| AKA | The Baby’s got a tooth Oh George |
| First Published | 1878 |
| Writer/composer | JE Toole | Roud | RN5260 |
| Music Hall Performers | Sam Torr |
| Folk performances | Collected from the singing of: Devlin, Jennie : USA ; Massachusetts : 1936 Unknown singer : England : Gloucestershire ; 1974 |
Baby's got a tooth Written By J.F. Mitchell. Music By E.H. Jones. [Early UK / US Version from sheet music published by Oliver Ditson, 451 Washington St, New York, undated, the Levy Collection] The sun will soon refuse to shine, we're going to lose the moon There will be a great catastrophe, twill happen very soon, The age of wonders has revived, Old age will turn to youth, And you agree that I am right when you have heard the truth… Spoken: The other morning I was suddenly awakened by a violent nudge from the partner of my joys,who cried "Oh, George, George dear, George you brute, put your finger in the baby's dear little mouth"....I did, and found a tooth. George dear, George dear, would you guess the truth... George dear, the baby dear, bless the little youth... Do get up and light the fire; Turn the gas a little higher; Run and tell my Aunt Maria Baby's got a tooth. [twice] Now since that wonderful event the house both day and night, Is crowded with mamma's who come to wonder at the sight Of baby's wond'rous primal tooth, to dance it on their knees, And hum their approbation like a hive' of busy bees. Spoken: Yes,they are all busy, some are busy eating, some are busy drinking, and all are busy singing... My wife will get up a party in honour of the day, I dare not utter one protest, but must the piper pay; The house from top to bottom looks as if 'twere wreck'd with bombs. Because the kid has push'd a bit of ivory thro' his gums. She says I am a nasty brute without an ounce of sense, That I think not of the honour but only the expense; But if I must speak the honest truth before you all to-night, I wish the kid had kept his masticator out of sight. Baby's got a Tooth. [UK version c1890, from The Funniest Song Book in the World] By kind permission of Howard & Co., 25, Great Marlborough Street, London. WELL there, I'm so delighted, I don't know what to do, I feel so awfully proud; now tell me wouldn't you? I'm married just a twelvemonth, And, to my heartfelt joy, Our union has been blessed With a bouncing little boy. Georgey, Georgey, can you guess the truth? Georgey, Georgey, bless the little youth! Do get up and light the fire; Turn the gas a little higher; Go and tell your Aunt Maria Baby's got a tooth. Now, maybe, you would not believe how happy I did feel; The day I lost my mother-in-law, of course I did not squeal, My mind was occupied that day With only one idea- Twas baby's got a tooth, oh, Lor'! The precious little dear. I let him bite my fingers; I let him bite my thumbs; I let him do whatever he likes—oh, bless his little gums! The day twas born, I ne'er forget— It was something after this ; Our baby's got a tooth, oh, Lor'! Excuse a father's bliss. BABY'S GOT A TOOTH Copyright, 1881, by J. W, Pepper. All rights reserved. [a US version of the Mitchell/Jones song] I'm the father of a bouncing boy, He looks just like his pa; He's the picture of his mammy, And the image of his dada. He was eight months old the other day- He is a noble youth; We have been almost crazy since He got his first front tooth. George, dear, George, dear, can't you guess the truth? George, dear, George, dear, bless the little youth; Do get up and light the fire, turn the gas a little higher Go and tell your Aunt Maria baby's got a tooth. I went home late the other night, And soon was sound asleep, When suddenly I was awoke By sounds that made me weep; My wife she grabbed me by the arm, And says, get up you brute. The pride and joy of-all of us Has got a nice front tooth.- Chorus. Now married men take my advice: When first you do get wed, Don't ever try to go to sleep, Dont ever go to bed; But to save yourself from trouble of The darling little pet, Don't wait until it gets a tooth- Buy it a nice false set.-Chorus.
At least two different songs called Baby’s got a Tooth were performed in the UK and the USA in the last quarter of the 19th century. Both were published as official sheet music and in songsters and on broadsides. A song called Baby’s got a tooth was published in New York in 1875 with words and music credited to Rollin Howard. That song, which is sung to a different melody and at least initially appears to have had completely different lyrics, is discussed on another page.
This song, given in three variants above, was also called Baby’s got a Tooth. It was a big hit in the Music Halls of late 187os for comic singer Sam Torr. Outside London it was performed by by EH Jones who was credited with composing the music – it was relatively common for one artist to hold the performing rights for London, whilst another held it for the “provinces”. The words were credited to JF Mitchell. After establishing the song as a hit, in 1877 Torr sold publishing rights to music publisher H Davison, apparently with the agreement of Jones and Mitchell.
This song was also sung in the halls by George Lewis (aka ‘Jolly Little’ Lewis ) and it became the subject of a brief but bitter ownership dispute in the pages of The Era and other publications. The dispute was settled, apparently without going to court, when Lewis eventually gave a fulsome apology :
London and Provincial Entr’acte, 29 Sept 1877
For those interested I have included a number of cuttings which summarise the dispute in the Appendix below.
In both the UK and the USA in the 1880s and 1890s, the song became associated with black face minstrel singers, appearing, for instance, in the repertoire Haverley’s Minstrels. The chorus remained more or less the same as the one that Mitchell/Jones wrote, but the verses tended to vary, sometimes including ones apparently borrowed from Howard’s earlier song – for example, see the lyrics printed in Cole’s Funniest Song Book in the World (c1890) given above. These variants on the Mitchell/Jones original sometimes credited other composers/lyricists, as for example in the version credited to JW Pepper above.
Traditional singer Jennie Devlin recited the chorus of the Mitchell/Jones for collectors Catherine Newman and Alan Lomax in the late 1930s. In 1974 an unknown singer from Gloucestershire sang what appears to be a song derived from the Mitchell/Jones song for collector Kay Davies
Sources:
- VWML entry
- Kilgarrif Sing Us
- UK Lyrics: Cole, Funniest Song Book in the World (c1890) p.155
- US/UK Sheet Music: Levy Collection
- JF Mitchell and EH Jones, Baby’s got a Tooth, FL the sun will soon refuse to shine Root & Sons Music Co., 1882. LOC
- JW Pepper (1881) Baby’s got a Tooth, FL I’m the father of a bouncing boy,: Philadelphia, LOC, see also https://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/songster/01-babys-got-a-tooth.htm
- JW Pepper (1881) Orchestral Arrangement, LOC
- Billy Andrews Comic Songster
Appendix: Dispute over rights to perform Babies got a Tooth:
settled out of court
Last Updated on December 31, 2023 by John Baxter | Published: December 31, 2023
