Expert: Mel Priddle - 11/19/2008

Question
My dad always sang a song for us that was similar to this one:
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Country-Music-2273/2008/7/song-lyrics-14.htm but the tune was different than what I found on youtube.

His song started similar:
A hen and a rooster lived a way out west
said the hen to the rooster dear I love you best
said the rooster to the hen, Hon I think you lie, cause I saw you in the alley with an old shanghai

chorus:
Ain't it so, I love you honey I don't know.
Sweetie don't you lie-i to me, cause I'm not as dumb as I used to be

Was an old doctor by the name of Peck, fell into a well and broke his gosh-darned neck. Served him right that he broke his bone, shoulda tended to the sick and left the well alone

Chorus

Hid some Easter eggs under our old hen, for the kids to find on Easter morning then, Rooster woke up and saw the green and red, jumped the neighbor's fence and killed their peacock dead.

chorus

There are some other verses, don't remember them all, although I could talk to my family about writing them down. I'm guessing it isn't the same song name, "Broke the lock..." but can't figure it out. Would love it if you can find the name so I could see if it would show up on a youtube search. Worst case one of us will have to sing it and post it, just for posterity's sake :)

Answer
Hello again Jeff,

While doing a little extra research into your question, I came across some little poems that are known variously as both "Little Willies" and "Ruthless Rhymes". They are credited to an Englishman named Harry Graham (born 1874 - died 1936) who wrote under the pen name Col. D. Streamer around 1901.

As one of the short rhymes includes the line "He should have tended to the sick and left the well alone", I thought they may have some connection to the verses your Dad would sing.

Dr. Jones fell in the well
And died without a moan
He should have tended to the sick
And left the well alone

There are many others at the following sites......

http://www.ruthlessrhymes.com/little_willie_poems/little_willie_poems/

http://www.ruthlessrhymes.com/other_willie_poems/

http://www.ruthlessrhymes.com/harry_graham/ruthless_rhymes/


Hope that's of some interest. Cheers......Mel.