Mrs. Murphy's Chowder

Whistle
1

I stumbled across this song in The Folksong Fake Book by Hal Leonard.
All it says in the top right is that it is Irish.


I was wondering how old the song is and who wrote it.
The lyrics of the refrain suggest its fairly new.

“It had ice cream, cold cream, benzine, gasoline, soup beans, string beans, floating all around;
sponge cake, beef steak, mistake, stomach ache, cream puffs, earmuffs,
many to be found,
Silk hats, door mats, bed slats, Democrats, coco bells, door bells,
beckon you to dine;
meatballs, fish balls, moth balls, cannon balls, come on in, the chowder’s fine.”

Who sings this? Would love to hear it.

I love these kind of songs.

Laura

2

The only song with a title close to that I have heard of is “Who Threw the Overalls In Mrs. Murphy’s Chowder?” which is in “The Irish and How They Got That Way”. Unfortunately they only sing a bit of the song in that. Don’t know if that’s at all helpful for you…

Beth

3

This site below states “words and music by George L. Giefer” and that it has been adapted by blahblahblah. Check it out, Laura.

http://www.kididdles.com/mouseum/w057.html


Jef

4

Don’t know about her chowder,but I do know a 1940’s song by Harry ‘the Hipster’ Gibson entitled ‘Who put the Benzedrine in Mrs. Murphy’s Ovaltine?’ :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

If I rember it right,the second verse had a spoken interjection by Harry,along the lines of “Who put the Nembutols in Mr. Murphy’s overalls”.

Who says ‘druggy’ songs are new?

5

In my search this is all I could come up with.
It is not Who threw the overhalls in Mrs. Murphy’s Chowder.
The Melody of the song almost reminds me of a polka.
So, if there be no writer to it or known copyright to it, is it then considered Public Domain?


Mrs. Murphy’s Chowder
Traditional
Written By: Unknown
Copyright Unknown

Won’t you bring back,
Won’t you bring back
Mrs. Murphy’s chowder?
It was tuneful,
Every spoonful
Made you yodel louder

After dinner Uncle Ben
Used to fill his fountain pen
From a bowl of
Mrs. Murphy’s chowder

There was ice cream, cold cream,
Benzine, gasoline
Soup beans, string beans,
Floating all around
Sponge cake, beef steak,
Mistake, stomach ache
Cream puffs, ear muffs,
Many to be found
Silk hats, door mats,
Bed slats, Democrats
Cow bells, door bells,
Beckon you to dine
Meat balls, fish balls,
Moth balls, cannon balls
Come on in, the chowder’s fine!

Won’t you bring back,
Won’t you bring back
Mrs. Murphy’s chowder
It was tuneful,
Every spoonful
Made you yodel louder

If they had it where you are,
You might find a motor car
In a bowl of
Mrs. Murphy’s chowder

There was ice cream, cold cream,
Benzine, gasoline
Soup beans, string beans,
Floating all around
Sponge cake, beef steak,
Mistake, stomach ache
Cream puffs, ear muffs,
Many to be found
Silk hats, door mats,
Bed slats, Democrats
Cow bells, door bells,
Beckon you to dine
Meat balls, fish balls,
Moth balls, cannon balls
Come on in, the chowder’s fine!

http://www.executiveparent.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/grades_6-8/article1181.html?E+scstore

There’s also more words to it. You can find it at this link… and some other neat info as well.

Laura

6

If you like those kinds of songs maybe you’d like Hungry Hash House. It was recorded by Charlie Poole, probably in the 1920s so it’s PD. It’s not as cute as the chowder song but it’s about inedible food. Here’s a bit.

Oh the beef steak it was rare,
and the butter had red hair.
and the baby had both feet in the stew.
Oh the eggs they would not touch,
if you kicked one it would hatch.
In that all-go hungry hash house where I go.


Steve

7

K, I will check it out.
I dont know why I like silly songs. I reckon, there’s so many songs good songs that can be a wee bit sad or depressing. It is refreshing just to be silly and kids like it too. (and big kids too)

Daddys Whiskers, is another good one.

Laura

8

Old time music is the right place to look! There are murder songs and rowdy songs but lots of silly ones too. Uncle Dave Macon had some good one. She’s Got the Money Too and Nancy Tickles Me. Jeff Warner and Jeff Davis have a tape of old time songs for kids. Actually they’re good for anybody.

A verse from Sugar in the Gourd that always gets me is:

I had a little chicken,
Had a wooden leg.
Best damn hen that ever laid an egg.
Laid more eggs than any hen around the farm,
And another drink of liquor wouldn’t do me any harm.

Steve

9

How did I miss this post?

My dad used to sing Mrs. Murphy’s Chowder when I was a wee lad.

The version he sang started with the lyrics:

Memories of the golden west
and friends I used to know.
Take me to that boarding house
where I lived long ago.
Every Friday evening
we would gather in the hall.
There we’d find the greatest treat of all.

Won’t you bring back… etc

Even now when he gets together with my aunts and uncles they will often sing that one.

There’s another odd song I heard parts of once.
The words were like this.

Looking through the knothole in Grampas wooden leg.
Who put the shore so near the ocean.
Someone get the axe, there’s a flea on baby’s ear.
And a boys best friend is his mother.

Anyone ever heard of it?

10

The following site has more words to the All-Go Hungry House.

http://oldtimesongs.spokane.wa.us/HHHAUA03.htm

It says the New Lost City Ramblers recorded it.

11

BONANZA.


This site has hundreds of recordings from old '78 albums. Some are difficult to understand but it’s a great spot.

Sadly it’s all in Real format. However in this case it’s worth it.

http://www.honkingduck.com/