Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
Your search for C328 returned 174 results.
Mr Johnny Goback
Once there was a Dutchman his name was Johnny Goback.
He was a sausage dealer in sauerkraut and speck.
One day he invented a marvelous machine,
now all the neighbors cats and dogs will never no more be
seen.
(Chorus) Oh mister Johnny Goback how could you be so mean?
I told you you'd be sorry for inventing that machine.
Now all the neighbors cats and dogs will never no more be seen
they'll all be ground to sausages in Johnny Goback's machine.
chorus over.
One day a little boy came strolling in the store.
He bought a pound of sausages and set them on the floor.
The little boy started whistling, he whistled up a tune.
And all the little sausages started dancing around the room.
(Chorus)
One day the thing got stuck the blame thing wouldn't go.
So Johnny crawled inside of it to see what made it so.
His wife was having a nightmare walking in her sleep.
She gave the crank a heck of a yank and Johnny was sausage
meat.
(Chorus)
Submitter comment:
My grandma learned this from her husband, who is no longer
living. She believes it is a Marching song for soldiers. My
grandfather came directly on the boat from the Netherlands so
this is native to that land. It goes back to at least his
childhood since his father taught it to him. This would date
this back as early as 1915.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HAZEL PARK
James Callow Keyword(s): HUMOR
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Good humor Jest Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- War cries |
Date learned: 00-00-1935
When I was young we used to sing this song when our parents
weren't around :
Great green gobs of greasy grimy gopher guts
Mutilated monkey nuts
Chopped up birdy feet
French fried eyeballs floating in a pool of blood
Ooh I forgot my spoon.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; CENTERLINE
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Good humor Jest Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Children |
Date learned: 00-00-1974
My older brother taught me this song when I was very young. It
was very popular with kids my age:
Great green gobs of greasy grimy gopher guts
Mutilated monkey meat
Chopped up birdy feet
French fried eyeballs floating in a pool of blood
Oh I forgot my spoon.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Good humor Jest Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Children |
Date learned: 00-00-1975
THIS SONG WAS SUNG AT FAMILY GATHERINGS IN KENTUCKY:
"I GOT CHOKED ON A COLD TATER PIE
AND I THOUGHT TO MY SOUL I WOULD DIE
I GOT CHOKED ON A COLD TATER PIE
TATER PIE! TATER PIE! I GOT CHOKED ON A COLD TATER PIE.
TATER PIE! TATER PIE! I GOT CHOKED ON A COLD TATER PIE."
THE SONG WAS SUNG AS A ROUND. EVERYONE PARTICIPATED.
Submitter comment:
MY INFORMANT MADE THE COMMENT THAT HER STRAIGHT-LACED FATHER'S
RELATIVES WOULD MAKE THE PIE, AND HER MOTHER'S MORE CAREFREE SIDE
OF THE FAMILY WOULD SING ABOUT THEM.
Where learned: KENTUCKY ; CENTRAL
James Callow Keyword(s): FOOD
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Good humor Jest |
Date learned: 00001940S
"SHE WALKS THE BLOODY TOWER"
THIS SONG WAS SUNG BY MY MOTHER AND HER SIBLINGS:
"SHE WALKS THE BLOODY TOWER
AT THE MIDNIGHT HOUR
WITH 'ER 'EAD TUCKED UNDERNEATH HER ARM
AT THE MIDNIGHT HOUR...
...IT MAKES IT AWFULLY DIFFICULT FOR THE QUEEN TO BLOW HER
NOSE
WITH 'ER 'EAD TUCKED UNDERNEATH 'ER ARM."
MY INFORMANT ONLY REMEMBERS THIS FRAGMENT.
Submitter comment:
I REMEMBER MY MOTHER SINGING THIS TO ME WHEN I WAS A CHILD.
SHE WOULD ALSO EXPLAIN THE HISTORICAL CONNECTION TO THE QUEENS OF
HENRY THE EIGHTH. ANNE BOLEYN IS PROBABLY THE QUEEN REFERRED TO
IN THE SONG. I ATTRIBUTE MY INTEREST AND MAJOR IN HISTORY IN PART
TO THIS FRAGMENT.
