I heard the song "On top of old Smoky" on the radio as I was on my way to work last night; and caught myself humming it several times. On the way home this morning (I plead sleep deprivation!!) I recalled that we often sang a slightly different version when I was younger (much, MUCH younger!). However, I am unable to remember exactly how it went. Could anyone help me out with the rest of the verses; or any other versions of this song that you might know? I have a 2 1/2 year old that I'd like to teach it to ;o)

On top of Spagetti...All covered with cheese...

I lost my poor meatball...when somebody sneezed.

It rolled 'cross the table...and on to the floor...

And then my poor meatball...rolled right out the door.

I know that there's more to it than this!! I think I also remember a version about Old Smoky being covered with grass....

-- Anonymous, December 08, 2001

Answers

Polly , Hey! Your in luck! I twirled my chair around and there it was right where it was suppose to be in the book shelve, my Front Porch Old Time Songs Jokes and Stories by Wayne Erbsen, maybe this is the version that you remember Polly, here goes. Have fun humming!

On top of old smoky all covered with snow. I lost my true lover by courtin' too slow.

Sparking is pleasure, Parting is grief, And a false hearted lover Is worse than a thief

A thief will but rob you, Will take what you have, And a false hearted lover will take you to the grave

The grave will decay you, Will turn you to dust There is not one girl out of a hundred A poor boy can trust

They will tell you they love you To give your heart ease, And as soon as you back up on them They'll court who they please

It's a raining and a hailing, The moon give it no light Your horses can't travel This dark lonesome night

Go put up your horses, Feed them some hay, come sit down here by me As long as you stay

My horses are not hungry, Won't eat your hay, So farewell my little darling, I'll feed on my way

I will drive on to Georgia, Write you on my mind, My mind is to marry, love And leave you behind

Wow! kinda a sad song huh! The book says that this version was collected as The Wagoner's Lad by the English folk song collector Cecil Sharp in 1916 from A Miss Memory Shelton in N.C. Sharp and others are convinced the song originated in England. They say that the most popular version these days in On Top of Spaghetti.

-- Anonymous, December 09, 2001

Hey Trennie! That's the one I heard on the radio - tho I don't think they sang all the verses. I was really wanting all the verses to On top of Spagetti to teach to Pop's girlfriends little girl. It's so terrible to be old and not able to remember things anymore!!

-- Anonymous, December 09, 2001

I'm remembering what I think is the last verse, Polly, at least the way we sang it:

It went down the sidewalk And under a bush And then my poor meatball Was nothing but mush (long u)

-- Anonymous, December 09, 2001

I just did a search and found these following verses!

The mush was as tasty As tasty could be, And then the next summer, It grew into a tree.

The tree was all covered, All covered with moss, And on it grew meatballs, And tomato sauce.

So if you eat spaghetti, All covered with cheese, Hold on to your meatball, Whenever you sneeze.

-- Anonymous, December 09, 2001

Thanks EM!! I knew there was more to it than I could recall! Does anyone remember any other songs like that, that you used to sing when you were a kid? I think the next generation deserves to grow up just as obnoxious as we were!

-- Anonymous, December 09, 2001

Polly, since I started out on a farm, I always liked "Out behind the Barn". I could relate to that song. 'Course, we were so far out in the country that I didn't have to go out behind the barn to get a whipping. But, I did have to go down to the stock tank and cut a willow switch. Boy, since the stock tank was about a quarter mile from the house and I had to walk down there and back, that gave me plenty of time to contemplate what was coming! Not a fun trip. Worse than the whipping.

Thanks for bringing back bad memories!

Wildman (still remembering)

-- Anonymous, December 09, 2001

How sad for you, Wildman, if you really got whippin's behind the barn!

My kids have recently happened upon some of the silly hit songs from our youth, and they are still lotsa fun. We're having fun singin em around the house and in the car. Like Hello Mudda Hello Fadda, They're Coming To Take Me Away, Purple People Eater, Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini,Monster Mash, Witch Doctor etc.

