Blimey What a Mouth

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“Take Your Finger out of your Mouth, I want a Kiss from You”.

How on earth did anyone dream up a song title like that?

Actually, I have some in my collection even more corny than that, I wonder if publishers were trying to out-do each other in order to boost sales. Notice - this was a “Sensation of 1927” at the seaside in Douglass, Isle of Mann. It has a very good tune and I have arranged it for 26 notes. The only problem is, that when played today, no-one recognises it. However, I like to think that it is my ’mission’ to revive some of these lost tunes.

“What a Mouth! What a mouth! What a ‘North & South’!“

Now here’s a song that I’m sure everyone knows, although some further a-field, may be wondering about the ’North & South’?

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It is of course “Rhyming Slang”. I have never heard anyone ever say “Shut your North”, but ‘north’ means ‘mouth’.

‘Plates’ are ‘feet’… as in “Plates of Meat”.

I know! You must think the English, or to be more accurate, the Cockney’s are completely barmy.

A sample:

“In the morning he would put on his almond rocks, and his Dicky Dirt, and his round the houses, and set off down the frog and toad, until he reached the outskirts of the Bristol.

And people would stare at him, for his Dicky Dirt was torn, his how-d’ye-do’s were full of holes, and his coat was Westminster Abbey. He was also somewhat unclean; being too poor to purchase any Cape of Good Hope, his bushel and peck was extremely Two-thirty. He was truly a pitiful sight - his north and south drooped, his mince pies were watery,

and he had a big red I suppose.”

Now how else can I link a mouth with music, apart from singing?

“Mouth music”

Mouth music was traditionally known as puirt-a-beul (tunes of the mouth).

It is a Gaelic tradition of a cappella song (ie without musical accompaniment) that uses tongue-twisting, meaningless Gaelic words chosen purely for the rhythmical sounds they create.

According to legend, the style originated in Scotland after a 1745 uprising when musical instruments, like bagpipes, were banned.

Mouth music - also known as ‘diddling’ or ‘lilting’ - was sung for entertainment and at work places. A similar rhythmic style can be found in many musical cultures, such as ‘scat’ singing in American jazz.

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Scat Singing?

Hey, I wonder if that is where “Hey Diddle Diddle“ originated?

Almond rocks = socks

Dicky Dirt = shirt

Round the 'ouses = trowsies

Frog and Toad = road

Bristol = city

How-d’ye-do’s = shoes

Westminster Abbey = shabby

Cape of Good Hope = soap

Bushel and peck = neck

Two-thirty = dirty

North and South = mouth

Mince pies = eyes

I suppose = nose

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