Do Your Ears Hang Low?
Gunther W Anderson
Ears Hang Low"? It's so deeply entrenched in the campfire tradition
that there are hundreds of versions now, varying over time and geography
(I just got e-mail from an Australian who said it was "military" rather
than "continental" soldier, presumably because of a lack of a revolution
in Australia in 1776...).
So I was wondering if anyone knew more than Mudcat (the forums say "It's
in the Scout Songbook") about its origins.
Gunther Anderson
Bruce Olson
"Do your Balls hang low". You take this one Abby S.
Bruce Olosn
--
Old English, Irish and, Scots: popular songs, tunes, broadside
ballads at my website (no advs-spam, etc)- www.erols.com/olsonw
or click below <A href="http://www.erols.com/olsonw"> Click </a>
Bruce Olson
Abby S. seems to be otherwise occupied.
See Ed Cray's 'The Erotic Muse' (either edition) for "Do your
balls hang low". Ed has extended his notes and added other texts,
and tunes, with the expectation of putting all on the web
sometime in the future.
Bruce Olson
Gunther W Anderson
: Abby S. seems to be otherwise occupied.
: See Ed Cray's 'The Erotic Muse' (either edition) for "Do your
: balls hang low". Ed has extended his notes and added other texts,
: and tunes, with the expectation of putting all on the web
: sometime in the future.
Well, I don't happen to have it lying around. Does someone happen to
have a synopsis they could post? I was under the vague impression that
"ears" predated "balls" (though, evolutionarily, eyes predate both ears
and balls). The few postings on Mudcat (always to be taken as gospel,
of course) argue that the occurrence in the Scout Songbook of the ears
also predates other mentions of balls.
Listn'nin' for love in all the wrong places...
Gunther Anderson
Bruce Olson
A copy of "The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" in the Levy sheet
music collection gives us the date of 1921 for the tune. "Do your
Balls hang low" was collected by Vance Randolph from a singer,
1941, who said he learned it about 1920. When did the Girl
Scout's 'ears' version first appear?
Bruce Olson
--
Joe Fineman
> Well, I don't happen to have it lying around. Does someone happen
> to have a synopsis they could post?
Do your balls hang low?
Do they wobble to & fro?
Can you tie them in a knot?
Can you tie them in a bow?
Can you toss them o'er you shoulder
Like a Continental soldier?
Can you do the double shuffle
If your balls hang low [_or_ With your balls in a can]?
--- Joe Fineman j...@world.std.com
||: Those who will not do arithmetic are condemned to talk :||
||: nonsense. :||
Gerry Myerson
Anderson) wrote:
> Does anybody have an original author or canonical lyrics for "Do Your
> Ears Hang Low"?
>
> So I was wondering if anyone knew more than Mudcat (the forums say "It's
> in the Scout Songbook") about its origins.
I don't know the original author(s), I don't know the canonical lyrics,
and I don't know what Mudcat knows, but I know the lyrics I learned
about 40 years ago in New York City:
Do your ears hang low?
Do they wobble to and fro?
Can you tie them in a knot?
Can you tie them in a bow?
Can you throw them over your shoulder
Like a continental soldier?
Do your ears hang low?
Gerry Myerson (ge...@mpce.mq.edu.au)
Dave Hunt
>From: Joe Fineman j...@TheWorld.com
>Date: 21/03/01 22:50 GMT Standard Time
>Message-id: <wkhf0mp...@TheWorld.com>
>
>gun...@world.std.com (Gunther W Anderson) writes:
>
>> Well, I don't happen to have it lying around. Does someone happen
>> to have a synopsis they could post?
>
> Do your balls hang low?
> Do they wobble to & fro?
> Can you tie them in a knot?
> Can you tie them in a bow?
> Can you toss them o'er you shoulder
> Like a Continental soldier?
> Can you do the double shuffle
> If your balls hang low [_or_ With your balls in a can]?
>
Do your balls hang low
Can you swing 'em to and fro
Can you tie 'em in a knot
Can you tie 'em in a bow
Do you get a funny feeling if you bounce 'em off the ceiling
O you'll never be a sailor if your balls hang low!
Tune used is part of the Sailors Hornpipe
Dave Hunt...Shropshire
----share what you know...learn what you don't----
Gunther W Anderson
: A copy of "The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" in the Levy sheet
: music collection gives us the date of 1921 for the tune. "Do your
: Balls hang low" was collected by Vance Randolph from a singer,
: 1941, who said he learned it about 1920. When did the Girl
: Scout's 'ears' version first appear?
The late 60's, I believe. So that would begin to argue about the
naughtier bits being older. And it was the Cub/Boy Scouts Scongbook
cited, though doubtless it's shown up in myriad songbooks from all
persuasions.
