Having passed a depressingly un-hoaxed April 1st, I am happy that, at least, it's Friday and we can all turn our attention to the next best thing: the diverting minutae of cultural history.
In 1891, the English performer Lottie Collins leapt from relative obscurity to fame with the performance of a single song by Richard Morton, which she first performed in the pantomime Dick Whittington at the Grand Theatre in Islington, as Alice Fitzwarren. The Times of London wrote that Miss Collins "sang and danced with the utmost verve," gaily high-kicking on the chorus of this song about being a good girl who's not too good. Such was the public furor over Collins and the song that she was then engaged by a rival theatre (the Gaitey) to perform the song in their burlesque Cinder-Ellen-Up-Too-Late, although Dick Whittington was still running. Collins would perform at the Grand and then race to the Gaitey to do it there. She later toured America, performing the song which became her signature piece. The tune became a hot sheet-music item, and its popularity long outlived Collins' career, and its chorus is still widely known.
What was the name of the song?
First correct answer posted to comments wins this charming bathroom companion. No Googling, and don't shoot the piano player. One guess per comment, but you may post as many comments as you like.
Posted by BT at April 02, 2004 10:07 AMOnward Christian Soldiers
Posted by: Scott on April 2, 2004 10:36 AMInterestingly enough, that hymn was set to its current melody by Sir Arthur Sullivan of Gilbert & Sullivan fame -- so there is a theatrical connection there.
But of course, you were kidding.
Posted by: BT on April 2, 2004 10:39 AM"Don't Mean Nothin'"
er, that might acutally be Richard Marx, not Morton
Of course, there were so many great songs from the pantomime Dick Whittington, it's hard to pick just one...
How about "If You Knew Susie"
Posted by: teenidol on April 2, 2004 10:44 AMOh, yes, kidding, of course.
Hmmm, trying to think of disembodied choruses. Toni Braxton's Mickey is one that crawls its fetid way out of the sewers of my mind to dance across my consciousness at awkward moments. But I don't think that's it.
How about 867-5309?
Posted by: Scott on April 2, 2004 10:47 AMOh and how about that "I love you a bushel and a peck," which, if accompanied by a swishing skirt and a saucy grin, could be quite arousing, I imagine.
Posted by: Scott on April 2, 2004 10:50 AM"A Bushel and a Peck" is from Guys and Dolls, so it dates quite a bit later.
Posted by: BT on April 2, 2004 10:51 AMShe Wore a Yellow Ribbon
Posted by: teenidol on April 2, 2004 10:55 AMYou Are My Sunshine
Posted by: teenidol on April 2, 2004 11:08 AMMy Sharona
Posted by: teenidol on April 2, 2004 11:09 AMIn thinking holistically about this, my hunch is that this might be something you'd sing to a child.
Though lullabies and high-kicking aren't so compatible.
Mockingbird?
Posted by: Scott on April 2, 2004 11:24 AMFor He's a Jolly Good Fellow
Posted by: bootsy on April 2, 2004 11:47 AMNo right answers yet. One clue: it was the high-spirited chorus that passed into memory; the verses are not well-remembered.
Posted by: BT on April 2, 2004 11:50 AMAnd while I learned the chorus as a child, the song in its original incarnation was definitely for adults -- though the chorus is completely ambiguous on that affair.
Posted by: BT on April 2, 2004 11:53 AMDo Your Balls Hang Low?
Posted by: Scott on April 2, 2004 11:56 AMRow Row Row Your Boat
Posted by: teenidol on April 2, 2004 11:56 AMOh and Scott -- you're thinking of Toni Basil. Toni Braxton is the woman who brought us "Love Shoulda Brought You Home" and "I Love Me Some Him."
Posted by: BT on April 2, 2004 11:57 AMTwinkle twinkle little star?
Posted by: bootsy on April 2, 2004 11:58 AMToot-Toot-Tootsie, Goodbye
Posted by: Jonathan on April 2, 2004 12:00 PMI actually heard a Spanish version of "Hey Mickey" in Mexico (back when it was played on radio in the USA, as well). It was still called "Hey Mickey" and surprisingly catchy.
Goody-Goody
Posted by: Jonathan on April 2, 2004 12:05 PM5 foot 2, Eyes of Blue
I'm not sure that's the title, though.
Posted by: teenidol on April 2, 2004 12:05 PMShake it, shake it shake it shake it shake it, shake it shake it shake like a harefooted daguerrotype.
Posted by: bootsy on April 2, 2004 12:08 PMThat would be Has Anybody Seen My Gal, teenidol.
I doubt it, but if that's the answer you can keep the prize and buy me a drink next time I'm in town.
Merrily We Roll Along
Dammit, looks like I'm going to have to buy the bathroom companion myself.
Darn those spice girls.
Posted by: Scott on April 2, 2004 12:16 PMWe used to sing a song in grade school called "Some Folks Do" that haunts me to this day. It contained the lines:
Some folks would rather lie
Some folks do, some folks do
Some folks would rather die
But that's not me nor you
Long live the Queen of Mirth...
There is a slight chance that I'm remembering it incorrectly.
Posted by: teenidol on April 2, 2004 12:18 PMI took a risk and Googled "Some Folks." It is not the answer but I confirmed that I still hate this song.
http://ingeb.org/songs/somefolk.html
Posted by: teenidol on April 2, 2004 12:20 PMDon't Blame Lulu
Posted by: Jonathan on April 2, 2004 12:29 PMCould it simply be the Can-Can?
