“I Know a Boarding-House”

Description

"I know a boarding-house Not far away Where they have ham and eggs Three times a day." "Lord, how those boarders shout..." "Lord, how those boarders yell When they hear that dinner-bell!"

Notes

This is one of those composite songs -- the key element is humorous verses to the tune of "Silver Threads." The most common verse -- shared with "The Barefoot Boy" -- is "while the organ pealed potatoes"; my father learned this from a substitute teacher in Detroit around 1941.

Dave Macon copyrighted his "Country Ham and Red Gravy" version of this song, which does indeed seem to be a rewrite (rather racist), but it's clearly from the same roots. Though he may have supplied the tune, also known as "New Five Cents."

Laura Ingalls Wilder printed a stanza of this in _By the Shores of Silver Lake_, chapter 4. If she actually heard it then, it would date the song from 1879. But, of course, she was writing half a century later, and her work is much fictionalized anyway, so that's not a very trustworthy date. - RBW

Cross references

Recordings

  • Uncle Dave Macon, "Country Ham and Red Gravy" (Bluebird 7951, 1938)

References

  1. Randolph 479, "I Know a Boarding-House" (1 text)
  2. Pankake-PHCFSB, "At the Boarding House Where I Live" (1 text, tune referenced); also p. 190, "While The Organ Pealed Potatoes" (1 text, tune referenced)
  3. DT, BORDHOUS* (HAPYLND2*)
  4. Roud #7636
  5. BI, R479

About

Author: unknown
Earliest date: 1938 (recording, Uncle Dave Macon)
Found in: US(MW,So)