Lyr Add: Mother Was a Lady (EB Marks/JW Stern)

Subject: My Mother Was A Lady
From: Alice
Date: 09 Sep 00 - 12:22 PM

Another one from the Women's Song Circle that needs to be added to the DT.

Subject: ADD: My Mother Was a Lady
From: Alice
Date: 20-Sep-97 - 12:54 PM

I am going to go ahead with the waitress song. Source is a little booklet called "Songs of the Pioneers" price, $1.50, ©1970 by Albert E. Brumley & Sons.

MY MOTHER WAS A LADY

Two drummers* they were seated in a grand ballroom one day
While dining they were chatting in a jovial sort of way.
There came a pretty waitress to bring a tray of food
They spoke to her familiarly in a manner rather rude.
At first she did not notice, nor make the least reply,
But one remark they made to her brought teardrops to her eye.
She turned on her tormentors, her cheeks were blushing red.
Then posing as a picture... this is what she said:

chorus
My mother was a lady, and yours I would allow.
Perhaps you have a sister who needs protection now.
I came to this great city to find my brother dear.
You wouldn't dare insult me, sir, if brother Jack were here.

(*traveling salesmen)

---

Subject: ADD: Standing Behind Some Man
From: Ferrara
Date: 20-Sep-97 - 03:02 PM

Alice, there's another verse to your pioneer song, I believe, where one of the insulting drummers turns out to be the long lost brother. Of course he changes his tune when the girl in question is HIS sister!

----

Can anyone supply the missing last verse?

Alice

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: My Mother Was A Lady
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 09 Sep 00 - 01:33 PM

Copies, one of 1896, are on the Levy sheet music collection website (in Mudcat's Links).

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: My Mother Was A Lady
From: Alice
Date: 09 Sep 00 - 08:13 PM

Thanks, Bruce, I should have known to look there.

Subject: Lyr Add: MOTHER WAS A LADY (Marks, Stern; 1896)
From: Alice
Date: 09 Sep 00 - 08:28 PM

My memory is failing. Dale answered this question two years ago, and I read it then. I don't know why his thread didn't come up when I started this one.....

Subject: lyr add/correction My Mother Was A Lady
From: Dale Rose
Date: 19-Aug-98 - 03:25 AM

I have seen a lot of discussion about this song~~this should put most of the questions to rest. I would like to say that I spent many hours researching it before coming up with it, but the truth is, I found it at the Levy site. The Levy and Chapel Hill sites have taken a bit of the challenge out of digging for the words, authorship, dates, etc. of many songs, but in the interests of accuracy, they certainly are invaluable. With 26,000 at Levy and 2,250~~(smaller, but excellent)~~ at Chapel Hill, when they finish their scanning process, making accurate transcriptions is certainly easier than it ever has been. Of course, the written words are often at odds with the words as sung by Jimmie Rodgers, The Carter Family, Charlie Poole, or whoever. They were usually singing songs as they heard them from someone else, several versions away from the original, without benefit of sheet music in front of them as they sang. Sometimes (but not always) their versions were even better than the originals!

MOTHER WAS A LADY or If Jack Were Only Here
Words by Edw. B. Marks and Music by Jos. W. Stern, 1896. Introduced & sung with phenomenal success by "The Little Magnet" Lottie Gilson

Two drummers sat at dinner, in a grand hotel one day,
While dining they were chatting in a jolly sort of way,
And when a pretty waitress brought them a tray of food,
They spoke to her familiarly in a manner rather rude;
At first she did not notice them, or make the least reply,
But one remark was passed that brought the tear drops to her eye,
And facing her tormentor, with cheeks now burning red,
She looked a perfect picture as appealingly she said:

Chorus:
"My mother was a lady--like yours you will allow,
And you may have a sister, who needs protection now,
I've come to this great city to find a brother dear,
And you wouldn't dare insult me, sir, if Jack were only here."

