I've always associated the song "Rickety Tickety Tin" with our family - sinister but nonetheless It reminds me of our family. Mostly because I can hear Aunt Deb P. singing it to us and teaching us the many verses over campfire. I also remember one distinct family vacation with everyone stockpiled around the campfire at Molasses Pond (I think that was the year that everyone including Rachel was there) singing this song. I believe Colleen and Leslie started it but it didn't take long for everyone to join in.
SOOOO in true All Hallows Eve spirit, I'm posting up the lyrics to my favorite sinister Irish Ballad.
Rickety Tickety Tin:
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 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
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
And if you do not enjoy my 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.
***I still sing the verse about setting her little sister on fire to Kate every now and then... :)
3 comments:
I sang the whole song aloud to the kids as we read your blog. Thank you for some happy, yet odd, family memories. I like to end the song on "lying she knew was a sin." It's a good punchline.
Grant says that this song is much more violent than his poem.
yes I agree it is much more violent than his poem. lol Oh and I usually end it on lying she knew was a sin too but I just copied and pasted the whole song from google haha
OH MY GOODNESS!! Aunt Deb P. is going to have to see this blog. What a strange family we are aren't we?
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