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Thursday, October 9, 2008

Brother Ivanovich's turn to throw the bomb.

I was at lunch with my regular gang today, and something triggered my memory of this song:
In an anarchist garret
So lonely and so mean
You can smell the pungent odor
Of nitroglycerine.
The people there are busy
Filling cans with nails
And the little Slavic children
Set up this mournful wail:

Chorus:
Oh it's Sister Jenny's turn to throw the bomb (throw the bomb)
The last one it was thrown by Brother Tom
Momma's aim is gettin' bad
And the copsky's all know Dad
So it's Sister Jenny's turn to throw the bomb.

Sister Jenny took the bomb and started off.
"Mind you now" said Mother, "to blow up Templehoff".
And so the party waited
Till dawn turned into day
And the little Slavic children
Set up this mournful lay:

Chorus:
Oh it's Brother Ivanovich's turn to throw the bomb.
Sister Jenny's gone the way of Brother Tom.
Momma's aim is gettin' bad, and copsky's all know Dad
So it's Brother Ivanovich's turn to throw the bomb.

I remember listening to this song when I was a kid. I thought it was a recording by the "Brothers Four", but that does not seem to be the case. "The Smothers Brothers" maybe? I don't know. Google located this set of lyrics here.

2 comments:

  1. From The Bosses Songbook, by Dave Van Ronk and Richard Ellington, 1959.

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  2. I remember this song for sometime in the 50's--son't recall hearing it, just knowing i from some songbook. I'm very curoious about its origins.

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