First Published | 1909 |
Writer/composer | George Whiting and Irving Berlin / Ted Snyder. | Roud | RN29794 |
Music Hall Performers | Phil Parsons |
Folk performances | Collected from the singing of: Bentall, Brenda; England; 1970 |
When Missus Brown told hubby, "I just can't stand the heat Please send me to the country, dear, I know 'twould be a treat" Next day his wife and fam'ly were seated on a train And when the train had started, Brownie shouted this refrain: My wife's gone to the country, hurrah, hurrah! She thought it best, I need a rest, that's why she went away She took the children with her, hurrah, hurrah! I don't care what becomes of me, my wife's gone away He kept the 'phone a-going, told ev'ryone he knew "It's Mister Brown, come on downtown, I have some news for you" He told a friend reporter just why he felt so gay Next day an advertisement in the papers read this way: My wife's gone to the country, hurrah, hurrah! She thought it best, I need a rest, that's why she went away She took the children with her, hurrah, hurrah! I don't care what becomes of me, my wife's gone away He sang his joyful story into a phonograph He made a dozen records and I say it was to laugh For when his friends had vanished and Brown was all alone His neighbors heard the same old tune on Brownie's graphophone My wife's gone to the country, hurrah, hurrah! She thought it best, I need the rest, that's why she went away She took the children with her, hurrah, hurrah! Like Eva Tanguay, I don't care, my wife's gone away He went into the parlor and tore down from the wall A sign that read "God Bless Our Home" and threw it in the hall Another sign he painted and hung it up instead Next day the servant nearly fainted when these words she read: My wife's gone to the country, hurrah, hurrah! She thought it best, I need the rest, that's why she went away She took the children with her, hurrah, hurrah! Now I'm with you if you're with me, my wife's gone away He called on pretty Molly, a girl he used to know The servant said "She left the house about an hour ago But if you leave your name, sir, or write a little note I'll give it to her when she comes" and this is what he wrote: My wife's gone to the country, hurrah, hurrah! She thought it best, I need the rest, that's why she went away She took the children with her, hurrah, hurrah! I love my wife, but oh! you kid, my wife's gone away He went and bought a parrot, a very clever bird The kind that always would repeat most anything she heard So when his voice grew husky and Brownie couldn't talk While he'd be taking cough-drops, he would have the parrot squawk: My wife's gone to the country, hurrah, hurrah! She thought it best, I need the rest, that's why she went away She took the children with her, hurrah, hurrah! I knew my book, she left the cook, my wife's gone away
American composer Irving Berlin’s first big hit, written when he was 21 years old. In the early 20th century many of the most popular songs sung in the vaudeville theatres of America crossed over and were performed in the British Music Halls. In Britain it featured in the repertoire of the British singer Phil Parsons, but it was widely sung and recorded..
In 1970 a fragment of the chorus was collected from the singing of Brenda Bentall by Roy Palmer; her version can be found on the British library website
A contemporary recording:
Sources:
- Entries in the Roud Indexes at the Vaughn Williams Memorial Library: https://archives.vwml.org/search/all:single[folksong-broadside-books]/0_50/all/score_desc/extended-roudNo_tr%3A29794
- Kilgarrif Sing Us
- Lyrics, US Sheet Music: Connecticut College
- UK Sheet Music: Weekly Dispatch (London), 15 January 1911, p15
Last Updated on June 17, 2022 by John Baxter | Published: June 17, 2022