-- Anonymous, December 09, 2001

Oh EM, you can trust me, I got whippings! Probably even deserved one or two of them! My sister says I should have gotten more. I think I thought my mission in life was to see how far I could push my parents before they killed me. I almost succeeded a couple of times. I was a persistent little devil! Hate to fail at anything! My sister says she remembers two times that mother whipped me pretty badly and then after she got to thinking about it, she got mad all over again and came back to give me some more. I guess I was lucky that my step-father pulled her off or it might have traumatized me. If I wasn't getting whipped, I was getting sent to my room without supper. I knew everytime we got short on money because I'd get sent to my room instead of getting a whipping. Cut down on the grocery bill. Boo hoo for me, huh? Hell, we thought it was normal. Where's my gun? Is that tower still available?

"Out behind the barn" is really a song. Then there's the really good ones, Ape Call, Stranded in the Jungle, in addition to the ones you mentioned. If you want the words to any of the songs, just go to Google and type in the name of the song, in quotations, and you should be able to find it easily.

Wildman (still standing for supper)

-- Anonymous, December 09, 2001

Don't forget Ray Stevens' songs, such as Ahab the Arab or Gitarzan. :-)

My brother and his friends would sing this one:

We three kings of orient are,
Try to smoke a rubber cigar.
It was loaded . . .
It exploded . . . . BOOM!

We three kings . . . . etc. on and on and on!

The teacher took exception and made them come up to the front of the room and sing it, thinking to embarass them no doubt. It didn't work, since they had each other for support, and I don't think Chuck (the ringleader) EVER got embarassed about anything in his life! Now if she'd have just dragged my brother to the front all on his own, he probably would have about died. She finally had to content herself with telling them to sit down and never sing that again . . . .

We always liked the songs that went on and on -- like Ten Green Speckled Frogs. My mother also made up a different version to that one about Ten Brown Potato Bugs. I guess it made a change from the frogs, even if it was the same tune! ;-)

-- Anonymous, December 09, 2001

The Earth -- the Quake --

To get out of the Rainbow,

The Ants go marching one by one,

Hurrah! Hurrah!

The Ants go marching one by one,

The little one stops to fire a gun,

and they all go marching on!

The Earth -- the Quake --

To get out of the Rainbow,

The Ants go marching two by two,

Hurrah! Hurrah!

The Ants go marching two by two....

(there's a lot more verses to this....)

-- Anonymous, December 10, 2001

What about that song about the Nash Rambler? "Beep beep! Beep beep! His horn went beepbeepbeep." I actually had the 45 of On Top Of Spaghetti!!!!! I drove my mom nuts with it. Was probably originally my siblings record that I inherited. Did anyone else sing Great Green Gobs Of Grimey Greasy Gopher Guts" at the top of their lungs? A ray Stevens fan I have always been. I love Misty, Guitarzan, Blowing My Bagpipes, Mississippi Squirrel Revival........

-- Anonymous, December 10, 2001

Hey! I haven't heard Misty or Blowing my Bagpipes! Gotta see if I can track them down . . . . :-)

-- Anonymous, December 10, 2001

When I was born my maw and paw They looked at me and said oh shaw, the doctor said it's a boy i think and pa went out to get a drink. Aunt Sue said I looked like a quince and I've been picked on ever since . They always always pick on me, they never never let me be. but I'll show them bye and bye I'll eat some worms and then I'll die. My maw sent me to the store and I don't remember the rest of it. My mother use to sing this when I was a child....No wonder I grew up warped// I remember on top of spaghetti. He he

-- Anonymous, December 10, 2001

Oh joy EVERYONE has heard Misty at one time or another.."look at me, I'm as helpless as a kitten up a tree...something something..Misty...something" Blowing my Bagpipes may not be the right title but it went "Blowing my bagpipes, thats my bag, huh- huffin' and a puffin' on my bagpipes bag. Wheezin' and a'blowin' 'til my big fat floppy jaws sag..." tah daaaahhhh

-- Anonymous, December 10, 2001

Here's one for Jay! :)

Everybody hates me, nobody likes me,

Guess I'll go eat worms.

Big fat juicy ones, little skinny slimy ones,

See how they wiggle and squirm.

Bite their heads off, suck their guts out,

Throw their skins away.

Nobody knows how I can live on worms 3 times a day!

-- Anonymous, December 10, 2001