Tatooed Lady
Paul A. Valentine
Kingston Trio is supposed to have done it in the late 50's, but I think
someone must have recorded it before them???
Al Christians
about 60 years ago and sung by Groucho Marx in the movies, maybe in the
one about the circus. A good rendition is on the CD "Yip Sings
Harburg", in which Harburg reveals that there was an original version
that got eliminated by the censors.
There was another another "Tattoed Lady" song, which I recall that
Homer and Jethro recorded in the 1950's. But it has the same plot
as "Lydia...", and Lydia is the better.
BTW, Groucho Marx is not off-topic in an OTM newsgroup. He's the
writer of the great old-timey favorite "There's a Place Called Omaha,
Nebraska, in the Hills of Tennessee."
Al
Al Christians
>
> On Wed, 10 Mar 1999 16:46:42 -0800, Al Christians
> <ach...@easystreet.com> wrote:
>
> >"Paul A. Valentine" wrote:
> >>
> Two different songs. Groucho's starts out:
>
> Lydia, Lydia, oh have you seen Lydia?
> Lidia, the tatooed lady.
>
> and the Trio's version:
>
> She was a sight to see, that old tatooed laydie
>
Maybe 3 songs --I think that the Homer & Jethro version started
something like "Once I married a tattoed lady..."
Al
Joe Cline
<ach...@easystreet.com> wrote:
>"Paul A. Valentine" wrote:
>>
>> Anybody know of a song from the middle 50's called "Tattooed Lady"? The
>> Kingston Trio is supposed to have done it in the late 50's, but I think
>> someone must have recorded it before them???
>Is this "Lydia, the Tattooed Lady"? That was written by Yip Harburg
>about 60 years ago and sung by Groucho Marx in the movies, maybe in the
>one about the circus. A good rendition is on the CD "Yip Sings
>Harburg", in which Harburg reveals that there was an original version
>that got eliminated by the censors.
Two different songs. Groucho's starts out:
Lydia, Lydia, oh have you seen Lydia?
Lidia, the tatooed lady.
and the Trio's version:
She was a sight to see, that old tatooed laydie
with fake Cockney accent and the tune to TaRaRa Boom De-ay.
I want to say the KT version came to them from Oscar Brand, but I have
no documentation to back that up, only a vague memory.
SRoweCanoe
<E88E8AB5FA79F8AF.3556D51C...@library-proxy.airnews.net>,
"Paul A. Valentine" <pva...@cyberramp.net> writes:
>Anybody know of a song from the middle 50's called "Tattooed Lady"? The
>Kingston Trio is supposed to have done it in the late 50's, but I think
>someone must have recorded it before them???
>
Lydia the tatooted lady
was song by groucho Marx.
(you can learn a lot from Lydia).
Steven Rowe
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Kerry Blech
>
>
> BTW, Groucho Marx is not off-topic in an OTM newsgroup. He's the
> writer of the great old-timey favorite "There's a Place Called Omaha,
> Nebraska, in the Hills of Tennessee."
Not only that, but in one of the classic scenes in "Duck Soup,"
as Fredonia girds for war, all 4 of the Brothers are seen
holding (possibly playing?) Dobson 5-string banjos. And I was in
Mt. Airy, NC visiting Tommy Jarrell when we heard of Groucho's
death (the same week Elvis died; coincidence? I think not.).
regards,
Kerry
--
Blec...@WolfeNet.com
"When you get above the clouds, you can do just as you choose."
- The Rector Trio, Asheville, NC 1930
Neil Harpe
Paul A. Valentine wrote in message ...
>Anybody know of a song from the middle 50's called "Tattooed Lady"? The
>Kingston Trio is supposed to have done it in the late 50's, but I think
>someone must have recorded it before them???
As I remember, it (KT song) was an old British music hall number...at least
that was the way some long-forgotten someone or other once described it to
me. What really amazes me is the fact that I somehow can remember nearly all
the words to at least one verse! Goes something like this:
We came to town to see
That old tattooed day-die.
She was a sight to see
Tattooed from head to knee.
My Uncle Ned was there,
He came to gape and stare.
"I've never," he declared,
"Seen such a freak so fair!"
Chorus:
On her jaw was the Royal Flying Corps.
And on her back was the Union Jack,
Now could you ask for more?
All up and down her spine:
The queen's own guards in line.
And all around her hips
Sailed a fleet of battleships.
And over her left kidney was a birdseye view of Sydney.
But what we liked best was upon her chest
Mona Loa and Waikiki!
More words might exist, but not in my memory, today. Seems like some are
missing. It's a cute little diddie-wah-diddie, though.
NH
PB Ali Kat
>Is this "Lydia, the Tattooed Lady"?
Everyone has mentioned Groucho, The Kingston Trio and Homer And Jethro. Someone
on "Starday" (I believe the Willis Brothers) did a song called "Tattooed Lady"
in the mid to late 60's. There was no mention of "Lydia" (Lydia oh Lydia you're
like an encyclopedia), but it was a song describing how (the singer) had one
time married a tattooed lady, and went on to desribe the various body parts
covered by the tattooes. I seem to remember the tattooes were a map of the
United States, and they mentioned something about the "states" they visited.
