Southern Illinois Folk Songs by David S. Mclntosh
Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society (1908-1984), Vol. 31, No. 3 (Sep., 1938),pp. 297-322
Published by: Illinois State Historical Society
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS FOLK SONGS
BY DAVID S. MclNTOSH
THERE have been several very fine histories of southern Illinois written by excellent historians, but for one who is searching for information concerning the early musical life of the people of southern Illinois there is little that can be found in the books that are now available. Among the older people of southern Illinois there existed and still exists a culture in music that is rarely suspected either by the casual observer or by the research worker in history. In looking for traces of this culture I examined every available history of southern Illinois and gleaned a few interesting facts. Mr. W. H. Perrin, after reciting some of the calamities of the year 1840, states:
This year, too, came the singing-master- the king of the tuningfork, who could read the "square notes," and who was born with a hawk-nose, chewing plug tobacco, and had been forever trying to marry the belle sunflower of every school he had taught or attended. This particular one is described as a "cadaverous, bacon-colored old curmudgeon named Winchester." He left the town in great disgust, so complete was his attempted school a failure, and it is supposed Cairo survived this calamity with greater equanimity than any of her other inflictions; we have no hesitation in calling his departure a calamity, because from the above description it will be seen he had many of the earmarks of a great and good singing-school master, and yet he could not sing his "square notes" in Cairo. His experience here may have given rise to the little legend, "I'm saddest when I sing." [History of Alexander, nion and Pulaski Counties Illinois; edited by William Henry Perrin (Chicago, 1883), 45.]
Mr. Patterson, in commenting on the religious services of the early days, states:
The character of the music and hymns was often ludicrous. Most of the tunes were in the minor key, and many of the hymns were extremely repetitious, and had a singular refrain at the close of each verse, and sometimes after each line. Thus the words, "Glory, Hallelujah," or some like interjection, would occur twenty or thirty times in one singing. The music of those days, with only a few exceptions, now only lingers in the memories of a few elderly persons. Teachers of music came in and changed the tastes of the people. But for many years, only what were called square or patent notes were used in the tune-books. In camp-meetings and other devotional gatherings, it was customary for all the Christian people to pray audibly together, in the loudest tones possible. Sometimes the noise of a whole congregation thus screaming at the tops of their voices was heard at the distance of three or four miles. [Robert W. Patterson, "Early Society in Southern Illinois/' Fergus Historical Series, No. 14 (Chicago, 1880), 127.]
Ben. Boone makes two references to music, "William Gaston was the best singer I ever heard." And in speaking of Allen Henson, he says: "He would have crazy spells, which would last for a week or two and .... at such times he would go among his friends and sing funny songs." [Ben. Boone, Historical Sketches of Jackson County, Illinois (Carbondale, 111., 1894), 33, 35-36.]
One sentence from Mr. Patterson's paper is particularly interesting in the light of present-day conditions. That is the sentence found in the above quotation, "Teachers of music came in and changed the tastes of the people." That is what so often happens when a newtype of culture supplants the culture current at any particular time: the new casts off the old completely. How much better it would have been had the singing teachers recognized the beauty and the loveliness of these songs that were sung by the people of southern Illinois. One of the saddest facts in history is this story of the destruction of the old culture for the new. It seems to be necessary for the old to be completely forgotten for a time and to wait on the effort of some research worker to bring to light the culture of an almost forgotten past. In this paper I am presenting a few of the folk songs that I have collected in southern Illinois in the last five years. In my use of the term "folk songs" I refer to those songs that have been dependent upon oral tradition for their existence.
My memory goes back to my boyhood and a visit to my grandparents, who lived in Mt. Erie, Illinois. One particular evening has stuck in my mind; my mother sat at the old reed organ and chorded while the group sang many old songs. My uncle sang "Oh See That Watermelon Smiling on de Vine," and my father and mother sang "Dutch Courtship." I judge that this type of entertainment was rather common in the early days of the twentieth century in homes that contained an organ or piano.
