There Was an Old Man Who Lived in the West- Davis (NE-OH) c.1849
[Of the date Davis writes (published in 1939): It's safe to say it is more than a century old. My father learned it from his father. It was being sung in eastern Ohio ninety years ago; further than that I can't trace it.
R. Matteson Jr. 2013]
Dando: Old Man In The West. A Nebraska Folksong
Prairie Schooner, Vol. 13, No. 1 (SPRING 1939), pp. 61-64
Dando: Old Man In The West
A Nebraska Folksong afternoon, about six weeks ago, Mr. W. T. Davis, of Lincoln, Nebraska, paid the Schooner another visit. He brought along, in manuscript, two original poems, one of them a piece of heavy artillery aimed at Adolf Hitler. He read both poems to us, and then by way of getting Adolf and other unpleasant things off his mind he leaned back in our swivel chair and sang an old ballad - sang it not from manuscript but from memory, the best repository for all good ballads. But since he has never spoiled ballads by making a study of them, Mr. Davis was unaware that he was singing an American variant of a British song. Known in England under the title of "The Wife Wrapt in Wether's Skin," the song as current in America usually goes by the name of "Dando," "Dandoo," or "Bandoo." Unfortunately, we can't print the melody here, but we refer our readers to Mr. Davis, who, we are sure, will favor them with a full rendition of words and tune. As for the history of his version of the song Mr. Davis writes:
"I have set that old ballad down for you as well as I can. It's safe to say it is more than a century old. My father learned it from his father. It was being sung in eastern Ohio ninety years ago; further than that I can't trace it. I don't even know the title of the piece. We simply called it 'There Was an Old Man Lived Out in the West'."
Mr. Davis might well think of his ballad as an Ohio song, but we choose to call it a Nebraska ballad, this, to be sure, only by a kind of courtesy and in the sense that a version of it has been recovered in Nebraska. Had it been found in Iowa it would doubtless be called an Iowa song; in Texas, a Texas song, and so on. Five variants of "Dando" are given in J. H. Cox's Folk Songs of the South, but only one of these variants has as many stanzas as the Davis version, and none of them has the same refrain lines. The refrain lines in version "A" of the Cox collection are as follows:
Dandoo, dandoo - Ham bam gingo -
With a ham bam berry win'eye doodle jerry comingo calla cdlacum collingo.
When a ballad is set up in type, the refrain lines are usually given with only the first stanza, but the full effect of the song is more nearly felt if, as here, such lines are repeated with every stanza.
There was an old man lived out in the west
Dando, Dando [1]
There was an old man lived out in the west
With a rimini clist and a clango
There was an old man lived out in the west
And he married a wife that was none of the best
Tuma roorum remini, a dorum
With a rimini clist and a clango.
But when this old man went to bring his wife home
Dando, Dando
But when this old man went to bring his wife home
With a rimini clist and a clango
But when this old man went to bring his wife home
He found he'd better of left her alone
Tuma roorum rimini, a dorum
With a rimini clist and a clango.
For she could neither card nor spin
Dando, Dando
For she could neither card nor spin
With a rimini clist and a clango
For she could neither card nor spin
For fear she'd spoil her gay gold ring
Tuma roorum rimini, a dorum
With a rimini clist and a clango.
One day this old man came in from his plow
Dando, Dando
One day this old man came in from his plow
With a rimini clist and a clango
One day this old man came in from his plow
Said he, "My dear wife, is my dinner ready now?"
Tuma roorum rimini, a dorum
With a rimini clist and a clango
There's a crust of bread lies on the shelf
Dando, Dando
There's a crust of bread lies on the shelf
With a rimini clist and a clango
There's a crust of bread lies on the shelf
If you want any more you can get it yourself
Tuma roorum rimini, a dorum
With a rimini clist and a clango.
Then out to the barn this old man did go
Dando, dando
Then out to the barn this old man did go
With a rimini clist and a clango
Then out to the barn this old man did go
And down a fat Wether he did throw
Tuma roorum rimini, a dorum
With a rimini clist and a clango.
He drew the Wether up to the pen
Dando, dando He drew the
Wether up to the pen
With a rimini clist and a clango
He drew the Wether up to the pen
So nimbly he stripped off his skin
Tuma roorum rimini, a dorum
With a rimini clist and a clango.
He put the skin on his wife's back
Dando, dando
He put the skin on his wife's back
With a rimini clist and a clango
He put the skin on his wife's back
With a great big stick it went whickety whack
Tuma roorum rimini, a dorum
With a rimini clist and a clango.
I'll tell my parents and my kin
Dando, dando
I'll tell my parents and my kin
With a rimini clist and a clango
I'll tell my parents and my kin
You've mauled me without till I'm black within
Tuma roorum rimini, a dorum
With a rimini clist and a clango.
You may tell your parents and your kin
Dando, dando
You may tell your parents and your kin
With a rimini clist and a clango
You may tell your parents and your kin
I'm only tanning my old Wether skin
Tuma roorum rimini, a dorum
With a rimini clist and a clango.
And ever since that she's been a good wife
Dando, dando
And ever since that she's been a good wife
With a rimini clist and a clango
And ever since that she's been a good wife
And I hope she remains so the rest of her life
Tuma roorum rimini, a dorum
With a rimini clist and a clango.
My footnote (Matteson):
1. usually written Dandoo so the "o" can be sung "ou"