So I guess the straightforward answer is that Ears is a sanitized
version of Balls, occurring considerably later. And there doesn't seem
to be a well-established author to either. Is that true?
Gunther Anderson
Abby Sale
>Abby S. seems to be otherwise occupied.
Gie us a chance, mon! I'm not like some rich folk, ye ken, online 24-7
with a DSL line. Us puir modem folk usually d/l once a day. I, in fact
about 7am daily Fla'dah time.
Gunther will now know that this is a Folk song and is written by Anon. &
has no canonical version.
On Wed, 21 Mar 2001 22:00:26 GMT, gun...@world.std.com (Gunther W
Anderson) wrote:
>Well, I don't happen to have it lying around. Does someone happen to
>have a synopsis they could post? I was under the vague impression that
>"ears" predated "balls" (though, evolutionarily, eyes predate both ears
>and balls). The few postings on Mudcat (always to be taken as gospel,
>of course) argue that the occurrence in the Scout Songbook of the ears
>also predates other mentions of balls.
Scout Songbook is good but obviously Bowdlerized from stronger versions.
This is one of those songs that almost certainly first came in the bawdy
variety - it follows the form of (especially English) progressive bawdy
songs easily in this. Cray cites it is a companion piece to "Four Old
Whores" [see DigTrad] The first (of many) printings seems to be Randolph
_Unprintable_ in 1941 & dated back to about 1900. But traces of the tune
seem to go back to a 17th century "A-Begging We Will Go." There are
several tunes still used, including "The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers."
Obviously also, there are endless versions, 3 of which have already been
posted.
Cray cites a good version in _Rugby Songs_ but let me check the _Hash
Hymnal_ first - it often uses verbatim _Rugby Songs_ texts.
from HALF-MIND HYMNAL
A SONGBOOK FOR HASH HOUSE HARRIERS
Compiled by Paul "Flying Booger" Woodford
Updated March 2000 [time to have another look - AS]
DOES A HASHER?
Melody - Do Your Balls Hang Low?
Does a hasher like to walk,
Does a hasher like to run,
Does a hasher like to be where they're having all the fun?
Can he drink a 12-ounce beer,
While his friends all sing and cheer,
Now your time has come.
So drink it down, down, down . . .
DO YOUR BALLS HANG LOW?
Melody - Sailor's Hornpipe
Do your balls hang low?
Do they swing to and fro?
Can you tie 'em in a knot?
Can you tie 'em in a bow?
* Can you throw 'em over your shoulder,
* Like a European soldier?
Can you do the double shuffle,
When your balls hang low?
CHORUS: [same as in Cray- AS]
Ting-a-ling, God damn, find a woman if you can.
If you can't find a woman, find a clean old man.
If you're ever in Gibraltar, take a flying fuck at Walter.
Can you do the double shuffle when your balls hang low?
OTHER VERSES (same as original verse, except you replace the * lines with
the following):
Do they make a lusty clamor,
when you hit 'em with a hammer?
Can you bounce 'em off the wall,
like an Indian rubber ball?
Do they make a hollow sound,
when you drag 'em on the ground?
Do you feel a mellow tingle,
when you hit 'em with a shingle?
Do they squeal like dogs,
When you tromp 'em with your clogs?
Do they have a salty taste,
When you wrap 'em round your waist?
Do they chime like a gong,
when you pull upon your dong?
DO YOUR TITS HANG LOW?
Melody - Sailor's Hornpipe
Attributed to Twin Peaks & She Mussel Bitch, Austin HHH
Do your tits hang low?
Do they wobble to and fro?
Can you tie them in a knot?
Can you tie them in a bow?
Can you throw them over your shoulder?
Do you need a boulder holder?
Do your tits hang low?
Are your tits real small?
Are they flat just like a wall?
Can you hide them with your hands?
Can you see them there at all?
Would you look just like a male
if it weren't for your pigtails?
Are your tits real small?
Are your tits just right?
Are your blouses kinda tight?
If you had a disagreement
could you use them in a fight?
Do the boys throw fits
when you flash your tits
Are your tits just right?
Do your tits go squish
when you poke them like this?
Do they feel just like
a slimy jelly fish?
Does your man's pecker stand
when he holds them in his hand?
Do your tits go squish?
Are your tits real hard?
Could you use them as a guard?
Do your nipples poke through
your pink leotard?
When its wet and cold
do they stand out proud and bold
Are your tits real hard?
Do your tits have hair?
Do people stop and stare
when you wear a french braid
down to your underwear?
Do people think your breasts
are like your father's chest?
Do your tits have hair?
Are your tits really real?
Did it take them long to heal?
Are they silicone
or saline filled?
Do the boys hearts race
when you shake them in their face?
Are your tits really real?
