1. "Ta-Ra-Ra Boom-de-ay!"
Posted by Susan on Mar-22nd-03 at 4:07 PM

We all know the quatrain;

Lizzie Borden took an axe
Gave her mother forty whacks
When she saw what she had done
She gave her father forty-one

And some of you may know that it is sung to the tune of Ta-Ra-Ra Boom-De-Ay.  But, have you ever wondered what the actual lyrics were to the original song?  I have.

The song was written by Henry J. Sayers and published in 1891 by Willis Woodward & Co.  Though a pure American song, written by Sayers in Missouri, the song was actually introduced in London by Lottie Collins. Collins performed the song at Koster's and Bial's theaters in New York in 1892 and launched the song's US success.



Ta-Ra-Ra Boom-De-Ay

A smart and stylish girl you see,
Belle of good society;
Not too strict, but rather free,
Yet as right as right can be!

never forward, never bold,
Not too hot and not too cold,
But the very thing I'm told,
That in your arms you'd like to hold!

Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay (8 times)

I'm not extravagantly shy,
And when a nice young man is nigh,
For his heart I have a try
And faint away with tearful cry!

When the good young man in haste,
Will support me 'round the waist;
I don't come to, while thus embraced,
Till of my lips he steals a taste!

Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay (8 times)

I'm a timid flow'r of innocence,
Pa says that I have no sense
I'm one eternal big expense;
But men say that I'm just immense!

Ere my verses I conclude,
I'd like it known and understood,
Tho' free as air, I'm never rude
I'm not too bad and not too good!

Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay (8 times)

Go here for a brief history of the song:
http://parlorsongs.com/issues/2002-1/thismonth/featurea.asp

Go to this site and you can download a Scorch player and you can then see the music score to Ta-Ra-Ra Boom-De-Ay and listen to it played.
http://parlorsongs.com/issues/2002-1/thismonth/feature.asp







(Message last edited Mar-22nd-03  4:09 PM.)

Thanks, Susan!  

You're welcome.  Its really fun to check out the other music that was popular during Lizzie's day.  In fact, some of them could almost pertain to Lizzie herself!  Like the chorus to The Mansion Of Aching Hearts:

She lives in a mansion of aching hearts, 
Shes one of a restless throng,
The diamonds that glitter around her throat,
They speak both of sorrow and song;

The smile on her face is only a mask,
And many the tear that starts,
For sadder it seems,
When of Mother she dreams,
In the mansion of aching hearts.

Or, there is Shes Only A Bird In A Gilded Cage:

Though she lives in a mansion grand.
Shes only a bird in a gilded cage,
A beautiful sight to see.
You may think she's happy and free from care,
She's not, though she seems to be,
'Tis sad when you think of her wasted life,
For youth cannot mate with age,
And her beauty was sold,
For an old man's gold,
She's a bird in a gilded cage.

I stood in a churchyard just at eve',
When sunset adorned the west,
And looked at the people who'd come to grieve,
For loved ones now laid at rest,
A tall marble monument marked the grave,
Of one who'd been fashion's queen,
And it thought she is happier here at rest,
Than to have people say when seen.
She's only a bird in a gilded cage, etc. 

Susan reminded me of this tonight and I have spent Jeffery's time looking for this citation!  I had done research for an enquiry generated from the Museum/Library, and had come across the original source of the story of the boy whistling this song outside the courtroom!  The timing was coincidental.  Then, of course, I moved on, and finished my sources on the Boston Globe and when I went looking for this just a few hours later, I could no longer find it!  OOo.. sorry Jeffery.  I do like the Hunt, tho.
Bless Rebello, because I broke down and looked in there as secondary source.  And there it was.
I'm beginning to think the primary source walked out of here with Stef tonight, as we traded items, as we do periodically.
Here is Rebello, pg. 458, about this song "Ta-ra-ra...":

Rhymes and Riddles

Ta Ra-Ra-Boom Der-E and The Famous Rhyme

"An Irresponsible Bird: Joe Howard in Boston Globe]," New Bedford Daily Mercury, Tuesday, June 6, 1893: 5.

"At 11 o'clock precisely, a boy in the inside closure outside the court house from which a cow had been removed the day before, interrupted the proceedings with a shrill, clear,
distinct whistling reproduction of 'Ta-ra-ra-boom- de-a.' It is needless to remark, but the record demands it, that brother Wright [Andrew R. Sheriff of Bristol County and trial bailiff] immediately sent out and the whistler subsided."

"Note: The song the boy was whistling, Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-De E, was written by Henry J. Sayers in 1891. According to Sayers, the tune originated in Babe Connor's famous St. Louis brothel, sung by the fabulous black singer Mama Lou. Sayers' song was a complete failure; America would have nothing to do with it. A year later, Lottie Collins sang the song in London where it had became an instant success. She brought back the song to America in 1894, and it became as popular here as it was in England.

Was it coincidence the young man was singing this particular song near the courthouse? The lyrics contain many of the explicit or implied descriptions of Lizzie as they appeared in daily newspapers.

The famous rhyme, Lizzie Borden took an axe ..., was sung to the tune of Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-Der-E."

--I had remarked to Susan that the boy seemed to be sending a message to Lizzie, maybe one of discourtesy or disparagement.  The lyrics don't seem to point in that direction, though.  I wonder if that boy was sending a hidden message, in his mind, rather quirky?
Can't figure out what it would be....


(Message last edited Mar-25th-03  6:07 AM.)

Oh Lordy! Thanks Susan, that song has always cracked me up, NPR around here used to play a version of it that I wish I had taped. But I never knew the words (till now)
Hey, its Spring. Time for a visit to FR.

Wow!  Thanks, Kat.  I've never heard about this story before, MUST GET REBELLO!!!

