I went to summer camp in Androscoggin, Maine in the 1950s. Every year, a young Tom Lehrer would come up from Boston to help put on the annual play. A treat for all the kids and counselors involved. Happy 91st, Tom !
I won many local talent competitions as a precocious 12 and 13 year old during the early 60's, singing Rickety Tickety Tin (The Irish Ballad). In this version Tom left out the part of setting her sister's hair on fire and dancing around the funeral pyre - playing a violin. I sang the song, deadpan, to stunned silence in the beginning, which then generated some laughter and eventually uproarious applause as I left the stage after a quick bow - still totally deadpan face.
Heheheh I would so love to do that but these days I'd be burned alive for it 😂But I still sing his songs with my history teacher. He says my impression of Tom Lehrer is crazily accurate for a 15 year old british girl and laughs his head off every time. I love my history lessons so much because of that teacher...
I have fond memories of gathering around the piano to hear my mom play and sing Tom Lehrer songs from the Tom Lehrer songbook. We’d sometimes join in on singing but she led us all. This was one of my favorites for her to play and sing! Loved the ‘rikity tikity tin’ part! So fun! Thanks, mom!
My family grew up with Tom Lehrer playing on the record player. When we started to sing "The Old Dope Peddler" my parents grew alarmed~ too late we had them all memorized and could sing at a moments notice...we were little children singing in our sweet soprano voices..."she did everyone of them in them in...."
The original 10" LP album "Songs by Tom Lehrer" that I bought in 1958 had an additional verse that I remember as: "She set her sister's hair on fire - rickety tickety tin. She set her sister's hair on fire, and, as the smoke and flames grew higher, danced around the funeral pyre playing a violin".
I was born in 1950. My parents had Tom Lehrer's 1st album which I listened to often from the age of 4 on. I remember trying to imagine who the people in "In My Home Town", were in my home town of New Canaan, CT. Great material for children's formative years and proof that you don't necessarily become what you read, hear or watch.
I was born in 1960. My parents also had his 1st album. My mother said I had terrible colic as an infant and she got so tired of singing sappy children's songs to me that she switched to Tom Lehrer's songs. I credit him and my mother for instilling in me a love of inappropriate/dark humor and a large vocabulary (I knew what hideous meant at 1 year of age). I grew up singing his songs from the time I learned to speak.
I was at a very young and impressionable age when my mother introduced me to the works of Tom Lehrer. I believe this has a lot to do with the sense of humor I have today. I know that my mother is somewhere in the background, laughing quietly to herself when people say to me, "You are a very sick man."
Those were some interesting childhood experience folks. Thanks for sharing it. I wonder what would happened to me if the songs I heard during my childhood changed to that of Tom Lehrer's. ... Well Probably not much, I didn't understand English back then.
@@carolmelancon I had exactly the same experience!!! (Him and Monty Python because I'm British and my mum wanted me to stay that way for some reason) But I'm 15 so it was really recently (since I was 2). I blame my mum, him and Monty Python for the same things as you, as well as me being stuck the 20th century and not getting any references made by people my age, only made by people over 50... Still, I wouldn't change a thing. (also the people at my nursery were worried about me because of that and because I used to walk around singing the theme of Pib and Pog, thinking it was a normal kid's show. I was disappointed when I found out it wasn't and learned about the boring things everyone else watched.)
I remember being about 8 years old at summer camp back in the 1960's. Our counselor sang this very regularly at campfire time and we all LOVED it! By the end of the summer I knew it by heart and still do (including the missing verse about setting her sister's hair on fire). it was my first intro to any of his songs. I just wish I'd been able to see him perform in person before he retired; I'm so glad for these TH-cam videos.
It's hard to resist making your own: She found her Grandpa asleep in bed Sing rickety-tickety-tin She found her Grandpa asleep in bed And baked him into a loaf of bread And then covered the tasted with The Higher-Priced Spread* to her Grandmother's great chagrin! Chagrin! To her Grandmother's great chagrin! *How they referred to butter, in oleomargarine commercials of the 1950s.
my family and our close family friends used to sing this when i was a little girl! it surprisingly still makes me smile even though i used to run away when my grandpa would start to play it.
