A HOT TIME IN THE OLD TOWN
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Comments are by
Theresa Danks
Nassau County, NY, Council Trainer
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I first learned it in Nassau (NY) as:
Late last night when we were all in bed
Mrs O'Leary left a lantern in the shed
And when the cow kicked it over
The townspeople said
"They'll be a hot time in the old town tonight"
Fire, fire, fire
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Like most folk songs, there are apparently several
"regional variations". What I find interesting is
not so much the small changes in the main verse as
the variety of add-on verses and "novelty" ways of
singing--getting quieter or splitting into rounds, etc.
We would repeat the verse getting quieter and quieter,
except for the "Fire, fire, fire."
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Suffolk Council Version:
Late one night, when we were all in bed
Old Lady Leary lit a lantern in the shed
And when the cow kicked it over,
She winked her eye and said,
"There'll be a hot time in the old town tonight."
Fire! Fire! Fire!
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Several years later, I was working at a Suffolk Council
camp, and a councelor--non-Girl Scout--taught us a new
version. With hers, it was important to get the words
just right, as you'll see:
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One night late, when bed we all were in
Old Leary Lady lit a shed the lantern in
And when the kick cowed it over,
She eyed her wink and said,
"There'll be a time hot in the old town tonight."
I-fer! I-fer! I-fer!
That's "Fire" said sideways, sort of.
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As you can see, you have to get the words in the first
verse right to make the joke in the second verse work.
Of course, by concentrating on the "backwards" verse so
much, I have a tendency to forget how the "frontwards"
version goes.
Enjoy, Theresa Danks
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