keen interest in southern "folk" musicians — by that, I mean generally amateur musicians who couldn't read music and who learned mostly traditional songs from family members or neighbors. These musicians were typically poor, rural people.

Now, the guys who showed up to record them came from a very different set of worlds — urban, middle- or upper-class, well-educated, and often with rather high-brow musical tastes. Legend has it that they were sometimes appalled at the music they were recording, and mystified that these records often sold extremely well.

At a February 1929 recording session for Victor records, Kelly Harrell sang a song entitled 'Cuz Love Has Gained the Day, but his pronunciation sounds more like 'Caze Love Has Gained the Day.

The engineers recording him that day apparently misunderstood and rather underestimated Harrell, possibly reflecting their attitude toward this Virginia textile factory worker. Their paper work (as well as the label of the record that was actually released to the public) identifies the song as "Cave Love Has Gained the Day." Despite what Harrell actually sang, here are the lyrics that the Victor representatives thought they heard:

Go find your lover like I did
Go find your lover like I did
Go find your lover like I did
Cave love has gained the day

I'd give ten cents to kiss her
I'd give ten cents to kiss her
I'd give ten cents to kiss her
Cave love has gained the day] End of Article

Various sets of lyrics appeared to the other variants with this form and melody:

We Have a Pig in the Parlor

We have a pig in the parlor,
We have a pig in the parlor,
We have a pig in the parlor,
     And he is Irish, too.
     And he is Irish, too.
     And he is Irish, too.
 

We're Marching Round the Levee

We're marching around the levee,
We're marching around the levee,
We're marching around the levee,
For the right shall gain today.

Go in and Out the Window

Go in and out the window
Go in and out the window
Go in and out the window
Since you have gained the day.

The Bear Went Over The Mountain

1. The bear went over the mountain
The bear went over the mountain
The bear went over the mountain
To see what he could see.

To fit the exact "For He's A Jolly Good Fellow" you'll need to repeat some line. The above songs could be and sometimes are sung that way.

To see what he could see
To see what he could see
The bear went over the mountain
To see what he could see.


This song melody and form have come a long way since the French "Marlbourouck" in 1762 spawning not only "A Bear Went Over the Mountain," and "Pig in the Parlor" but "Cave Love Has Gained the Day." Fact is truly stranger than fiction.

 
WE'VE GOT A PIG IN THE PARLOR
A COLLECTION OF OZARK PLAY PARTY GAMES

by Rebecca Baldwin and Patsy Watts 1978

  PIG IN THE PARLOR

(1) We've got the pig in the parlor,
   We've got the pig in the parlor,
   We've got the pig in the parlor,
   And it is Irish, too.
(2)Oh, your right hand to your partner,
(3)Your left hand to your neighbor,
(4)Your right hand to your partner,
(5)And all promenade.

And all promenade,
And all promenade

(6) Swing your left hand
   lady 'round,
   And all promenade,

(1) We've got a new pig
   in the parlor, etc., or
The same old pig's in the parlor, etc.

Formation: Single circle facing in with girls on boys' right, hands joined. An extra player is the "pig" in the center.

(1)Circle left.
(2)Partners join right hands and turn half way around.
(3)Boys turn the next girl in the circle completely around with left hand.
(4)Boy returns to original partners and join right hands.
(5)Partners promenade counterclockwise in skating fashion.
(6)Boys swing the girls behind them and

keep them for new partners.

The "pig" tries to get a partner during any of these actions. If the "pig" does get a partner the new "pig" goes to the center and the song is repeated, starting with "We've got a new pig..."

If the pig does not get a partner, repeat the song, starting with "The same old pig's..."

We Have a Pig in the Parlor
 

We Have a Pig in the Parlor

We have a pig in the parlor,
We have a pig in the parlor,
We have a pig in the parlor,
     And he is Irish, too.
     And he is Irish, too.
     And he is Irish, too.
We have a pig in the parlor,
We have a pig in the parlor,
We have a pig in the parlor,
     And he is Irish, too.

It's a left hand to your corner,
A right hand to your partner
A left hand to your corner
     And all promenade.
     And all promenade.
     And all promenade.
We have a pig in the parlor,
We have a pig in the parlor,
We have a pig in the parlor,
     And he is Irish, too. [end of article]

Other standard Irish type lyrics include:

We're wearing green for the Irish
We're wearing green for the Irish
We're wearing green for the Irish
On this St. Patrick's Day

We'll dance a jig for the Irish
We'll dance a jig for the Irish
We'll dance a jig for the Irish
On this St. Patrick's Day

Me Mither and Fither were Irish
Me Mither and Fither were Irish
Me Mither and Fither were Irish
And I am Irish too

We kept a pig in the parlor
We kept a pig in the parlor
We kept a pig in the parlor
And he is Irish too.

While the typical US lyrics as collected by Randolph follow:

My maw and paw was Irish
My maw and paw was Irish
My maw and paw was Irish
And I am Irish too.


PIG IN THE PARLOR- "The Frank C. Brown Collection of North Carolina Folklore; the folklore of North Carolina, collected by Dr. Frank C. Brown during the years 1912 to 1943, in collaboration with the North Carolina Folklore Society"

80 Pig in the Parlor

One of the most generally known of the play-party songs. See the McLendon finding list, SFLQ viii 220, and add Randolph, OFS III 305-6. Our North Carolina texts are fragmentary.

A. No title. Communicated by Jessie Hauser from Forsyth county.

1 My father and mother were Irish.
My father and mother were Irish,
My father and mother were Irish,
And I am Irish too.

2 We put the pig in the parlor,
We put the pig in the parlor,
We put the pig in the parlor,
And it is Irish too.

B. 'My Father and Mother Were Irish' From Mildred Peterson. Bladen county. The same as A except that the second stanza has

We keep a pig in the kitchen.

'We Have a New Pig in the Parlor." From J. C. Knox, Brunswick county, with the tune. Only two lines, each repeated three times :

We have a new pig in the parlor

And he is Irish too.