Pretty funny. I'm not sure if this is the same song recorded by Homer & Jethro.
I can dig it out and listen to it, if anyone has any other questions.
Mike Murray
Neil Harpe <ha...@toad.net> wrote in message
news:e2TF2.1$F97....@news-read1.qis.net...
<snip>
More words might exist, but not in my memory, today. Seems like some are
>missing. It's a cute little diddie-wah-diddie, though.
>
I think you got 'em all. As I remember, they went through it twice.
shim...@poboxes.com
<E88E8AB5FA79F8AF.3556D51C...@library-proxy.airnews.net
>,
"Paul A. Valentine" <pva...@cyberramp.net> wrote:
> Anybody know of a song from the middle 50's called "Tattooed Lady"? The
> Kingston Trio is supposed to have done it in the late 50's, but I think
> someone must have recorded it before them???
Have you seen Lydia, oh have you seen Lydia,
Lydia the tatooed lady?
She has pictures I adore so,
And her torso, even more so....
And on a clear day you can see Alcatraz....
This was sung by Groucho in one of the Marx Brothers movies. I've seen it in
a book, with composer credits, but can't remember where or when (That's
Rogers & Hart.)
Best wishes,
Joel Shimberg
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Gerald Ross
Lydia oh Lydia, oh have you met Lydia
Lydia the tatooed lady.
She has eyes that men adore so, and a torso even more so.
La La La, La La La
Lydia oh Lydia, say have you met Lydia
Lydia the queen of tatoo.
On her back is the battle of Waterloo, beside it the Wreck of the Hesperis too.
And proudly above waves the Red White and Blue.
You can learn a lot from Lydia.
La La La, La La La
Come along and see Buffalo Bill and his lasso
A little classic by Pablo Picasso
Here's Captain Spaulding exploring the Amazon.
Here's Godiva but with her pajama's on.
Lydia oh Lydia, say have you met Lydia
Lydia the tatooed lady.
When her muscles start relaxin, up the hill comes Andrew Jackson.
Lydia oh Lydia that enclyop-ih-dia
Lydia the Queen of tatoo.
She once swept an Admiral clear off his feet.
The ships on her hips made his heart skip a beat.
And now the old boy's in command of the fleet.
For he went and married Lydia.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aloha,
Gerald Ross
"Everything you've heard about musicians is true"
Gerald's MIDI Cha Cha, Swing, Fingerstyle Guitar, Blues, Mambo And More!
www.umich.edu/~gbross
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gerald Ross
Lydia oh Lydia, say have you met Lydia,
Lydia, the Tatooed Lady.
She has eyes that folks adore so,
And a torso even more so.
Lydia oh lydia, that encyclopedia,
Oh Lydia the Queen of Tatoo.
On her back is the Battle of Waterloo.
Beside it the wreck of the Hespherous, too.
And proudly above waves the Red, White, and Blue,
You can learn a lot from Lydia.
La la la, la la la, la la la, la la la
When her robe is unfurled, she will show you the world,
If you step up and tell her where.
For a dime you can see Kankakee or Paris,
Or Washington crossing the Delaware.
La la la, la la la, la la la, la la la
Oh Lydia oh lydia, say have you met Lydia,
Oh Lydia the Tatooed Lady
When her muscles start relaxing,
Up the hill comes Andrew Jackson
Lydia oh Lydia, that encyclopedia,
Lydia the queen of them all!
For two bits she will do a mazurka in jazz,
With a view of Niagara that nobody has.
And on a clear day you can see Alcatraz.
You can learn a lot from Lydia.
La la la, la la la, la la la, la la la
Come along and see Buff'lo Bill with his lasso.
Just a little classic by Mendel Picasso.
Here is Captain Spaulding exploring the Amazon.
Here's Godiva but with her pajamas on.
La la la, la la la, la la la, la la la
Here is Grover Whalen unveilin' the Trilon.
Over on the West Coast we have Treaure Island.
Here's Najinsky a-doin' the rhumba.
Here's her social security numba.
Oh Lydia, oh Lydia that encyclopedia,
Oh Lydia the champ of them all.
She once swept an Admiral clear off his feet.
The ships on her hips made his heart skip a beat.
And now the old boy's in command of the fleet,
For he went and married Lydia.
I said Lydia {He said Lydia}
I said Lydia {We said Lydia}
Oh Le!
Susan
u like
Susan Sterngold
and the Wolves of Suffern (a little NW of NYC)
please reply to banj...@unforgettable.com
ICQ# 17750260
Susan
Tattooed Lady
Once I had a tattooed lady;
It was in the month of May
And tattooed all over her body was a map of the USA
And every night when she would fall asleep I'd kick
the covers back and take a peek(and take a peek)
Around her neck was Louisiana,on her chest was old Tennessee
Upon her back was Hackensack in the state of New Jersey
Just below was old Kentucky,through those hills I long to roam
When I saw the moonlight shining on the water.
Then I recognized my Indiana home
On her back was Brazil,on her chest was Bunker Hill
And just a bit below was dear old Mexico
Upon her knee was Tennessee,and that is where I long to be
Around her waist was Greece,and down the road a piece
I saw the West Virginia sky
Just then I saw my wife,and to save all future strife
I let the rest of the world go by