I’ve lived almost 34 years & honestly have never heard this song, so I guess it’s not used much up in the North of Ireland. I wish it had been, though! 🤣
OK, brace yourselves. On vacations in Quebec, our neighbor, Prof. Leroux of McGill, was a notable musical humorist, in his own right, entertaining us by the campfire, in the evenings, with his guitar. This was a favorite, he'd added a lot of verses in French, switching from "Sing Rickety" to "Chant Rickety...", depending. There were times we'd be laughing so hard, we'd ask him to repeat, so we could sing along. (The extended family he sang about was VERY extensive) Can only remember the last French verse. Gettin' old... On a dit que'elle n'avait assez de soin, Chant Rickety-Tickety-Tin! On a dit que'elle n'avait assez de soin, Mais les autres sont mort, et diligement, Et la heritage sienne, veritablement! ... Elle a donné l'enquette un sourire, Sourire, Elle a donné l'enquette un sourire! And translating poetry is HARD, but I tried: They said she'd not taken the needed care, Sing Rickety-Tickety-Tin! They said she'd not taken the needed care, But the others were dead, and she was the heir. The detectives were giving her a glare, But all she gave back was a grin, A grin, And all she gave back was a grin! 😏
There is a lot of song that could have inspired it. There is, in fact, an entire category of folk songs called murder ballads the most famous probably being "Pretty Polly". The chord changes seem to be a creation of Lehrer's own making though.
Ha ha, thanks! If you asked Tom Lehrer he would not agree, because he thinks that we - "the publishers" on TH-cam - are dubious (at best). On the other hand, he does not like to be bothered because of these old songs, so he won't come after us :-)))
My Mom had one of his albums, and my friends and I listened to it frequently! :D That might explain a few things about how I am now..... ;) Thanks for posting this!!
benjamin baaner OF COURSE! he only said he was going to do 70-80 out of the 100 or so of the original song (also,he did have a live audience so they probably had time constraints)
She set her sister's hair on fire, Rikiti Tikiti Tin! She set her sister's hair on fire and as the smoke and flame rose higher, she danced around the funeral pyre! Playing a violin, olin, playing a violin.
"Irish stew" was sung just as I was re-reading a passage I'd wrote. My eyes hit the word "stew" at the exactly moment you said that and it terrified me. I do really love Tom Lehrer's works though, he was such an amazing man!
Haarez1 The song is actually Rikiti Tikiti Tin and those are the words. I remember singing this one years ago in an Irish bar. There is at least a couple other versions of this on You Tube.
Takes me back to 1959 in a Navy Barracks at Cheltenham Md listening to his songs an old tape recorder. Yes, LucianCorrvinous Son of Hekaté he did leave out the verse about setting her sister's hair on fire I still know the verses to more than a half dozen of his songs from the late 50's. LOLOL Down by the old maelstrtrom there will be a storm vbefore the calm..... There havew been several since 1959.sad to say.
Making my own because: Her next victim was her babysister Ricky tick ity tin Her next victim was her babysister She told her to run with scissors And she made those scissors out of flint of flint She made those scissors out of flint
I hear this ill-tempered, not quite _mad_ professor's influence in some more recent efforts by the likes of Sandy and Richard Riccardi, among others. Long life to you, Tom.
About a maid I'll sing a song Sing rickety-tickety-tin About a maid I'll sing a song Who didn't have her family long Not only did she do them wrong She did ev'ryone of them in Them in She did ev'ryone of them in One morning in a fit of pique Sing rickety-tickety-tin One morning in a fit of pique She drowned her father in the creek The water tasted bad for a week And we had to make do with gin With gin We had to make do with gin Her mother she could never stand Sing rickety-tickety-tin Her mother she cold never stand And so a cyanide soup she planned The mother died with a spoon in her hand And her face in a hideous grin A grin Her face in a hideous grin She set her sister's hair on fire Sing rickety-tickety-tin She set her sister's hair on fire And as the smoke and flame rose higher Danced around the funeral pyre Playin' a violin-olin Playin' a violin She weighted her brother down with stones Sing rickety-tickety-tin She weighted her brother down with stones And sent him off .To Davy Jones All they ever found were some bones And occasional pieces of skin Of skin Occasional pieces of skin One day when she had nothing to do Sing rickety-tickety-tin One day when she had nothing to do She cut her baby brother in two And served him up as an Irish stew And invited the neighbors in, -bors in Invited the neighbors in And when at last the police came by Sing rickety-tickety-tin And when at last the police came by Her little pranks she did not deny To do so she would have had to lie And lying, she knew, was a sin A sin Lying, she knew, was a sin My tragic tale, I won't prolong Sing rickety-tickety-tin My tragic tale I won't prolong And if you do not enjoy my song You've yourselves to blame if it's too long You should never have let me begin Begin You should never have let me begin