I was thinking that since it was a popular song at that point, it may have been first and foremost in the young man's mind.  I find that when I hear a popular song on the radio I'll be humming it to myself later, especially if it is catchy.  And Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay is a pretty catchy tune, gets stuck in your head.  I know it stuck in mine after I listened to it a couple of times.  Yikes! 

According to what I've heard, the quatrain was composed by people "under the hill".  They may have already formulated in their minds that she did it and the lyrics in the song do suggest a young lady who is good in society's eye, but, is naughty or bad.

I don't think it was a coincedence that he happened to be whistling that tune outside the courtroom that day, perhaps he was the one that penned the quatrain in retaliation for being shushed outside the court building?  Hmmm, makes me wonder. 

You're welcome, Kash.  I did find a couple of other versions of the song with different words, but, was looking for the original to see if there was actually any connection as to why that tune was picked for the quatrain. 

I wonder how the Lizzie quatrain would sound if sung to a different tune. 
"Mary Had a Little Lamb"?
"Lizzie had a little axe?"
Lizzie had a little axe, little axe, little axe.
Lizzie had a little axe,
Blade's ash was white as snow.

She took it up the stairs one day, stairs one day, stairs one day.
She took it up the stairs one day,
And sliced thru Abby's hairs."

Just doesn't have the same zing.

She was a Sunday school teacher.  Maybe "This Little Light of Mine"?
"This little axe of mine -
I'm gonna let it kill.
OH! This little axe of mine,
I'm gonna let it kill.
This little axe of mine,
I'm gonna let it kill.
Let it kill, let it kill, let it kill.

"Hide it under my apron?  No!  I'm gonna let it kill.
Hide it under my apron?  No!  I'm gonna let it kill ...."

I think they made the best choice with the tune they used.   

I don't know if this has been brought up before.  If it has, this will be the second time:

Lizzie Borden Sourcebook: Page 50:
A Prophetic Musical?
(From the Fall River Globe, August 8, 1892)
Band Concert Tonight:
The following is the program of the concert to be given by the Jones' band on the north park this evening:

1. March, "Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-De-a"
(additional songs are listed)

Could this have been the start of the quatrain sung by the children?

Those are great, Augusta!    Yeah, I think that whoever came up with that little ditty used the right song too.

William, thank you for the info!  Now I'm wondering where the North Park is or was in relation to the Borden home? 

North Park was located just 3 blocks north of French Street.





(Message last edited Apr-5th-03  3:35 PM.)

Thanks, Harry.  So this park was "on the hill", closer to Maplecroft than to 92 Second Street.  It must have been a nice place to go to listen to an free concert. 

More North Park, c.1910, Fall River.


(When you see a posted photo with a black "frame" it comes from the Library of Congress)



(Message last edited Apr-6th-03  3:48 AM.)

South Park, Fall River
2 views, c. 1910-1920
Looks Like the Boston Commons/Gardens





(Message last edited Apr-6th-03  3:54 AM.)

Thanks, Kat.  I wonder what that big building is in the background, a museum building?  A private home?  Where I grew up in NJ there were quite a few parks like this with big, grand homes lining the streets alongside of them. 

Could this meaningless phrase have a not too secret meaning that is lost because of censorship? Rhyming slang?

Perhaps you heard that the rhyme "shave and a haircut two bits" has an insulting meaning in South American Spanish?

That's an interesting suppostion.
I was wondering about these *meaningless* words.
I thought they might disguise a private joke or something, like a *In* joke, *insider* spoof.

Like another one that makes no sense to me:

Hot Shot Ralston On The Riddle Rock and A Pile A Pile A Suet.

I KNOW that these are not the exact words but they are what they sound like to me.
Anybody know what they mean?
I seem to sing this whenever I am putting groceries in the trunk of my car

These are the words (if they are words) to that song Kat. That's an oldy!  Now aren't you sorry you asked?

The Hut-Sut Song
Horace Heidt
Words and music by Leo V. Killion, Ted McMichael & Jack Owens

In a town in Sweden by a stream so clear and cool
A boy would sit and fish and dream when he should have been in school.
Now, he couldn't read or write a word but happiness he found
In a little song he heard and here's how it would sound;

Hut-Sut Rawlson on the rillerah and a brawla, brawla sooit,
Hut-Sut Rawlson on the rillerah and a brawla sooit.
Hut-Sut Rawlson on the rillerah and a brawla, brawla sooit,
Hut-Sut Rawlson on the rillerah and a brawla sooit.

Now the Rawlson is a Swedish town, the rillerah is a stream.
The brawla is the boy and girl,
The Hut-Sut is their dream.

Hut-Sut Rawlson on the rillerah and a brawla, brawla sooit.
Hut-Sut Rawlson on the rillerah and a brawla sooit.

That was beautiful!  I am amazed!
Thanks!

I believe that Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay is nonsense words, but, they are meant to convey the sounds of the instruments that play that part of the song.  Ta-ra-ra is the sounds of the trombones or trumpets, the Boom-de-ay is the sound of a bass drum struck with a cymbal crash following.  Think marching band.  I know, not so exciting as a secret message conveyed through a song. 

Very interesting post, Bill.  That concert was just 4 days after the murders. 

The pictures of the parks are great.  Thanks Kat & Harry!  I wonder what that huge building is in the one, too.  I'm going to guess a house. 

Kat, that "suet" song I haven't heard since I was little.  My sister, Nan, used to sing that!!!  Thanks for the wonderful memories! So it really was a song.  I thought she was just nuts. 

Love your smileys, Susan! 

I still think this song has double meanings. Was 'ta-ra-ra-boom-te-ay' the equivalent of 'bang a gong'?