Was Brian's FIREmusic ever wired for words? (It really is a mystery)

[rasmus skotte]

In Brian Chidester's FIRE-essay (for Endless Summer Quarterly # 69) he reprinted
the lyrics to the first song in history  called 'Mrs. O'Leary's Cow' - but without
noticing that those 2 verses actually fit over the vocal parts of Mrs. O'Leary's Cow
(2004) like a glove:

Late one night when
we were all in
bed Mrs. O'
Leary lit a
lantern in the shed

Her cow kicked it
over, (&) then
winked her eye and
said "there'll be a
hot time in ((the)) old
town tonight!"

There you have it to see (or hear  it practiced in the new FIREvideo) for yourself.
Here are my questions:
When BW composed the melody line of 'Fall Breaks & Back To Winter'- was this to
accommodate those 'original lyrics'?
Did he ever have plans in 1966/7 or 2003/4 to include any set of lyrics, newly written
or old ones?
Wouldn't you expect that most Americans who are familiar with the urban legend of
Mrs. O'Leary's Cow also know the most famous song written about it?
Finally: is it possible that this is just  synchronicity or a coinsident?

[Roger Ryan]

That would have been an interesting inclusion. Certainly Brian and Van Dyke were utilizing various American standards in "SMiLE", but all the examples featured the original melody lines backing the lyric excerpts. It would have been a deviation for the "Hot Time In The Old Town" lyrics to be accompanied by newly written music, so I doubt that was the thinking at the time. Brian's music really says it all anyway.

[The Shift]

From a website what I just found (note the alternate endings to rounds, suggested at the very end of the alternate version). Water Water Water indeed! This idea grows on me.

Original version; written by: Unknown, copyright unknown

Late one night
When we were all in bed
Old Mother Leary
Left a lantern in the shed

And when the cow kicked it over,
She winked her eye and said,
"There’ll be a hot time
In the old town, tonight."

Spoken:
"FIRE, FIRE, FIRE!"

Expanded version, most familiar in Chicago:

5 nights ago,
when we were all in bed
Old Mrs. Leary left the lantern in the shed
and when the cow kicked it over,
she winked her eye and said
it'll be a hot time, in the old town, tonight!
FIRE FIRE FIRE!

4 nights ago,
when we were all in bed
Old Mrs. Leary left the lantern in the shed
and when the cow kicked it over,
she winked her eye and said
it'll be a hot time, in the old town, tonight!
FIRE FIRE FIRE!

3 nights ago,
when we were all in bed
Old Mrs. Leary left the lantern in the shed
and when the cow kicked it over,
she winked her eye and said
it'll be a hot time, in the old town, tonight!
FIRE FIRE FIRE!

2 nights ago,
when we were all in bed
Old Mrs. Leary left the lantern in the shed
and when the cow kicked it over,
she winked her eye and said
it'll be a hot time, in the old town, tonight!
FIRE FIRE FIRE

1 night ago,
when we were all in bed
Old Mrs. Leary left the lantern in the shed
and when the cow kicked it over,
she winked her eye and said
it'll be a hot time, in the old town, tonight!

FIRE FIRE FIRE!

Note -- other "rounds" can be concluded with:

*   Water, Water, Water!
*   Jump, Lady, Jump!
*   Save my Child, Save my Child!