Lyrics About a maid I'll sing a song Sing rickety tickety tin About a maid I'll sing a song Who didn't have her family long Not only did she do them wrong She did every one of them in, them in She did every one of them in. One morning in a fit of pique Sing rickety tickety tin One morning in a fit of pique She drowned her father in the creek The water tasted bad for a week And we had to make do with gin, with gin We had to make do with gin Her mother she could never stand Sing rickety tickety tin Her mother she could never stand And so a cyanide soup she planned The mother died with the spoon in her hand And her face in a hideous grin, a grin Her face in a hideous grin. She weighted her brother down with stones Sing rickety tickety tin She weighted her brother down with stones And sent him off to Davey Jones All they ever found were some bones And occasional pieces of skin, of skin Occasional pieces of skin. She set her sister's hair on fire Sing rickety tickety tin She set her sister's hair on fire And as the smoke and flame rose higher Danced around the funeral pyre Playing a violin, -olin Playing a violin. One day she had nothing to do Sing rickety tickety tin One day she had nothing to do She cut her baby brother in two And served him up as an Irish stew And invited the neighbours in, -bours in Invited the neighbours in. And when at last the police came by Sing rickety tickety tin And when at last the police came by Her little pranks she did not deny To do so she would have had to lie And lying she knew was a sin, a sin And lying she knew was a sin. And just one thing before I go Sing rickety tickety tin And just one thing before I go There's something I think that you ought to know They had no proof, so they let her go And they say that she's tall and thin, and thin They say that she's tall and thin. My tragic tale I won't prolong Sing rickety tickety tin My tragic tale I won't prolong I hope you like my little song You've yourself to blame if it's too long You should never have let me begin, begin You should never have let me begin.
anyone know the song these lyrics belong to: "...I wish I had a gun a little gun, I'd shoot the other two and then there's only be one....if one of us gets the measles the other one gets the...."
But isn't this racist Jewish man just making fun of the Irish with this song ? Its clearly a racist song about the Irish . No wonder the record companies refused to promote Mr. Lehrer's racist songs when they heard them in 1968 . He thinks he's being witty and amusing but he's just being hateful towards another ethnic group . ( The definition of racism )
@@HoratioTalbot771_a ? So it's also racist to make a country song with stereotypes of that genre of music? Or a rock song? Also, RACIst it's about the RACE, you might mean xenophobia, but this is not even xenophobic._.
@@HoratioTalbot771_a It's obviously an irish ballad, but 1.- So if a Irish make a rock song, country song or Whatever is being RACIST? 2.- Ur saying that being irish is a race (wtf?) You don't know the difference between racism and xenophobia this isn't even xenophobic 3.- Instead of being offended, ask an Irish if this offends him.
I used to sing his songs when I was younger. I don't any more. Too cynical and too ugly for my taste now. And this one, in particular, reveals his elitist snobbishness. In the version I remember from my childhood he said: "Folks songs are so bad because they were written by folk." Hard to get more disrespectful of humanity than that.
Zale Dalen; The exact quote from Lehrer to which you are referring is, "the reason that most folk songs are so atrocious is that they were written by the people", rather than musically trained and lyrically literate professional songwriters. Lehrer was a liberal, but unlike many modern leftists, if he observed something that he felt should be called out, he was an equal opportunity offender. My favorite is the one where he introduces "The Folk Song Army" by noting that a lot of the audience for folkie protest songs were apparently not in favor of the love, peace, and tolerance that the songs themselves were purporting to propagate. But, as is so often the case on TH-cam, why are you clicking onto videos that you know you will dislike?
Got to love that 88-string guitar!
manfredatee Same profile pick! Also I agree.
still waiting for the next 70 verses
Much like Anna Russell's air-Celtic-harp.
I went to summer camp in Androscoggin, Maine in the 1950s. Every year, a young Tom Lehrer would come up from Boston to help put on the annual play. A treat for all the kids and counselors involved. Happy 91st, Tom !
Whoa
@Jordan Saldanha Yup. He's still alive. 92. Go, Tom !
