The Dummy Line
"A New Jersey folk song from 1925. You can sing this to turkey in the straw!" -Tony and Kendra Gioia
According to the Metuchen-Edison Historical Society, "In 1959 Lloyd Grimstead wrote down a little song [which is a part of this song] about the Trolley that they used to sing in Metuchen NJ. The author of the song is unknown."
The Dummy Line
Folk Song
Chorus:
On the dummy line
On the dummy line
Rain or shine I'll pay the fine
Rain or shine I'll pay the fine
Riding, riding, riding on the dummy line!
There's a girl who lives in Mobile;
She's got a face like a lemon peel.
She's also got a wart on the end of her chin;
She calls it a dimple, but a dimple turns in.
(Chorus)
There was a girl down on the farm;
She milked a cow but meant no harm.
The cow kicked the girl right off the bench
'Cause the girl milked the cow with a monkey wrench!
(Chorus)
There was a boy on the way to school;
He found a lot of money at the foot of a mule.
He snuck away quietly, just like a mouse;
On the very next day, he recovered in his house!
(Chorus)
There was a man called Harry Breene;
He had a face of neon green.
He went to his doctor and his doctor said,
"With a face like that, I would rather be dead!"
(Chorus)
There's a medical pro called doctor peck;
She fell in a well and hurt her neck.
It served her all right, but she was doing wrong;
She shoulda helped the sick to leave the WELL alone!
(Chorus)
Notes
There are many versions of this song.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Thanks to Tony and Kendra Gioia for sharing this song with us!