It was my pleasure to visit a few years ago in the home of William Jones, who lives south of Carbondale. He sang "Froggie Went A-Courtin'" "God Knows I've Been All Around This World," "Come All You Texas Rangers," and a number of other songs that I recorded. After working for about two hours and a half, we were surprised to see Mrs. Jones bringing in a dish full of old-fashioned popcorn balls. I asked Mr. Jones how many songs he knew, and he said he believed he could sing all night and never sing the same song twice. Mrs. Jones said that the young folks used to get together during the winter months and spend entire evenings singing songs and playing games. In all my contacts with folk song singers in southern Illinois in the last six years, during which time I have heard more than two hundred songs, I have yet to hear any accompaniment of any sort except a tapping of the foot or a swaying of the body. In just two instances did I find songs that required group participation. One was the "Froggie Went A-Courtin' and He Did Ride, Um, huh!" The other was the song, "The Twelve Apostles" in which there is a definite demand for group participation.
LADY ISABEL AND THE ELF KNIGHT
"Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight," an old English ballad, was sung by Mrs. Lottie Hendrickson of Marion, Illinois. She was past eighty years of age at the time and was a very interesting and intelligent old lady. She had a wonderful memory and was able to sing eighteen songs for me, which I recorded. She was very patient, and was willing to repeat so that I could write the tunes accurately. She was unusual in that she rarely made any variation in the songs. She had a deep contralto voice and pitched the songs very low.
I asked her to explain the meaning of the last stanza, since it seemed to have no definite connection with the last of the song, but she was unable to do this. I suggested that the young lady might be addressing her parrot and was making promises of reward to the bird in return for its secrecy.
Mrs. Hendrickson said that the song about the parrot was another song and did not go with this song. [The suggestion of a parrot in this song is found in the following sources: English Folk Songs From the Southern Appalachians, collected by Olive D. Campbell and Cecil J. Sharp (New York, 1917), 3-6; Frances Barbour, Six Ballads of the Missouri Ozarks (Radcliffe College, 1929), no.4.] Unfortunately she was unable to recall this song.
Early one Saturday morning I drove to Marion after Mrs. Hendrickson and brought her to my home in Carbondale. We spent the entire day setting down songs. Late in the afternoon she told me that she could not recall any more. So we began looking through Campbell and Sharp's book, English Folk-Songs from the Southern Appalachians, and we came upon this song. As soon as I had read a few lines she said, "I know that song." Then she began to sing. After singing the entire song without hesitation, she said: "I haven't sung that song in twenty years." I asked her where she learned it, and she said, "Poppy and Mommy used to sing it to us kids."
LADY ISABEL AND THE ELF NIGHT (Sung by Mrs. Hendrickson)
I follered her up, and I follered her down
To the chamber where she lay.
She neither had the heart for to flee from me,
Nor the tongue for to tell me nay, nay,
Nor the tongue for to tell me nay.
"Git up, git up, my pretty 'golin',
Come go along with me.
Come go with me to old England,
And there I will marry thee,
And there I will marry thee."
"Go take the best part of your father's gold,
Likewise of your mother's fee.
Take two of the best steeds out of your father's stable,
Where-in there is thirty and three,
Where-in there is thirty and three."
He mounted her on the bonny brown,
He led the dappled gray.
And away they rode to the old seashore,
Just in the length of a long summer day,
Just in the length of a long summer day.
"Git down, git down, my pretty 'golin';
Git down, git down, by the sea.
For here I've drowned six kings' daughters,
And you the seventh shall be,
And you the seventh shall be."
Turn yourself all around and around,
With your face to the greenest tree.
For I never thought it right,
A naked woman a man for to see,
A naked woman a man for to see."
He turned himself all around and around,
With his face to the greenest tree.
She caught him around the middle so small,
And tripped him into the sea,
And tripped him into the sea.
"Lie there, lie there, you false William;
Lie there instead of me.