@@russells9687 Almost 93
@J.W. S.D yeah
@@synthiazeng 95 as of Oct 29 2023
I won many local talent competitions as a precocious 12 and 13 year old during the early 60's, singing Rickety Tickety Tin (The Irish Ballad). In this version Tom left out the part of setting her sister's hair on fire and dancing around the funeral pyre - playing a violin. I sang the song, deadpan, to stunned silence in the beginning, which then generated some laughter and eventually uproarious applause as I left the stage after a quick bow - still totally deadpan face.
Heheheh I would so love to do that but these days I'd be burned alive for it 😂But I still sing his songs with my history teacher. He says my impression of Tom Lehrer is crazily accurate for a 15 year old british girl and laughs his head off every time. I love my history lessons so much because of that teacher...
Yeah, I was waiting for the sister's hair on fire part too! This song is quite a gem, an old family favorite!
I have fond memories of gathering around the piano to hear my mom play and sing Tom Lehrer songs from the Tom Lehrer songbook. We’d sometimes join in on singing but she led us all. This was one of my favorites for her to play and sing! Loved the ‘rikity tikity tin’ part! So fun! Thanks, mom!
My family grew up with Tom Lehrer playing on the record player. When we started to sing "The Old Dope Peddler" my parents grew alarmed~ too late we had them all memorized and could sing at a moments notice...we were little children singing in our sweet soprano voices..."she did everyone of them in them in...."
This man is probably the best thing ever happened to humanity. Period.
... until @boburnham
@@sidoo he literally invented the Jello-Shot. @boburnham hasn't ever gotten me drunk on Everclear...
I'm a fan of the polio vaccine. And the wheel... and roasting meat over fire
But Tom Lehrer is important too, no doubt
Er, no, that would be Jesus. No joke intended.
Wait didn't she also set her sisters hair on fire, and danced around the funeral pyre playing a violin..a lin....playing a violin?
You beat me to it. She most definitely DID. How odd, he must have forgotten that verse.
Remember, it’s only 70 verses rather than a hundred
Then we made do with Gin!
Yes.
@nvcmb YA100zz well. Not anymore
The original 10" LP album "Songs by Tom Lehrer" that I bought in 1958 had an additional verse that I remember as: "She set her sister's hair on fire - rickety tickety tin. She set her sister's hair on fire, and, as the smoke and flames grew higher, danced around the funeral pyre playing a violin".
Tom invented Jello-Shots. This is confirmed on his wiki page and no one has an earlier claim or has disputed that he didn't invent it.
Wonderful music from a man my husband always regarded as a musical genius!
we were taught this song i Denmark in the beginning of us starting to learn english. loved it ever since. good choise miss teacher.
I was born in 1950. My parents had Tom Lehrer's 1st album which I listened to often from the age of 4 on. I remember trying to imagine who the people in "In My Home Town", were in my home town of New Canaan, CT. Great material for children's formative years and proof that you don't necessarily become what you read, hear or watch.
I was born in 1960. My parents also had his 1st album. My mother said I had terrible colic as an infant and she got so tired of singing sappy children's songs to me that she switched to Tom Lehrer's songs. I credit him and my mother for instilling in me a love of inappropriate/dark humor and a large vocabulary (I knew what hideous meant at 1 year of age). I grew up singing his songs from the time I learned to speak.
Folks "In My Home Town" were close by - My home town - Wilton. Lord, we did live in a progressive area!
I was at a very young and impressionable age when my mother introduced me to the works of Tom Lehrer. I believe this has a lot to do with the sense of humor I have today. I know that my mother is somewhere in the background, laughing quietly to herself when people say to me, "You are a very sick man."
Those were some interesting childhood experience folks. Thanks for sharing it. I wonder what would happened to me if the songs I heard during my childhood changed to that of Tom Lehrer's.
... Well Probably not much, I didn't understand English back then.
@@carolmelancon I had exactly the same experience!!! (Him and Monty Python because I'm British and my mum wanted me to stay that way for some reason) But I'm 15 so it was really recently (since I was 2). I blame my mum, him and Monty Python for the same things as you, as well as me being stuck the 20th century and not getting any references made by people my age, only made by people over 50... Still, I wouldn't change a thing. (also the people at my nursery were worried about me because of that and because I used to walk around singing the theme of Pib and Pog, thinking it was a normal kid's show. I was disappointed when I found out it wasn't and learned about the boring things everyone else watched.)
I remember being about 8 years old at summer camp back in the 1960's. Our counselor sang this very regularly at campfire time and we all LOVED it! By the end of the summer I knew it by heart and still do (including the missing verse about setting her sister's hair on fire). it was my first intro to any of his songs. I just wish I'd been able to see him perform in person before he retired; I'm so glad for these TH-cam videos.
