Do you know any otherwise-forgotten really old songs?

I think mainly I learned these from playing random rolls on a player piano. Also, Tex Avery cartoons.

Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie
Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody
Over There
Let Me Call You Sweetheart
Carry Me Back to Old Virginney
I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles
It’s a Long, Long Way to Tipperary

And of course, “Stop Your Tickling Jock” I don’t actually know this one, but how can I pass it up?

If you’re making an early 20th century music collection you have to have We’ll Meet Again.

I love the old Big Band era tunes….don’t sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me, anyone else but me, anyone else but me,no, no, no…

egads, I’m screwed now, that song is branded into my brain for the rest of the day haha

Anything and everything sung by the Andrews Sisters came to mind when I read your question @Skaggfacemutt.

I have never heard of “We’ll Meet Again.” Its great – thanks! Also never heard of “Carry Me Back to Old Virginney.”

I am especially interested in 1910–20 music; barbershop quartet songs or the kind that you would hear playing on a carousel.

In a West End town, a dead end world!
The East End boys and West End girls!

My Old Virginia Home

Won’t You Come Home Bill Bailey

In the Good Old Summertime

Sweet Adeline

Give My Regards to Broadway

@Skaggfacemutt

Carry Me back to Old Virginny has a very “colorful” history.

You can probably find everything you want here.”

@6rant6 Oh yeah! This site is a treasure trove. Thank you!

It Don’t Mean A Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing – Ella & Duke
Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby – Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
What’s the Use of Getting Sober – Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
Minnie the Moocher – Cab Calloway
St. James Informary – King Oliver
Minor Swing – Django Reinhardt
The Teddy Bear’s Picnic – Henry Hall & His Orchestra
16 Tons – Tennessee Ernie Ford
The Dirty Dozen – Jelly Roll Morton NSFW
Black Betty – Leadbelly
Young at Heart – Jimmy Durante

I did pare it down, but I think these will be pleasantly familiar. Well, maybe not the Jelly Roll, but I can’t cut the King.

Brother Louie by The Stories one of the first songs I heard on 93 KHJ.

Down by the Old Mill Stream

Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy

Java Jive

Has Anybody Seen My Girl (five foot two, eyes of blue)?

Yes Sir, That’s My Baby

Allouette (this song’s origins are not clearly known, but most likely originated in France, although it was first published in 1879 in Montreal, Canada). Soldiers in WWI learned it and brought it back to the U.S. and it’s been popular ever since. Who can forget This Version sung by Tina Louise (aka Ginger Grant) on Gilligan’s Island? Zowie!

Shortnin’ Bread

I think I’ve Been Working on the Railroad might qualify. It was first publishe in 1894 under the title “The Levee Song” and the first known recording was in 1927.

She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain is thought to have been written in the late1800’s, but the first printed version of the song was in 1927 and was based on an earlier Negro Spiritual song called “When the Chariot Comes.”

My Irish grandfather used to sing this song:

Who threw the coveralls in Mrs. Murphy’s chowder?
Nobody answered, so she hollered all the louder.
It’s an Irish trick, that’s true,
And I’ll lick the Mick that threw
The coveralls in Mrs. Murphy’s chowder.

Perry Como: “Delaware”

What did Delaware, boys? What did Delaware?
What did Delaware, boys? What did Delaware?
What did Delaware, boys? What did Delaware?
I ask you now as a personal friend, what did Delaware?
She wore a brand New Jersey. She wore a brand New Jersey!
She wore a brand New Jersey. She wore a brand New Jersey!
She wore a brand New Jersey. She wore a brand New Jersey!
I tell you now as a personal friend,. she wore a brand New Jersey!

Where has Ore…gone? Where has Ore…gone?
She’s gone to her Okla…home….Ma! She’s gone to her Okla…home!
What did Tenna….see? What did Tenna….see?
She saw what Arken….saw! She saw what Arken….saw!
How did Flora….Die?....How did Flora….Die?....
She died in Missouri!...
What did Missis…sip?...
She sipped her Minni….soda!....
How did Wiscon….sin?
She stole my New…brass..key!....She shot a Michi..gun!
She took my New…Hampster!...She got Conneti…cut!
She broke the water Maine!...She cut a Pencil…Vein!
I tell you now as a personal friend,... She raised all the Taxes!

Alternate:
What did Delaware? What did Delaware?
She wore her Pants sylvania ... She wore a North Da coat
She wore a Collar ado… She wore a brand New Jersey

oh you mean that kind. My grampa sang these.

once I went in swimmin
where there were no wimmin
down by the ol’ mill pond
seeing no one there I hung my underwear upon a willow fond
dove into the water just like pharoh’s daughter dove into the Nile
someone saw me there and stole my underwear and left me with a smile
—

show me the way to go home [1]
I’m tired and I want to got to bed
I had a little drink about an hour ago and it went right to my head
where ever I may roam
by land or sea or foam
you’ll always hear me singing this song
show me the way to go home.

—

there was an ol’ soldier and he had a wooden leg [2]
and he never had tobacky so tobacky he would beg
there’s another ol’d soldier just as sly as a fox
an he always had tobacky in his ol tobacky box

said the first ol’ soldier would you give me a chew
said the second ol’ soldier I’ll be damned if I do
save up your pennies and put away you socks
and you’ll always have tobacky in your ol’ tobacky box

there was an little chicky and she would wouldn’t leg an egg
So i poured hot water all up and down her legs
the little chicky cried and little chicky begged
and the little chicky layed a hardboiled egg

—

and the worms crawl in an the worms crawls out [3]
and they crawl all over your dirty mouth
and they call they friends an their friends’ friends too
and you look like the devil when they get through*

*I don’t remember how he started this one. It was something about hearing the hack go by so it’s probably in one of the versions on the link, even though my grampa’s ending was different.

Nobody Knows What a Redheaded Mama Can Do

@submariner , @smilingheart1 These are great! Thanks so much! @fundevogel I heard a portion of this song on “Jaws”, but never had the rest of the lyrics, so thank you so much for providing them!

I found several videos of “Mrs. Murphy’s chowder” on YouTube, so I guess it’s not really forgotten after all.

“Silver Dagger”.