For you have stripped me as naked as ever I was born,
Not a thread have I taken from you,
Not a thread have I taken from you."
She mounted herself on the bonny brown;
She led the dappled gray.
And away she rode to her father's hall,
Just three hours before it was day,
Just three hours before it was day.
"Hush up, hush up, my pretty 'golin';
Don't tell no tales on me.
I will build you a house with the beating wings of gold,
And your door shall be silvery,
And your door shall be silvery."
DUTCH COURTSHIP
My father and mother would sing this song after much coaxing, and we children never tired of hearing it. I mentioned in the preface the first time that I can recall hearing them sing it. Mother would sit at the piano and chord, and father would stand beside her. The first verse would be sung by father, the second by mother. This would continue to the last verse which was sung by both my mother's people who came into southern Illinois from Pennsylvania shortly before the Civil War, and settled at Mt. Erie in Wayne County. They were known as Pennsylvania Dutch, and I suppose this song came into southern Illinois with them. I have never heard it sung except as my folks sang it. It was sung to the tune of 'Maryland, My Maryland.' This is the only song in my collection that had an accompaniment.
DUTCH COURTSHIP
Thar ware a time, a good old time I ware in Dutchland
far away; and I'd go thar to be again, if you go dar
mid me .(Lady sings) What! Go so long v/ay off and live
from sister and from brudder Oh no! dear Hans, I
cannot leave mine fadder and mine mudder.
DUTCH COURTSHIP (Sung By W. D. Mclntosh)
Thar ware a time, a good old time,
I ware in Dutchland, far away.
And I'd go thar to be again,
If you go dar mid me.
What? Go so long way off and live
From sister and from brudder?
Oh, no, dear Hans, I cannot leave
Mine faddcr and mine mudder.
Then, Hailey, dear, why smile so sweet?
You break my bleeding heart in two.
You know I'd leave de peoples all,
To go along mid you.
Oh, Hans, mine udder fear would be,
Mid hearts so full of pain,
That all the young men in the town
Could never smile again.
Then, Hailey, dear, good-by, good-by,
I've noting more just now to speak.
My heart is broke, good-by, my love.
I'd drown me in the creek.
Oh, Hans, oh, Hans, come back, I pray
And I will leave mine mudder.
I'd leave mid you this country quick
And fly into anudder.
Then married we will buy a farm
And cabbage we will cultivate,
And sauerkraut in a barrel big,
With plenty of smearcase, we will make.
Oh, limbergar, dar limbergar,
How many a ting them cheese mid tell.
To people who the house go by
Mid noses turned up at the smell.
BROTHER GREEN or THE DYING SOLDIER
I heard this sung first by Mr. R. H. Finley; he called it "The Dying Soldier/' Mr. Finley lives southeast of Carbondale. When I asked him to sing this song, he said, "Here's the way it goes - the way my dad sang it." It was almost a year later that I found the other version. Mrs. Wilmore of West Frankfort gave me the words, and said that Mrs. Hendrickson of Marion knew the tune. In Our American Music by Howard, there is found the following reference to this song:
While most of the songs were obviously brought by the first settlers from England, some of them make references to more modernevents. Brother Green speaks of the "Southern foe," who "laid him low." The story evidently refers to the Civil War, although in its present form the song may be a variant of an older version.[John Tasker Howard, Our American Music (New York, 1931), 430.]
Mrs. Wilmore gave me the following information concerning the song: "This song was composed by Reverend L. J. Simpson, late chaplain in the army. It was composed on the death of a brother who was killed at Fort Donelson, February, 1862."
The statement made by Mr. Howard that this song might be related to an older song is given credence by the fact that Mr. Finley uses this same tune when he sings the old English ballad, "Barbara Allen."
BROTHER GREEN
Oh! brother Green do come to me, for I am
shot and bleeding* A South-em foe has laid
low on this cold ground to suf-fer.
