Lyr Req: Bee from the Old Town of Effen (M McGinn)

Subject: Lyr Req: The Big Effing Bee
From: GUEST,Mary
Date: 18 Jan 06 - 04:21 AM

Lady Penelope wrote the first few lines of the lyrics I'm looking for in the town starting with 'F' forum.
I did have it as an MP3 but have lost it so wonder if anyone knows all the words, please?
ASAP cos he needs it for Saturday (my "last minute" John!! LOL)

Subject: Lyr Add: BIG EFFEN BEE
From: GUEST,Mary
Date: 18 Jan 06 - 05:49 AM

I found it!!
So, I've typed the words out and then came back, did a search for the big effin bee and got the old thread...like, 5 years old!
I posted the words there but will post them here as well hoping that the 2 different spellings may mean that someone can find it easier next time (neither spelling's right, BTW!)

Explanatory start..
There's a cute town called Effen jist outside Edinburgh, jist 800 miles outside Edinburgh…it's in France!
Famous for it's honey so there's an awfie lot of bees

             The BIG EFFEN BEE
             Matt McGinn

"He kept bees in the old town of Effen,
An Effen bee-keeper was he,
And one day this wee Effen bee-keeper
Was stung by a big Effen bee

Now this big Effen bee-keeper's
Wee effen wife for the big Effen polis she ran
For there's nobody can sort out a big Effen bee
Like a big Effen polisman can

Now the big Effen polisman he did his nut
And he ran down the main Effen street
In his haun wis a big Effen bat
He'd big Effen boots oan his feet

Now the polis got hold of this big Effen bee
And he twisted the Effen bee's wings
But this Effen bee got his own back
For this big Effen bee had 2 stings

Now they're baith in the Effen museum
And the Effen folk oaffen come see
The remains of the big Effen polis
Stung to death by the big Effen Bee!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Big Effing Bee
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 18 Jan 06 - 10:17 AM

Are you sure the place name is Effen? It is in the Netherlands, while in the beautiful Co. Limerick we have Effin.

Subject: Lyr Add: BEE FROM THE OLD TOWN OF EFFEN (M McGinn)
From: Peace
Date: 18 Jan 06 - 10:34 AM

In fact this rare specimen was first documented by Matt McGinn himself, in his famous poem.

"THE BEE FROM THE OLD TOWN OF EFFEN"

He kept bees in the old town of Effen,
An Effen beekeeper was he,
And one day this Effen beekeeper,
Was stung by a big Effen bee.

Now this big Effen beekeeper's wee Effen wife,
For the big Effen polis she ran
For there's nobody can sort out a big Effen bee,
Like a big Effen polisman can.

This big Effen polisman did his nut,
And he ran down the main Effen street,
In his hand was a big Effen baton,
He had big Effen boots on his feet.

The polis got hold of this big Effen bee,
And he twisted the Effen bees wings,
But the big Effen bee got his own back,
For the big Effen bee had two stings.

Now they're both in the Effen museum,
Where the Effen folk often come see,
The remains of the big Effen polis,
Stung to death by the big Effen bee.


The above (which matches GUEST Mary's post) is from

www.angelfire.com/music2/ linlithgowfolkfest/MattMcGinn.html

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Big Effing Bee
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 19 Jan 06 - 11:32 PM

There is an Effin Parish in the Diocese of Limerick; an Effin Hurling Team; an Effin National School....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Big Effing Bee
From: open mike
Date: 20 Jan 06 - 12:27 AM

i have heard a radio show that has the
motto of effing the ineffible....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Big Effing Bee
From: cobber
Date: 21 Jan 06 - 12:34 AM

I used to hear this with the intro "Effen is a wee town southy of Edinborough (pause) about six hundred miles south of Edinborough" My memory says Duncan McRae but I could be wrong about that. That would fit the Netherlands more than Ireland

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Big Effing Bee
From: Jon G
Date: 21 Jan 06 - 10:40 AM