Posted by: LAURA on April 2, 2004 12:31 PM"Who let the dogs out?"
(Scott now celebrates his fourth format for song titles today.)
Posted by: Scott on April 2, 2004 12:36 PMI see London
I see France
I see women's underpants
'Walk on the Wild Side'
Posted by: Scott on April 2, 2004 12:38 PMCarla came from Miami FLA
Loaded 1700 itunes for the way
Not a bad guess about the Can-Can -- certain the picture I have of Collins' high-kicking dance would suggest a connection, and at least one source suggests that the can-can has been danced to the tune she made famous.
But her dance was more modest than the highly suggestive can-can, which did indeed show off underpants -- something that never happened on the late-Victorian pantomime/music hall stages on which Collins performed. That kind of thing was only tolerated by the degenerate French.
One more clue: for most of my life I knew this song with substitute lyrics, invented specifically to embody one of the perpetual themes of childhood.
Posted by: BT on April 2, 2004 12:41 PM"On Top of Old Smokey" has a nice liscivious undertone to it.
Posted by: Gavin (in Miami, FLA, oddly enough) on April 2, 2004 12:42 PM"Milk, milk, lemonade, around the corner, fudge is made?"
Posted by: Gavin on April 2, 2004 12:43 PM"Greasy grimy gopher guts"?
Posted by: Gavin on April 2, 2004 12:44 PMJingle Bells, Batman smells
Posted by: teenidol on April 2, 2004 12:44 PMThe altered lyrics in question touched on the same themes as popular childhood alterations to "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "Joy to the World."
Posted by: BT on April 2, 2004 12:46 PM"Scotty and Bob Hope sittin' in a tree..."
Posted by: Jonathan on April 2, 2004 12:47 PM"School's out for summer / School's out / Forever."
mmm mmm mmm glory glory hallelujah, teacher hit me with a ruler. . .
Mmmm.
Posted by: Scott on April 2, 2004 12:51 PMSorry, I didn't learn the Mississippi version of "Battle Hymn of the Republic." Our songs in upstate NY were generally Russian nursery rhymes set to tunes from ELO.
Posted by: Jonathan on April 2, 2004 12:54 PMThis was before I moved to Mississippi, Jonathan, and I learned it much as Scott writes above.
The hit by Collins was adapted to a similar theme.
In the original, the chorus is nothing but a single line, repeated four times, which strongly resists paraphrase.
Posted by: BT on April 2, 2004 12:59 PMNanny nanny boo boo?
Posted by: Scott on April 2, 2004 01:06 PMTa-Ra-Ra-Boomdier
Posted by: Jonathan on April 2, 2004 01:09 PMIf that's spelled right, homeboy googled for sure.
Posted by: Scott on April 2, 2004 01:11 PMDiarrhea, cha-cha-cha
Diarrhea, cha-cha-cha
Some people think it's funny
But it's not, it's hot and runny
Google this, monkeyboy.
When I was (ahem) a lad, we sang it:
Ta-ra-ra-boomdier we have no school today,
Our teacher passed away
She had a tooth decay
We have no secretary, she's in the cemetary
We have no principal, she's in the hospital [that worthy being, in fact, a nun]
Our version of course was sung in Dutch.
Posted by: Jonathan on April 2, 2004 01:17 PMOook?
Posted by: Scott on April 2, 2004 01:19 PMWhen she gets home from church
She takes off her pants
That's what I like
About Amy Grant
Bill Bill
Bo Bill
Banana fanna fo fil
Fee fi mo mill
Bill
-Pop goes the weasel- has a certain aesthetic/beavis and butthead appeal as an answer.
Posted by: Scott on April 2, 2004 01:30 PMWhile we should dock points for spelling, Jonathan has alighted upon the correct answer: "Ta-Ra-Ra-Ra-Boom-De-Ay," was what catapulted Lottie to fame -- she started off low & quiet on that first "Ta-Ra-Ra," and then went into a kind of whirling high-kick from the "Boom." She was usually called back for double encores of this number, which makes me think of an audience full of tophatted Teletubbies crying "Again! Again!"
The version I knew was"
Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-De-Ay
Threw teacher in the bay
The sharks have lunch today
Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-De-Ay
Good times, good times...
Well played, Mr. K.
Posted by: BT on April 2, 2004 01:36 PMOn top of spaghetti
Posted by: teenidol on April 2, 2004 01:37 PMD'oh
Foiled by the proxy server!
Posted by: teenidol on April 2, 2004 01:38 PMLyrics and high-kicking, though can-canesque, illustrative animated gifs.
Posted by: Scott on April 2, 2004 01:39 PMOops. 'scuse me: just two "Ra's" in that title.
Posted by: BT on April 2, 2004 01:40 PMI'll work on the orthography.
Many thanks, and may all enjoy the weekend with the utmost verve.
I'm pretty sure I've never heard any version of that song ever.
Posted by: Gavin on April 2, 2004 11:33 PMAre we sure that guy's pushing Propecia and not LSD?
Posted by: Gavin on April 3, 2004 10:19 AMOnly one way to find out. And for a guy in my position, it's a win either way.
Posted by: Scott on April 5, 2004 11:24 AMmmmm...Pentelicus...
Posted by: BT on April 5, 2004 11:25 AMHoly crap, that's the worst comment spam I've seen. (Don't mind me, just wandering through the archives...)
Posted by: Rory on July 21, 2004 10:42 AM