I agree completely with the views on audience participation expressed at 0:56.
He was satirizing élitism
It's hard to resist making your own:
She found her Grandpa asleep in bed
Sing rickety-tickety-tin
She found her Grandpa asleep in bed
And baked him into a loaf of bread
And then covered the tasted with The Higher-Priced Spread*
to her Grandmother's great chagrin! Chagrin!
To her Grandmother's great chagrin!
*How they referred to butter, in oleomargarine commercials of the 1950s.
my family and our close family friends used to sing this when i was a little girl! it surprisingly still makes me smile even though i used to run away when my grandpa would start to play it.
I’ve lived almost 34 years & honestly have never heard this song, so I guess it’s not used much up in the North of Ireland. I wish it had been, though! 🤣
this is perfect on multiple levels
My mum used to sing this to me when I was 4
You must have had quite a mum!!!
It’s a miracle your still alive
OK, brace yourselves. On vacations in Quebec, our neighbor, Prof. Leroux of McGill, was a notable musical humorist, in his own right, entertaining us by the campfire, in the evenings, with his guitar. This was a favorite, he'd added a lot of verses in French, switching from "Sing Rickety" to "Chant Rickety...", depending. There were times we'd be laughing so hard, we'd ask him to repeat, so we could sing along. (The extended family he sang about was VERY extensive) Can only remember the last French verse. Gettin' old... On a dit que'elle n'avait assez de soin, Chant Rickety-Tickety-Tin! On a dit que'elle n'avait assez de soin, Mais les autres sont mort, et diligement, Et la heritage sienne, veritablement! ... Elle a donné l'enquette un sourire, Sourire, Elle a donné l'enquette un sourire! And translating poetry is HARD, but I tried: They said she'd not taken the needed care, Sing Rickety-Tickety-Tin! They said she'd not taken the needed care, But the others were dead, and she was the heir. The detectives were giving her a glare, But all she gave back was a grin, A grin, And all she gave back was a grin! 😏
Got any audio of that? I'd love to hear it.
Sadly, that was before we had half a studio in our pockets. Besides, we were too busy laughing, to press record, Friend!
There is a lot of song that could have inspired it.
There is, in fact, an entire category of folk songs called murder ballads the most famous probably being "Pretty Polly". The chord changes seem to be a creation of Lehrer's own making though.
This is so reminiscent of some folk songs- they could be singing this for all I can understand
Ha ha, thanks! If you asked Tom Lehrer he would not agree, because he thinks that we - "the publishers" on TH-cam - are dubious (at best). On the other hand, he does not like to be bothered because of these old songs, so he won't come after us :-)))
Love this guy!!!
I knew him first!
My Mom had one of his albums, and my friends and I listened to it frequently! :D
That might explain a few things about how I am now..... ;)
Thanks for posting this!!
Possibly the most intelligent musician I ever met or heard!
great tune! I sing this! Love him! Hope he lives forever!!! he was born in '28!!!
"...and occasional pieces of skin"
Wow, this is morbid!
That's Tom Lehrer for ya! 😁 And, if I may say so myself, Tom Lehrer at his best!
Your m..
..
This one's missing the verse about her sister!
yep
benjamin baaner OF COURSE! he only said he was going to do 70-80 out of the 100 or so of the original song
(also,he did have a live audience so they probably had time constraints)
She set her sister's hair on fire, Rikiti Tikiti Tin! She set her sister's hair on fire and as the smoke and flame rose higher, she danced around the funeral pyre! Playing a violin, olin, playing a violin.
"Irish stew" was sung just as I was re-reading a passage I'd wrote. My eyes hit the word "stew" at the exactly moment you said that and it terrified me. I do really love Tom Lehrer's works though, he was such an amazing man!
This is probaby my favorite song!
Totaly awsome
Folk music is great, but so is this.
That is BRILLIANT
6funswede, you are the best! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!
Haarez1 The song is actually Rikiti Tikiti Tin and those are the words. I remember singing this one years ago in an Irish bar. There is at least a couple other versions of this on You Tube.
This is just brilliant
I still have An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer, and That w Was the Year 1964 albums. He is a true genius of satire.
Excellent.
I love this song of Tom Lehrer
Brilliant, original, and timeless.