BROTHER GREEN (Sung by Mrs. Lottie Hendrickson)
Oh, Brother Green, do come to me,
For I am shot and bleeding,
And I must die, no more to see
My wife and dear children.
A southern foe has laid me low,
On this cold ground to suffer.
Dear brother, stay - lay me away,
And write my wife a letter.
Tell her I am prepared to die;
I hope to meet her in Heaven.
When I believed in Jesus Christ,
My sins were all forgiven.
I know that she has prayed for me -
And now her prayers arc answered -
That I should be prepared to die,
If I should fail in battle.
My little babes - I love them well -
Oh! Could I once more sec them,
To bid them both a long farewell
Till we should meet in Heaven.
Dear Sister Nancy, do not grieve
The loss of your poor brother,
For I am going with Christ to live
And see my blessed mother.
Dear Sister Mary is gone there too -
She lives and reigns with angels -
And Jefferson, who died when young,
I know I'll see their faces.
Poor Brother William, strive to meet
Us in that upper region.
Though many troubles you will see,
Still keep that pure religion.
Two brothers yet I don't forget,
They arc fighting for our Union,
For which, dear wife, I gave my life
To put down this rebellion.
Now I am dying, Brother Green,
Oh, I do die so easy.
I know that death has lost its sting,
Because I love my Jesus.
Go tell my wife she need not grieve;
Go kiss my little children.
They will call their papa now in vain,
For he has gone to Heaven.
But I am here in Tennessee,
And they are in Illinois.
And I must now soon buried be,
No more to hear their voices.
Dear Mary, you must treat them well
And train them up for Heaven.
Teach them to love and fear the Lord,
And they will be respected.
And when your work on earth is done,
And all life's toils arc over;
We'll meet again in that bright world,
Where all is peace and pleasure.
Dear Father, you have suffered long,
And prayed for my salvation,
But I shall beat you home at last,
And say, "Farewell temptation."
Your eyes arc dim, and cars arc deaf,
But, oh, the wondrous story.
When we shall meet in that bright world,
Then we'll sing "Glory, Glory."
THE DYING SOLDIER
Oh! brother Green do come to me, for I am
shot and bleed -ing, and I must die no more
to see my wife and my dear child-ren.
THE DYING SOLDIER (Sung by R. H. Finley)
Oh, Brother Green do come to me
For I am shot and bleeding,
And I must die, no more to see
My wife and my dear children.
A southern foe has laid me low
On this cold ground to suffer.
Dear brother, stay; lay me away,
And write my wife a letter.
Tell her I am prepared to die
And hope we'll meet in Heaven:
For when I believed in Jesus Christ,
My sins were all forgiven.
My little babes, I loved them well.
Oh, could I once more see them
And bid them both a long farewell,
Till we shall meet in Heaven.
But here I am in Tennessee,
And they are in Illinois.
And I must soon to be buried be,
No more to hear their voices.
Dear Mary, you must treat them well
And train them up for Heaven.
Teach them to love and fear the Lord,
And they will be respected.
Two brothers yet I can't forget,
That's fighting for this Union,
For which dear wife, I gave my life
To lay down this rebellion.
Oh, I am dying, Brother Green,
Oh, do I die so easy,
And oh, that death has lost its sting,
Because I love my Jesus.
WALTER JUMPED A FOX
I am indebted to Mrs. Lottie Hcndrickson for this old English hunting song. The tune is interesting in its avoidance of the second and sixth scale steps, as well as the flat seventh. This tune, like several others in my collection, is definitely modal in character. Songs with nonsense syllables are not only found in English and American songs, but in songs of other countries as well. Victor Belaiev, in writing of the "Folk- Music of Georgia," states:
"In the texts of the Georgian songs, we find, first of all, many refrains and words with no definite meaning, such as, delivodeli-vodelir, anina da ranina; odelia ci-oy ei-o; delis vodelis ti-o; and so forth." [Victor Belaiev, 'The Folk-Music of Georgia," The Musical Quarterly Vol. XIX No. 4 (Oct., 1933), 422.]