There's a Matt Mcginn theme bar (Known as McGinns) on Argyle St in Glasgow near Central Station which has the Effen Bee Lyric on public display at the entrance, at least it did the last time I walked past

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Big Effing Bee
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Jan 06 - 08:22 AM

Thanks everybody for your replies:)

Jon G, you walked past the Matt McGinn pub??
Oh, to be able to be so blase. LOL

I dont know where the town of Effen is, just that Matt said, in his introduction, it was in France and yes,cobber, I didn't do the whole explanation bit as I heard it on the recording. :) I agree by the sound and spelling of the name that it's more likely to be in the Netherlands than France.
Peace, thanks for the URL:)
LOL, that would have saved me listening to it so many times to try to translate the word.,...Baton makes more sense that bat...jist couldn't work out what he was saying there!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Big Effing Bee
From: GUEST,Red
Date: 22 Jan 06 - 10:13 AM

McGinns pub is owned and run by a relative of Matt (brother?). It's a bit of a dump really.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Big Effen Bee (Matt McGinn)
From: GUEST,Mo
Date: 08 Oct 06 - 05:53 PM

I am so glad you found this as I first read this poem in 1971 when i was 10 yrs old , I was trying to remember it yesterday for my 11 yr old but could only remember the first two verse so thanks a million ......

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Big Effen Bee (Matt McGinn)
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 08 Oct 06 - 07:59 PM

Considering the lyrics, I very much doubt this was about an actual place called Effen.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Big Effen Bee (Matt McGinn)
From: Hillheader
Date: 09 Oct 06 - 01:38 AM

Although Matt McGinn did this as a monologue, I sing these words to the tune of Black Velvet Band. It scans perfectly.

Davebhoy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Big Effen Bee (Matt McGinn)
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Oct 06 - 04:52 AM

Ilm assuming there's a lot of tongue in cheek going on but Susanne (skw)'s posting needs answering. There's obviously not a town called Effin or Effen regarding Matt's work and to spell it out .... big f....n' b.....d is what's meant as in effin' and blinding. MacRae used the phrase and Matt nicked it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Big Effen Bee (Matt McGinn)
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Oct 06 - 04:53 AM

And did Guest, Mo, really know what what it meant at the age of 10?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Big Effen Bee (Matt McGinn)
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Oct 06 - 08:07 PM

I think you're all confused. Effanbee is about dolls. See

http://www.effanbeedoll.com/

(once again the blueclickifier fails me.)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Big Effen Bee (Matt McGinn)
From: GUEST,Urbane Guerrilla
Date: 10 Oct 06 - 01:28 AM

Unless somebody'd like to subject the intro to a rather forcible degree of folk process, and set the whole affair in Herstal, Belgium...

...home of the FN arms factory. It makes assault rifles.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Big Effen Bee (Matt McGinn)
From: GUEST,Urbane Guerrilla
Date: 10 Oct 06 - 01:31 AM

(shoulda put this in prev posting, but can't edit prev post)

"For there's nane that can sort out a big FN B...
Like a big FN FAL can."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Big Effen Bee (Matt McGinn)
From: GUEST,Bee
Date: 10 Oct 06 - 09:10 AM

Well, it's certainly not about *me*.... or bees:

"But the big Effen bee got his own back,
For the big Effen bee had two stings."

Stinging bees are girls. Bees have only one use for males, and only once, at that.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Big Effen Bee (Matt McGinn)
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 10 Oct 06 - 07:26 PM

We have a Matt mcGinn night every year in Linlithgow (usually first Saturday in March) in which the Effen Bee is always recited> We now have a very adorable Effen Bee: if it's possible to post photos on Mudcat, I could show you what I mean!
The last time I went past the Matt McGinn pub, Glasgow, it still had the inscriptions on the wall but was belting out disco music!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bee from the Old Town of Effen (M McGinn)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 28 Dec 13 - 01:41 PM

An effen good song!