OK- help.
I need help with the complete lyrics of particular version of the children’s rhyme that begins:
"The captain had a steamboat
Hello operator give me number nine
Two old ladies sitting in a ditch
Beech-nut chewing gum
So anyone grow up in Western NY in the mid to late '70s and can help me out???
My children’s education depends on all of you.
Thanks!!!
Search for “steamboat/bell/heaven” and you’ll find more than a few past threads. Maybe this one has some info.
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=304161&highlight=steamboat+heaven+bell
Unfortunately those threads don’t have the version I’m looking for. Apparently we sang some totally rare version that no one seems to know.
Miss Lucy had a steamboat
Hello operator,
Behind the 'frigerator,
Ask me no more questions,
Miss Lucy had a steamboat
Hello operator,
Behind the 'frigerator,
That one does have a different ending from others I’ve seen, but still isn’t quite the one I remember from the old days. Sigh.
I my neighborhood in the early 60’s the ending substituted “Little Mary” for “Miss Lucy” in the third verse and the last verse was:
Ask me no more questions,
Considering that this is something that was passed from one 6, 7, or 8 year-old to another, I’d be surprised if there was any one “official” version.
randwill:
Considering that this is something that was passed from one 6, 7, or 8 year-old to another, I’d be surprised if there was any one “official” version.
You are right about that- I’m trying to get a hold of the version I remember from when I was little- it’s amazing how many versions there are! I was hoping someone knew the version I remembered, but I’m getting discouraged!
Oh, well!
Miss Lucy had a steamboat
Hello operator,
Behind the 'frigerator,
Ask me no more questions,
To which we added (spoken):
Mmm, boy, Almond Joy!
Here’s the version I learned:
Miss Mary had a steamboat,
Hello operator,
Behind the 'frigerator
Ask me no more questions,
Flies are in the city,
Boy, we were easily amused.
I just remembered the little coda we recited at the end of our version;
“Everybody’s doin’ it, doin’ it, doin’ it,
You know, “it’s not” = “snot”. Oh, what talented little wits we were.
Scarlett67:
Here’s the version I learned:
Miss Mary had a steamboat,
Hello operator,
Behind the 'frigerator
Ask me no more questions,
Flies are in the city,
Boy, we were easily amused.
This is basically the version we sang when I was a kid.
For some reason, I have this wild belief that this music was used in some Loony Tunes cartoons as incidental music. I have no evidence with which to back this up.
The version of this number common in my part of the world growing up:
Miss Susie had a steamboat
Hello operator
Behind the 'frigerator
Ask me no more questions
Flies are in the meadow
The dark is like a movie
I know, I know my pa
Damned if I know why I’ve retained all of this.
Probably because you learned it when you were in the single digits. It would take me a while if I had to learn it today and I’d have forgotten it in a few months!
Jodi
January 8, 2007, 1:02am
14
The version I knew ended after “ask me no more questions, I’ll tell you no more lies” with: “But if you sit in a bucket of shit be sure to close your eyes!”
Well, I remember:
He swam to the bottom
Cocktails, ginger ale
Ask me no more questions