I definitely rember it being sung in "TheAbbey Tavern" in Howth Ireland
Tom Lehrer - The Irish Ballad - LIVE FILM From Copenhagen in 1967 2017.2.13.
awesome and timeless sense of humor. and good musician aswell. p.s.: thanks for vid mate, quality is great :)
A Swedish singer named Lars Ekborg sang this in Swedish and it is the best shirt ive ever heard
Takes me back to 1959 in a Navy Barracks at Cheltenham Md listening to his songs an old tape recorder.
Yes, LucianCorrvinous Son of Hekaté he did leave out the verse about setting her sister's hair on fire
I still know the verses to more than a half dozen of his songs from the late 50's. LOLOL
Down by the old maelstrtrom there will be a storm vbefore the calm..... There havew been several since 1959.sad to say.
Genius!
when i was kid i read this in a book and thought it was like a real folk song or something and it freaked me out
At certain angles I'm reminded of Jeff goldblum
It wouldn't surprise me if this song is based on a true story.
Happy 96th! 😂
A MUSICIAN NOBEL PRICE ! One of the few, even before globalization
Making my own because:
Her next victim was her babysister
Ricky tick ity tin
Her next victim was her babysister
She told her to run with scissors
And she made those scissors out of flint of flint
She made those scissors out of flint
A genius. I suggest you research his biography. he was genius in other areas too.
I hear this ill-tempered, not quite _mad_ professor's influence in some more recent efforts by the likes of Sandy and Richard Riccardi, among others.
Long life to you, Tom.
This man is a genius
Hes a genius :D
I love it
That newly discovered whole concert recording from Denmark is of course blocked in Norway ;-(
About a maid I'll sing a song
Sing rickety-tickety-tin
About a maid I'll sing a song
Who didn't have her family long
Not only did she do them wrong
She did ev'ryone of them in
Them in
She did ev'ryone of them in
One morning in a fit of pique
Sing rickety-tickety-tin
One morning in a fit of pique
She drowned her father in the creek
The water tasted bad for a week
And we had to make do with gin
With gin
We had to make do with gin
Her mother she could never stand
Sing rickety-tickety-tin
Her mother she cold never stand
And so a cyanide soup she planned
The mother died with a spoon in her hand
And her face in a hideous grin
A grin
Her face in a hideous grin
She set her sister's hair on fire
Sing rickety-tickety-tin
She set her sister's hair on fire
And as the smoke and flame rose higher
Danced around the funeral pyre
Playin' a violin-olin
Playin' a violin
She weighted her brother down with stones
Sing rickety-tickety-tin
She weighted her brother down with stones
And sent him off .To Davy Jones
All they ever found were some bones
And occasional pieces of skin
Of skin
Occasional pieces of skin
One day when she had nothing to do
Sing rickety-tickety-tin
One day when she had nothing to do
She cut her baby brother in two
And served him up as an Irish stew
And invited the neighbors in, -bors in
Invited the neighbors in
And when at last the police came by
Sing rickety-tickety-tin
And when at last the police came by
Her little pranks she did not deny
To do so she would have had to lie
And lying, she knew, was a sin
A sin
Lying, she knew, was a sin
My tragic tale, I won't prolong
Sing rickety-tickety-tin
My tragic tale I won't prolong
And if you do not enjoy my song
You've yourselves to blame if it's too long
You should never have let me begin
Begin
You should never have let me begin
can't find a good video on how to play this on piano (as I learn visually and hate music sheets)
Learn sheets, they're great.
🎹
glad who did a version?
It's hard to tell if the audience understood most of the song as there was limited laughter.
What was the original song that inspired this?
☘
I wonder if he is still wearing lead BVDs
Yes to the sisters hair
sorry for the question, but where i can find the lyrics? thanks
2:04
Lyrics
About a maid I'll sing a song
Sing rickety tickety tin
About a maid I'll sing a song
Who didn't have her family long
Not only did she do them wrong
She did every one of them in, them in
She did every one of them in.
One morning in a fit of pique
Sing rickety tickety tin
One morning in a fit of pique
She drowned her father in the creek
The water tasted bad for a week
And we had to make do with gin, with gin
We had to make do with gin
Her mother she could never stand
Sing rickety tickety tin
Her mother she could never stand
And so a cyanide soup she planned
The mother died with the spoon in her hand
And her face in a hideous grin, a grin
Her face in a hideous grin.
