[Dixielandjazz] Lyrics for "Oh Mo'nah"

Wed Aug 17 13:30:59 PDT 2005

I'm going to try to transcribe this as accurately as I can from the Weems
1941 Decca Recording.  BTW, it can be found (except for the last second or
so) at:  http://www.redhotjazz.com/weems.html .  Just scroll down.

An old colored preacher was settin' on a log, (Oh! Monah) 
Had his finger on the trigger and his eye on a hog.  (Oh! Monah) 
Well, the gun said "Boo!" and the hog went vip, (Oh! Monah) 
And the preacher grabbed him with all his grip.  (Oh! Monah)

CHORUS

Well, my Monah, you shall be free,
Listen here, baby, you know you shall be free, 
When the good Lord sets you free.

Only one young man who had the blues.  (Oh! Monah) 
Had feet so big that he couldn't get shoes, (Oh! Monah) 
And the shoe clerk said come back again, (Oh! Monah) 
And we'll fit you with the box that the shoes came in. (Oh! Monah)

CHORUS

Well, I was down behind the henhouse on my knees, (Oh! Monah) 
And I thought I heard a chicken sneeze. (Oh! Monah) 
Oh, well, he sneezed so hard with a whoopin' cough (Oh! Monah) 
That he sneezed his head and his tail right off.  (Oh! Monah)

CHORUS

[Ensemble:]
Oh, I was flyin' down the road,
Tired team and a heavy load.
Cracked my whip and the lead horse sprung, And the hind horse busted the
wagon tongue.

CHORUS

The (Oh! Monah) responses were from the ensemble (I love that euphemism for
band members singing).

-----Original Message-----
From: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com
[mailto:dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com] On Behalf Of Hal Vickery
Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 2:44 PM
To: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Subject: RE: [Dixielandjazz] Lyrics for "Oh Mo'nah"

First verse:

An old colored preacher was sittin' on a log.
Had his finger on the trigger and his eye on a hog.
Well the gun went boo[m?] and the hog went [vip?  zip?] And the preacher
grabbed 'im with all of his grip.

Now if somebody asked about the lyrics to Jelly Bean (He's a Curbstone
Cutie), I might do better!  (Now the question is, what was I doing listening
to Ted Weems records back in the mid-'60s when I was 15-16 years old?)

Hal Vickery

-----Original Message-----
From: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com
[mailto:dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com] On Behalf Of
dingle at baldwin-net.com
Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 1:36 PM
To: Bill Gunter
Cc: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com; lhenriques at CriticalSoftware.com
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Lyrics for "Oh Mo'nah"

> Dixielandjazz mailing list
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>
>
No - Oh Moanh was written by bassist Country Wahsburne and goes
somethinglike this:

Verse:
 Was out behind the Hen House on my knees When I  thought I heard a chicken
sneeze He sneezed so hard with a whoop and cough That I thought he'd sneeze
his head right off

Chorus:

Oh Monah, you will be free
Oh Monah you will be free
When the Good Lord Set you you Free.

There ar emore verses each followied by the chorus.

It is a take off on old "colored" ( to use an archaic term) religious hymn.
Country was from South Texas, and worked with the elusive Peck Kelly, later
with Ted Weems and then studio work in CA.

Best I can do onshort notice.

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-----Original Message-----
From: Hal Vickery [mailto:hvickery at svs.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 3:27 PM
To: 'Hal Vickery'
Subject: RE: [Dixielandjazz] Lyrics for "Oh Mo'nah"

I'm going to try to transcribe this as accurately as I can from the Weems
1941 Decca Recording.  BTW, it can be found (except for the last second or
so) at:  http://www.redhotjazz.com/weems.html .  Just scroll down.

An old colored preacher was settin' on a log, (Oh! Monah)
Had his finger on the trigger and his eye on a hog.  (Oh! Monah)
Well, the gun said "Boo!" and the hog went vip, (Oh! Monah)
And the preacher grabbed him with all his grip.  (Oh! Monah)

CHORUS

Well, My Monah, you shall be free,
Listen here, baby, you know you shall be free,
When the good Lord sets you free.

Only one young man who had the blues.  (Oh! Monah)
Had feet so big that he couldn't get shoes, (Oh! Monah)
And the shoe clerk said come back again, (Oh! Monah)
And we'll fit you with the box that the shoes came in. (Oh! Monah)

CHORUS

Well, I was down behind the henhouse on my knees, (Oh! Monah)
And I thought I heard a chicken sneeze. (Oh! Monah)
Oh, well, he sneezed so hard with a whoopin' cough (Oh! Monah)
That he sneezed his head and his tail right off.  (Oh! Monah)

CHORUS

[Ensemble:]
Oh, I was flyin' down the road,
Tired team and a heavy load.
Cracked my whip and the lead horse sprung,
And the hind horse busted the wagon tongue.

CHORUS