It's true one touch of nature, it makes the whole world kin,
And every word she uttered seemed to touch their hearts within,
they sat there stunned and silent, until one cried in shame,
"Forgive me Miss! I meant no harm, pray tell me what's your name?"
She told him and he cried again, "I know your brother too,
Why we've been friends for many years and he often speaks of you,
He'll be so glad to see you, and if you'll only wed,
I'll take you to him as my wife, for I love you since you said,"

Chorus:

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: My Mother Was A Lady
From: GUEST,John
Date: 29 Nov 02 - 04:54 PM

Alice: I first heard this song on 78 rpm windup phoneograph at the Roslyn Hotel in Denver, Colorado in 1938 at the age of 9 years. The second verse mentioned goes something like this.

The two sat there in silence, their heads hung down in shame.
Now look dear Miss we meant no harm just tell us whats your name.
She told them and one cried aloud I know your Brother too.
We've been friends for many years and he often speaks of you.
Please go back wnen I go back and if you'll only wed.
I'll take you to him as my bride for I've loved you since you said.

Chorus "My Mother was etc.

I'm looking for all the words and the music with guitar chords.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: My Mother Was A Lady
From: EBarnacle1
Date: 30 Nov 02 - 01:07 PM

I could have sworn there was a third verse but neither "Drawn from the Wood" not "My Pious Friends and Drunken Companions" has it. Possibly "More Pious Friends and Drunken Companions. In the third verse, she responds that she would like to see her brother but fears that he is hanging out with cads.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: My Mother Was A Lady
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 01:47 AM

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: My Mother Was A Lady
From:
Date: 09 Dec 06 - 09:04 PM

I've just finished looking over MOTHER WAS A LADY at the Levy Sheet Music site and there are only the two verses. The words are exactly as Dale posted years back.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: My Mother Was A Lady
From:
Date: 09 Dec 06 - 09:06 PM

That didn't do the job. Here's the Link To the first page or Cover of the Sheet Music

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: My Mother Was A Lady
From:
Date: 09 Dec 06 - 09:11 PM

Oh and the Thread that Dale answered is where the ORIGINAL Request was in 70

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: My Mother Was A Lady
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 09 Dec 06 - 09:34 PM

American Memory, California Gold, Northern California Folk Music from the Thirties, Cowell Collection, has a slightly changed version as sung by Warde Ford (No additional verse).

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: My Mother Was A Lady
From: GUEST,G.
Date: 10 Dec 06 - 12:46 AM

Wilf Carter sang this song as well. That's where I learned it. He did a beautiful job, with his unique and wonderful voice.

Two drummers they were seated
In a grand hotel one day
While dining they were chatting
In a jovial sort of way
There came a pretty waitress
To bring a tray of food
They spoke to her familiarly
In a manner rather rude
At first she did not notice
Or make the least reply
But one remark they made to her
Brought teardrops to her eyes
She turned on her tormentors
Her cheeks were blushing red
And posing like a picture
These are the words she said:

Chorus:
My Mother was a lady
And yours you would allow
You may have a sister
Who needs protection now
I came to this great city
To find my brother dear
You wouldn't dare insult me sir
If brother Jack were here

They both sat there in silence
Their heads bent down in shame
"Forgive me Miss, we meant no harm
Pray, tell us, what's your name?"
She told him and he cried aloud,
"I know your brother too!
We've been friends for many, many years
And he often spoke of you.
Come, go with me when I go back
And if you'll only wed
I'll take you to him as my bride
For I've loved you since you said,

Chorus:
My Mother was a lady
And yours you would allow
You may have a sister
Who needs protection now
I came to this great city
To find my brother dear
You wouldn't dare insult me sir
If my brother Jack were here.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: My Mother Was A Lady
From: GUEST,Freda Belden
Date: 17 Jan 07 - 07:20 PM

The two there in silence
Their heads bowed down in shame
Forgive us Miss
We meant no harm
Pray tell us what's your name.

She told them and one cried aloud
I know your brother too.
We've been friends for many, many years
And he often speaks of you.

Come go with me when I go back,
And if only you will wed,
I'll take you to him as my bride
For I've loved you since your said,

My mother was a lady etc.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: My Mother Was A Lady
From: SINSULL
Date: 17 Jan 07 - 07:57 PM

Hey bitch, hurry up with the food. Nice ass! Oh you're John's sister? Will you marry me?
I just love this one.
SINS