Wednesday 18 January 2017

My Uncle Had An Old Banjo

My Grandma taught me a song when I was little which came from my Great Grandad Arthur Cyril Pearce (known as Cyril).   It is a weird song which sounds like it comes from either Australia or the deep south of America or maybe both places!!!  I wish to find out where the song originates from and would love to hear from anyone else who knows this song or a slightly different version of this song. I have a suspicion that it comes from the Victorian Goldfields of Australia as my Great Grandad's grandfather (William Henry Luff) was there way back in the 1850s.  The "Oka Rocka Roo" sounds so Australian.  I'll eat my hat if it isn't from there!  If the song has survived in another goldchaser's family it would indicate maybe a connection to that time.  So here it goes.  Sorry for the spelling mistakes in the nonsensical verse at the end!

My Uncle had an old banjo and it was made of tin
He used it for a frying pan to fry a sausage in
And as the sausage sizzled in the pan, it went off with a bang
And the old man grieved in sadness, and his story loudly rang

Ay-o ring-kim cocum candy
Ring ting John with a rum tum too
Ex-cep flip flop gelatina candy
Ang-eye Twang-eye
Oka Rocka Roo

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