Neither is the production of songs of this type confined to any certain period of time. Anyone with a radio available cannot help hearing occasional outbursts of the "boop-boop-a-doop" variety of song today.
WALTER JUMPED A FOX
Walter jumped a fox and he run him at his ease.
Sing a dad -die, link a dad-die, link a dad-die,
link a day. Walter jumped a fox and he run him at
his ease; run him right through old traffic and
his field. Sing a dad-die, link a dad-die,
link a dad-die, link a day.
WALTER JUMPED A FOX (Sung by Lottie Hendrickson)
Walter jumped a fox, and he run him at his case,
Sing a daddlc, link a d addle, link a daddle, link a day.
Walter jumped a fox and he run him at his ease,
Run him right through old traffic and his field,
Sing a daddlc, link a daddle, link a daddle, link a day.
He hadn't run him far when he popped him up a tree.
Sing a daddle, link a daddle, link a daddle, link a day.
He hadn't run him far when he popped him up a tree.
Right by old traffic and his field.
Sing a daddle, link a daddle, link a daddle, link a day.
The fox jumped out, and he took to his heels,
Sing a daddle, link a daddle, link a daddle, link a day.
The fox jumped out, and he took to his heels -
Run right through old traffic and his field.
Sing a daddle, link a daddle, link a daddle, link a day.
The hounds being poor and the fox being fine,
Sing a daddle, link a daddle, link a daddle, link a day.
The hounds being poor and the fox being fine,
And that's the reason they left them so far behind.
Sing a daddle, link a daddle, link a daddle, link a day.
The bread being scarce, and the meat they had none,
Sing a daddle, link a daddle, link a daddle, link a day.
The bread being scarce, and the meat they had none,
That was the reason the hounds couldn't run.
Sing a daddle, link a daddle, link a daddle, link a day.
My song's about to finish, and it cuts like a saw.
Sing a daddle, link a daddle, link a daddle, link a day.
My song's about to finish, and it cuts like a saw,
If Walter's don't do it, let him push by the law.
Sing a daddle, link a daddle, link a daddle, link a day.
OH! ONCE I SAW A BLIND MAN
This is another song by Mrs. Lottie Hendrickson. I asked her to explain the meaning of the word "ranger." She said that she thought it was a ground hog. I asked Mr. Troy Felts of Carbondale, who sang his version of this song for me, the same question, and his answer was that he supposed a ranger was an officer of the law.
In Songs of the West, by S. Baring-Gould, there is a version of this song under the title "Three Jovial Welshmen;" and in this version the word is reynard, meaning a fox, instead of ranger.
OH! ONCE I SAW A BLIND MAN
First I met was a blind man as blind as he could be.
He swore he saw a Ranger a-ly-in' by a tree.
Ni-ta ma hoo-po and a haw vite all the mer-ry strand
Ni-ta ma ran dan dan up tip Fi ti dan a roy-al dog
and a rug-gle rug-gle and a bu-gle horn and a fad-die
up a dump to a di de a and through these woods ray boys.
This illustrates one of the interesting facts about folksongs, in that words are often changed so that their original meaning is obscured. Some people have said that this accounts for the use of nonsense syllables in songs.
OH! ONCE I SAW A BLIND MAN (Sung by Lottie Hendrickson)
First I met was a blind man, as blind as he could be;
He swore he saw a Ranger a lyin' by a tree.
Nita ma hoopo and a haw - with all the merry strand.
Nita ma ran dan dan, up tip pi ti dan, a royal dog.
And a niggle niggle, and bugle horn
And a faddlc up a dump, to a di de a, and
Through those woods my boys.
Next I met was a deaf man, as deaf as he could be;
He swore he heard a Ranger lyin' by a stream.
Nita ma hoopo and a haw - with all the merry strand.
Nita ma ran dan dan, up tip pi ti dan, a royal dog
And a niggle niggle, and a bugle horn
And a faddlc up a dump, to a di de a, and
Through those woods my boys.