If your tits are teeny weenie
or too big for your bikini
no matter how they look
no matter how they feel
be glad that you got_em
cuz you know the boys will want'em
- Your TITS TITS TITS
--
Checking Randolph/Legman, Cray has summarized well (as you'd expect) but
I'll add that the actual first collection date was from Mrs. C S Galena of
Missouri on Sept 11, 1941. (This was just the chorus we all know & uses
'Like a Drunken British Soldier' and uses ""The Parade of the Wooden
Soldiers" as the tune. So if you want actual first, that's it. But
"canonical" - no. Once song is canonized it dies - it should live &
change. Being obvious, if it has an Official version, it ain't a folk song
and I'll be double damned if I'll discuss that.
Randolph/Legman also cites the "Tits" version, using a variation of the
same tune collected 1951 & learned by report 1936. He says it's clearly a
parody of "Balls."
But here's something interesting, "The basic allusion, in all these texts
(except "Tits") is to the relaxation of the scrotal cremaster muscle during
advancing old age in men, called in Francis Grose's _Classical Dictionary
of the Vulgar Tongue_ (1785) the 'wiffles' or 'wifflesack.'" and a good
deal more about that.
Trust Legman to give the full details but turn it back to Folk song
eventually. He mentions the connection in song as "When a man grows old
and his balls grow cold" as a folk-missunderstanding of the mechanism -
It's taken as a lessening of virility but should rather be taken as
nature's attempt to protect virility as the sperm _should_ be kept a bit
cooler than general body temperature. As the muscles relax for adjusting
the length with outside temperature, it is better to keep the balls low
(cooler) rather than high (warmer.) Of course Legman was very old when he
wrote this. And still randy, to all accounts.
Other soldiers cited: Ethiopian, good American, European.
---
Silverman's _The Dirty Songbook_ is a non-academic source but seems to be
outstanding in consistently printing the raunchiest (non-collated) versions
of trad bawdry. If gives the same as the Hash version
_Rugby_ (1) only gives a single chorus so no advance there.
It's always a pleasure to wander through this section of my library.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -
I am Abby Sale - in Orlando, Florida
Boycott South Carolina!
http://www.naacp.org/communications/press_releases/SCEconomic2.asp
Neeej
>: Scout's 'ears' version first appear?
>
>The late 60's, I believe.
I learned it earlier than that---probably very early 50's. I think I was a
Brownie then, but don't remember if that's where i got it.
Overcoat Charlie
Chorus:
Ting-a-ling, Goddamn
Find a woman if you can
If you can't find a woman, find a clean old man
If you're ever in Gibralter take a flying f**k at Walter
Can you do the double shuffle when your balls hang low
Verses all follow the same format (posted by others) except for the couplet
towards the end. Here are the ones I remember:
Can you throw them over your shoulder
Like a continental soldier
Do they make a hollow sound
When you bang 'em on the ground
Do they make a little tinkle
When you hit 'em with a shingle
Can you bounce 'em off the wall
Like an India rubber ball
Do they make a lusty clamor
When you hit 'em with a hammer
...one assumes that countless other verses have been devised over the years in
the true folk tradition.
Regards,
Charlie
Ginger-lyn Summer
Anderson) wrote:
>The late 60's, I believe. So that would begin to argue about the
>naughtier bits being older. And it was the Cub/Boy Scouts Scongbook
>cited, though doubtless it's shown up in myriad songbooks from all
>persuasions.
>
>So I guess the straightforward answer is that Ears is a sanitized
>version of Balls, occurring considerably later. And there doesn't seem
>to be a well-established author to either. Is that true?
>
>Gunther Anderson
I learned it either in Day Camp or Girl Scout/Brownies camp somewhere
around 1963-1965. I had the impression it was quite well known by
that point in those circles.
Never heard of the "balls" and "tits" versions before this thread.
Too funny.
Ginger-lyn
sionnach
"Ginger-lyn Summer" wrote:
>
> I learned it either in Day Camp or Girl Scout/Brownies camp somewhere
> around 1963-1965. I had the impression it was quite well known by
> that point in those circles.
>
> Never heard of the "balls" and "tits" versions before this thread.
> Too funny.
My sisters and I learned the "ears" version at Scout camp in that same
time period- I think we were ten, eight, and six. We came home and sang it
to our father (a WWII vet) who promptly blushed and forbade us to sing it,
saying it wasn't a suitable song for little girls. We were baffled... and of
course from then on proceeded to sing it whenever we wanted to tease him.
In our teens, we discovered the "boobs" version (I think my older sister
heard it in 10th grade gym class), which made even less sense lyrically- I
mean, how many "continental soldiers" had BOOBS for godsake?? - but was even
better for annoying poor Daddy.
When I discovered the *original* version about ten years ago, I suddenly
gained a lot more sympathy for my father's embarrassment at hearing his
little girls innocently caroling the tune. :-D