{"id":16344,"date":"2022-06-17T15:10:05","date_gmt":"2022-06-17T15:10:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=16344"},"modified":"2022-06-17T15:15:51","modified_gmt":"2022-06-17T15:15:51","slug":"my-wifes-gone-to-the-country","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/my-wifes-gone-to-the-country\/","title":{"rendered":"My wife’s gone to the country"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
First Published<\/td>1909<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Writer\/composer<\/td>George Whiting and Irving Berlin \/ Ted Snyder.<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN29794<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Phil Parsons<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Collected from the singing of:<\/strong>
Bentall, Brenda; England; 1970<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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When Missus Brown told hubby, \"I just can't stand the heat\nPlease send me to the country, dear, I know 'twould be a treat\"\nNext day his wife and fam'ly were seated on a train\nAnd when the train had started, Brownie shouted this refrain:\n\nMy wife's gone to the country, hurrah, hurrah!\nShe thought it best, I need a rest, that's why she went away\nShe took the children with her, hurrah, hurrah!\nI don't care what becomes of me, my wife's gone away<\/em>\n\nHe kept the 'phone a-going, told ev'ryone he knew\n\"It's Mister Brown, come on downtown, I have some news for you\"\nHe told a friend reporter just why he felt so gay\nNext day an advertisement in the papers read this way:\n\nMy wife's gone to the country, hurrah, hurrah!\nShe thought it best, I need a rest, that's why she went away\nShe took the children with her, hurrah, hurrah!\nI don't care what becomes of me, my wife's gone away\n<\/em>\nHe sang his joyful story into a phonograph\nHe made a dozen records and I say it was to laugh\nFor when his friends had vanished and Brown was all alone\nHis neighbors heard the same old tune on Brownie's graphophone\n\nMy wife's gone to the country, hurrah, hurrah!\nShe thought it best, I need the rest, that's why she went away\nShe took the children with her, hurrah, hurrah!\nLike Eva Tanguay, I don't care, my wife's gone away<\/em>\n\nHe went into the parlor and tore down from the wall\nA sign that read \"God Bless Our Home\" and threw it in the hall\nAnother sign he painted and hung it up instead\nNext day the servant nearly fainted when these words she read:\n\nMy wife's gone to the country, hurrah, hurrah!\nShe thought it best, I need the rest, that's why she went away\nShe took the children with her, hurrah, hurrah!\nNow I'm with you if you're with me, my wife's gone away<\/em>\n\nHe called on pretty Molly, a girl he used to know\nThe servant said \"She left the house about an hour ago\nBut if you leave your name, sir, or write a little note\nI'll give it to her when she comes\" and this is what he wrote:\n\nMy wife's gone to the country, hurrah, hurrah!\nShe thought it best, I need the rest, that's why she went away\nShe took the children with her, hurrah, hurrah!\nI love my wife, but oh! you kid, my wife's gone away<\/em>\n\nHe went and bought a parrot, a very clever bird\nThe kind that always would repeat most anything she heard\nSo when his voice grew husky and Brownie couldn't talk\nWhile he'd be taking cough-drops, he would have the parrot squawk:\n\nMy wife's gone to the country, hurrah, hurrah!\nShe thought it best, I need the rest, that's why she went away\nShe took the children with her, hurrah, hurrah!\nI knew my book, she left the cook, my wife's gone away<\/em><\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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..<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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><\/p>\n\n\n\n
A contemporary recording:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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