She weighted her brother down with stones
Sing rickety tickety tin
She weighted her brother down with stones
And sent him off to Davey Jones
All they ever found were some bones
And occasional pieces of skin, of skin
Occasional pieces of skin.
She set her sister's hair on fire
Sing rickety tickety tin
She set her sister's hair on fire
And as the smoke and flame rose higher
Danced around the funeral pyre
Playing a violin, -olin
Playing a violin.
One day she had nothing to do
Sing rickety tickety tin
One day she had nothing to do
She cut her baby brother in two
And served him up as an Irish stew
And invited the neighbours in, -bours in
Invited the neighbours in.
And when at last the police came by
Sing rickety tickety tin
And when at last the police came by
Her little pranks she did not deny
To do so she would have had to lie
And lying she knew was a sin, a sin
And lying she knew was a sin.
And just one thing before I go
Sing rickety tickety tin
And just one thing before I go
There's something I think that you ought to know
They had no proof, so they let her go
And they say that she's tall and thin, and thin
They say that she's tall and thin.
My tragic tale I won't prolong
Sing rickety tickety tin
My tragic tale I won't prolong
I hope you like my little song
You've yourself to blame if it's too long
You should never have let me begin, begin
You should never have let me begin.
anyone know the song these lyrics belong to: "...I wish I had a gun a little gun, I'd shoot the other two and then there's only be one....if one of us gets the measles the other one gets the...."
The inspiration for The Senses song in Animaniacs
No, he wrote it. It would say if he hadn't.
Is it just me, or is this a somewhat slower version of "Johnny I hardly knew ya"?
The start reminds me of Bo Burnham’s “Welcome to my show it’s called if you sing along I’ll f*cking kill you”
And it don't even gotta rhyme (-:
errr... rine... HAHAHA!
And I apologize: my SpellCheck put the "e" back in, first and third lines of the French verse. Should be "qu'elle." Thought I'd throttled the thing.
This song sounds much more like an English folk
The Bo Burnham before Bo Burnham. 😂😂😂
RICKETY TICKETY TIN
I always wanted his speech enunciation and diction abilities.
His Irish is better than his Yiddish,
Lol
Matthew McConaughey..
lol
Sounds funny with the Jewish accent
Thats an English folk style!
Lmao
Catchy song, but not very folk like, embarrassing irish accent
Subtlety isn't for everyone I guess. Good thing you can just stop listening!
But isn't this racist Jewish man just making fun of the Irish with this song ? Its clearly a racist song about the Irish . No wonder the record companies refused to promote Mr. Lehrer's racist songs when they heard them in 1968 . He thinks he's being witty and amusing but he's just being hateful towards another ethnic group . ( The definition of racism )
he's not hating the Irish he's taking a feature from their traditional songs. It is called satire/parody 🙄
@@thepeppercreed4677 Its called Racism
@@HoratioTalbot771_a ? So it's also racist to make a country song with stereotypes of that genre of music? Or a rock song? Also, RACIst it's about the RACE, you might mean xenophobia, but this is not even xenophobic._.
@@thepeppercreed4677 He is Mocking the Irish ballad clearly. and that is a clear racist attack on another culture . Period
@@HoratioTalbot771_a It's obviously an irish ballad, but
1.- So if a Irish make a rock song, country song or Whatever is being RACIST?
2.- Ur saying that being irish is a race (wtf?)
You don't know the difference between racism and xenophobia this isn't even xenophobic
3.- Instead of being offended, ask an Irish if this offends him.
I used to sing his songs when I was younger. I don't any more. Too cynical and too ugly for my taste now. And this one, in particular, reveals his elitist snobbishness. In the version I remember from my childhood he said: "Folks songs are so bad because they were written by folk." Hard to get more disrespectful of humanity than that.
Zale Dalen; The exact quote from Lehrer to which you are referring is, "the reason that most folk songs are so atrocious is that they were written by the people", rather than musically trained and lyrically literate professional songwriters. Lehrer was a liberal, but unlike many modern leftists, if he observed something that he felt should be called out, he was an equal opportunity offender. My favorite is the one where he introduces "The Folk Song Army" by noting that a lot of the audience for folkie protest songs were apparently not in favor of the love, peace, and tolerance that the songs themselves were purporting to propagate. But, as is so often the case on TH-cam, why are you clicking onto videos that you know you will dislike?
As subtle as a brick and also racist
Nah, just élitist, and even that part I think he's too intelligent to mean seriously...
Boring