Next I met was a teamster a drivin' his team;
Swore he saw a Ranger a lyin' by a stream.
Nita ma hoopo and a haw - with all the merry strand.
Nita ma ran dan dan, up tip pi ti dan, a royal dog
And a niggle, niggle, and a bugle horn
And a faddlc up a dump, to a di de a, and
Through those woods my boys.
THE TWELVE APOSTLES
I learned this song from Mrs. Maude Gipson of West Frankfort, Illinois. I also have a version of this song which was sung by Mrs. Hcndrickson. The two versions are similar in their words, but the tunes are decidedly different. In Folk-Songs of the West, by Baring-Gould, there is a version of this song with the title "Dilly Song." This song is sung in the following manner:
The leader sings the first phrase "Come and I will sing you;" this is answered by another person or a group with, "What will you sing me?" The leader responds, "I'll sing you the one;" then follows the question by the group, "What is your one?" Then the leader responds, "One of them is God alone and shall forever remain so." Then comes the question and answer part of the song, which in the case of the second verse, is sung "What is your two?" The answer comes from the leader, "Two of them arc lily-white babes clothed in the morning green, sir." Each time a number is added the previous numbers are also sung with them. In Folk-Songs from the Southern Appalachians by Campbell and Sharp this song is called the "Ten Commandments."
THE TWELVE APOSTLES
Come and I will sing you. What will you sing me?
I will sing you one, O! What is your one, 0 I
One of them is God alone for-ev-er and for-ev-er.
Second verse) Come and I will sing you. What will you sing me?
I will sing you two, O! What is your two, 0 I
Two of them are lily white babes clothed in the olive
green, 0 ! One of them is God alone for-ev-er and for-ev-er
THE TWELVE APOSTLES (Sung by Mrs. Maude Gipson)
Come and I will sing you, What will you sing me?
I'll sing you the one, O! What is your one, O?
One of them is God alone, forever and forever.
Come and I will sing you. What will you sing me?
I'll sing you the two, O! What is your two, O?
Two of them were lily white babes clothed in the olive green, O.
One of them is God alone, forever and forever.
(The song is sung in this manner until the full number of twelve is reached', so that the last verse will appear as follows:)
Come and I will sing you. What will you sing me?
I'll sing you the twelve, O! What is your twleve, O?
Twelve air the twelve apostles,
Twelve they were, and eleven went to Heaven.
Ten air the ten commandments,
Nine is the moonshine bright and fair,
Eight air the eight arch-angels,
Seven of them air seven stars in the sky,
Six of them air the gospel preachers,
Five air fishermen in their boats,
Four air the gospel makers,
Three of them air strangers,
And two of them air lily white babes clothed in the olive green, O!
And one of them air God alone, forever and forever.
YOUNG PEOPLE WHO DELIGHT IN SIN
This song was sung by Mrs. Lottie Hendrickson, and you will notice in the music a slur indicated at the end of each phrase. This upward slur is characteristic of the singing of many old people. In the case of Mrs. Hendrickson, she made use of this device on very emotional songs. The slur does not always extend the octave, but usually gives this impression. Most versions of this song go under the title of "Wicked Polly.
YOUNG PEOPLE WHO DELIGHT IN SIN
Young people who de-light in sin
I will tell to you what has late-ly been
A la-dy who was young and fair
She died in sin and sad des-pair.
YOUNG PEOPLE WHO DELIGHT IN SIN (Sung by Mrs. Lottie Hendrickson)
Young people who delight in sin,
I will tell to you what has lately been,
A lady who was young and fair,
She died in sin and sad despair.
She would go to frolics, dance and play,
In spite of all her friends could say.
'Til turn to God when I am old,
And then He will receive my soul."
On Friday she was taken ill;
Her stubborn heart began to yield.
"Alas, alas, my days are spent,
Too late, too late, now to repent."
She called her mother to her bed;
Her eyes were rolling in her head.
