[Dixielandjazz] Song title puns

[Charles Suhor]

Hey, fellow DJML listers--

The band leaders often used puns when calling up tunes (off-mike) to the
sidemen during spot gigs from the 40s-60s. I'm guessing this happened all
over the country, so you'll probably recognize most of these and can add a
few of your own. The first twenty are pretty transparent so almost anyone
can get them. The original titles of the rest are a bit of a stretch. Some
of the puns were groaners, some were laugh-out-loud funny. In that more
innocent time, some were considered to be risqué. But it was all great fun.
The list original titles are below the list.

1.  Beer Belly, Won't You Please Come Home
2.  Sawdust
3.  Suppertime
4.  Fry Me a Liver
5.  I've Thrown a Custard to Her Face
6.  Tenderleaf
7.  Horrible Lights
8.  It's Tragic
9.  A Kiss to Drill a Beam On
10. American Petrol
11. In the Nude
12. Don't Take Your Gloves from Me
13. Deep People
14. A Hard Man is Good to Find
15. You Stepped Out of a Drum
16. I Don't Stand a Chance with  Ghost Like You
17. September Down the Drain
18. Bennies from Heaven
19. There's oui, oui, in Your Eyes (read this one aloud)
20. The Girl from Iwo Jima
21. Three Johns in the Fountain Lounge
22. Moonlight in Vomit
23. Tambourine
24. Constipation
25. Leprosy (hint: a tango)
26. I Syringe You, Dear

Championship series--the puns come after the cryptic titles below:

27. The Ice Man Song
28. The Pregnant Song (hint: from South Pacific)
29. The Cuddly Lamb Song
30. The Lost Lamb Song (hint: same pun; not "Whippenpoof")
31. The Bathroom Song
32. The Baby Song
33. The Baby Song (yes, another one)
34. 50th Anniversary Song




Answers--

1.  Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home
2.  Stardust
3.  Summertime
4.  Cry Me a River
5.  I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face
6.  Tenderly
7.  Harbor Lights
8.  It's Magic
9.  A Kiss to Build a Dream On
10. American Patrol
11. In the Mood (same pun for I'm in the Mood for Love)
12. Don't Take Your Love from Me
13. Deep Purple
14. A Good Man is Hard to Find
15. You Stepped Out of a Dream (endless awful "drum/dream" puns)
16. I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You
17. September in the Rain
18. Pennies from Heaven ("Bennies" was the nickname for benzedrine)
19. Your Lips Tell me No, No, But There's Yes, Yes, in Your Eyes
20. The Girl from Ipanema (from the early 60s)
21. Three Coins in a Fountain (the Fountain Lounge was a New Orleans dance spot)
22. Moonlight in Vermont
23. Tangerine
24. Fascination
25. Jealousy (The pun version went on grossly and was sung in schoolyards--
"Leprosy/Is crawling all over me/There goes my eyeball/Right into your
highball")
26. I Surrender, Dear
27. I Only Have Ice for You
28. Belly High (Bali H'ai)
29. Embracable Ewe
30. There's No Ewe
31. You Go to My Head
32. I Water the Coverfront (I Cover the Waterfront)
33. Little Things Need a Pot (Little things Mean a Lot)
34. Once in a While