Where learned: OHIO ; CINCINNATI
James Callow Keyword(s): HUMOR
| Subject headings: | Favorites Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Good humor Jest |
Date learned: 00001940S
Children's Version of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer"
Rudolph the red nosed reindeer had a very shiny nose.
And if you ever saw it (saw it) you would even say it glows
(like a light bulb).
All of the other reindeer (reindeer) used to laugh and call
him names (like Pinocchio).
They never let poor Rudolph (Rudolph) join in any
reindeer games (like Monopoly).
Then one foggy Christmas Eve Santa came to say (ho ho ho),
Rudolph with your nose so bright, won't you guide my
sleigh tonight?
Then all the reindeer loved him (loved him)
and they shouted out with glee (Whoopie)
Rudolph the red nosed reindeer (reindeer),
you'll go down in history (like Columbus).
Submitter comment:
This song was sung to the regular tune of "Rudolph the Red
Nosed Reindeer"; the sections in parentheses are sung as an after
thought, or even by a different group of children. There are many
deviations in this song where the words are added into the song.
For the game where she sung Monopoly I learned to sing like
Parcheesi, and for the person in history, I learned like George
Washington.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Sandusky
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Good humor Jest Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Children |
Date learned: 00-00-1981
"Miss Suzy Had A Steamboat"
Miss Suzy had a steamboat, the steamboat had a bell/ Miss
Suzy went to heaven, the steamboat went to.../ Hello operator,
give me number nine/ And if you disconnect me I'll kick you
from.../Behind the refrigerator, there was a piece of glass, and
if you slip upon it, it'll break your little.../ Ask me no more
questions, tell me no more lies, Miss Suzy told me all of this the
day before she.../ Died her hair in purple, she died her hair in
pink, she died her hair in polka dots and washed it down the
sink.
Keyword(s): HELL
| Subject headings: | Favorites Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Ballad, Song, Verse Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Good humor Jest Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Children |
Date learned: 00-00-1979
Mother, Mother, may I go
Down to the corner to meet my beau?
No, my daughter you can't go
Down to the corner to meet your beau.
Father, Father, may I go
Down to the corner to meet my beau?
Yes, my daughter you can go
Down to the corner to meet your beau.
Tell your mother to hold her tongue.
She had a beau when she was young.
Submitter comment:
This is a tune for the piano that was taught to my mother by
her mother when she was ten years old.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): Family relations
| Subject headings: | Favorites Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Good humor Jest Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Children |
Date learned: 00-00-1927
MY BODY LIES OVER THE OCEAN,
MY BODY LIES OVER THE SEA,
MY DADDY LIES OVER MY MOMMIE,
THAT'S HOW I CAME TO BE.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
James Callow Keyword(s): ORIGIN OF BABIES
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Good humor Jest BELIEF -- Creation and Order of Human Life BELIEF -- Birth |
Date learned: 11-11-1973
Entry filtered.
Narrative Verse
When we were children we used to sing such silly verses as: "Oh, give me a home, where the buffalo roam and I'll show you a house full of mud."
Data entry tech comment:
Informant and collector are the same person.
Where learned: CHILDHOOD
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Good humor Jest |
The Archie Song
Here are the words to a short song sung by the students of U of D's School of Architecture for a number of years:
"Aye, Yaye, Yaye, Yaye, Architects are SEXY!"
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Good humor Jest |
National Embalming School
See the hearse go rolling by,
National Embalming School
Chorus:
For you we live,
For us you die,
National Embalming School
We dig a hole into the crust,
We throw you in, you turn to dust.
Chorus:
Post mortem, post mortem, post mortem,
Autopsy we will go.
Slash -- cut, slash -- cut,
Without any reason,
My God, how the body smells,
It must be out of season.
Snap, crackle, pop,
The bones are breaking.
Chorus:
Submitter comment:
A college song
Data entry tech comment:
Informant and collector are the same person.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Good humor Jest |
My Name Is Jesus
My name is Jesus, the Son of God,
Well, hello, hello, hello.
I've come to cure you and heal your bod,
Well, hello, hello, hello.
Submitter comment:
A college tune
Data entry tech comment:
Informant and collector are the same person.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Good humor Jest |