"When I am dead, remember well,
Your wicked daughter screams in Hell!!
"My earthly father, fare you well,
My soul is lost and doomed to Hell.
When I am dead, remember well,
Your wicked daughter screams in Hell."
DON'T YOU KNOW
This is an old political campaign song and was sung by Mr. R. H. Finlcy, who gave the following description of the big political meeting that took place in his home town when McKinlcy was running against Bryan for president.
"Of course, there were no cars. There were sixteen white horses in the parade and one yellow one. (This was a dramatic presentation of Bryan's silver policy, 'sixteen to one makes the gold bugs shiver'). Each white horse was ridden by a girl dressed in white, but the girl riding the yellow horse was dressed in yellow. The teams of horses were hitched to band wagons - big wagons with seats around the sides facing the center of the wagon, much like bleachers at a football game. Each wagon could seat about thirty people."
DON'T YOU KNOVW
Don't you know Billy Bryan will nev-er git there.
Don't you know, don't you know, Billy Mc-Kin-ley
will fill the chair, Donft you know, don't you know.
Way ov-er in Will-iam-son; avvay ov-er in the coun-ty
where we grow* Way ov-er in Will-iam-son;
don't you know; don't you know.
DON'T YOU KNOW (Sung by R. H. Finley)
Don't you know Billy Bryan will never git there?
Don't you know? Don't you know?
Billy McKinlcy will fill the chair.
Don't you know? Don't you know?
Way over in Williamson, Away over in the county where we grow,
Way over in Williamson, Don't you know? Don't you know?
Don't you know Henry Jones will be our next clerk?
Don't you know? Don't you know?
For H. P. Crain is big enough to work.
Don't you know? Don't you know?
Way over in Williamson, away over in the county where we grow,
Way over in Williamson, Don't you know? Don't you know?
(The extra verse is but a fragment?)
Sixteen to one makes the gold bugs shiver.
Don't you know? Don't you know?
MY GRANDPA'S BRICHES
Oh 1 ay grand-pa had some brich-es,yepthe dia.
Cross the road yonder he preaches, oh, be glad,
And he hung then in the gar-ret where there's rats
and stuff and par-rots. They were like some doz-en
stitch-es; they were bad. (The last three lines of the
last verse are as follows) 'Bout those brlches and the stamps.
Ta, ta, I saw you when you kissed her; there's her wheel,)
MY GRANDPA'S BRICHES
I am indebted to Miss Betty Jones, a student at Southern Illinois State Normal University at Carbondale, Illinois, for this song. She learned it from her father, who lives at Cisne, Illinois. It tells the story of a young woman who simply had to have the proper attire to wear when she went for a ride on her bicycle, even if it meant patching her grandpa's briches. It dates back to the bicycle-riding craze in the ninietes.
MY GRANDPA'S BRICHES (Sung by Betty Jones)
Oh, my grandpa h d some briches,
Yep, he did.
'Cross the road yonder he preaches;
Oh, be glad.
And he hung them in the garret,
Where there's rats and stuff and parrots.
They were like some dozen stitches;
They were bad.
They were stamped upon the bosom,
Yep, they were.
And it's something if you use them
'Twill occur.
And those stamps were large and healthy.
Nothing mean nor small nor stealthy,
Sister Susan said they grew-some, seemed to her.
Now dear Susan is my sister,
And she's square,
But I will have to tell you.
Now don't swear.
She took those lovely briches,
Took and sewed them into stitches.
Oh! She'd fan me to a blister if she'd hear.
Yes, she took those lovely briches,
Don't you see?
Cut them off with lops and scriches
At the knee.
Caught them up a way so simple,
Sewed them so they formed a dimple
On the briches where the patches used to be.
Now them's her lovely bloomers,
And they're real,
When I sec you wheel with sister,
I just feel
Like I'd take the laughing cramps,
'Bout those briches and the stamps.
(Ta, Ta, I saw you when you kissed her: There's her wheel.)