Phonographic needles

Mattias Hallin Mattias.Hallin at jurenh.lu.se
Mon Oct 23 16:44:50 CET 1995


PER:

    That quote may or may not be a Groucho Marx ditto; I wouldn't know. What I
*do* know is that it is a line from a 1920s popular song called "You Can't
Shush Katie". The lyrics go something like this:

I met the loudest gal in New Orleans                    VERSE
they call her loud Katie Brown
She's got the loudest mouth in New Orleans
And that's the loud'st of 'em towns
When Katie talks she really yell
When Katie squawk, she raise 'em well (sic!)

You can't shush Katie, that talkin' little lady         CHORUS
The gabbiest gal in town
When she was young, they (something) the beadle (???)   
And vaccinated her with a phonograph needle
Her idle prattle
And foolish chatter
Make you wanna slap her down
When she comes in, she says "HELLO"
You have to disconnect the radio
Oh, you can't shush Katie, the talkin' little lady
The gabbiest gal in town

I might have missed a line or two -- this is from memory -- but to the best of
my recollection this is how it's sung by Eva Taylor on a recording w. Clarence
Williams' Blue Five c. 1925 or 1926. Naturally, I have that recording and
several others at home, so I'll try to remember to check the details for you.

All my best to one and all -- long time, long lurk (but I read *all your
postings -- and you'd better believe it!)

Mattias

**** Mattias Hallin ** Lund * Sweden ** <Mattias.Hallin at jurenh.lu.se> ****
*                                                                        *
*               "Oh bury me thar! With my battered git-tar!              * 
**************       A-screamin' my heart out fer yew!"      *************



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