The Gungawamp Brass Band

                                      I.

I’ve heard a lot of country bands from Maine to Maryland,

An’ some were counted pretty good by chaps who understand

The ins an’ outs of time an’ tune, expression an’ the like,

But I ain’t heard a single one nowhere could ever strike

A chord of feelin’ in my heart, or make my pulses thrill

Like that ol’ Gungy band of our’n that met, an’ meets there still;

Upstairs at Mack’s ol’ wagon stop, on Monday nights. I stand

Forever an’ a day, by George, for Gungawamp’s brass band.

     ‘Cuz Uncle Hamp he plays the drum,

         An’ Ezra Bates the double B..,

     Bill Dodge he taps the snare “tum-tum”,

         An’ he can bang it, yes sir-ee!

     An’ talk about a baritone?

         Why Gordon Simms can git that high

     An’ fine an’ clear sounds pretty near

         Like music comin’ from the sky.

                                  II.

For years and years, on Monday nights, the band has gathered there

Upstairs in Mack’s ol’ wagon shop to have its weekly blare;

They all set round there in a ring frum piccolo to drum,

An’ when they all git under way they jest make matters hum.

Ted Harding he’s the leadin’ man, an’ blows a B Cornet

An’ he kin blow the stuffin’ out of that brass thing you bet;

Je jest stan’s in the middle there an’ waves it up an’ down,

An’ you kin hear his topmost notes most anywhere in town.

Ben Carter he jest works the slide

     Trombone, an’ does it mighty good;

The other tenors they have tried

     To distance Ben, but never could.

The bass it gives a mighty “pom”,

     The altos answer “ta ta ta”;

An’ when the cymbals an’ the drum

     Strike home it makes the buildin’ jar.

                                  III.

I wouldn’t miss a meetin’ night of that ol’ band no more

Than I would miss the other nights in Stokes’ grocery store;

A dozen of us gather there an’ smoke an’ set around

On barrel heads an’ boxes there an’ listen to the sound

Of “Yankee Doodle”, “Dixie’s Land”. “Red, White an’ Blue” an’ all

The times they’ve got, an’ I tell you, they’re repitaw ain’t small;

I couldn’t whistle “Home Sweet Home”, but I jest think it’s grand

To sit there ev’ry Monday night an’ listen to the band.

Cal. Fuller plays the clarinet,

     Doc. Rowley blows the piccolo;

An’ they just run them scales you bet

     Like water down a mountain flow.

Herm Stokes he blows the alto horn

     An’ ol’ Bill Deane he plays the same;

There seems to be a rivalry

     Between them two for noise an’ fame.

                                  IV.

I’ve been to Boston an’ New York an’ heard them big bands play;

It seems to me an awful mix of early grass an’ hay.

A little here, a little there, an’ then an awful swat,

An’ when they’ve finished up a piece what has a feller got?

No sir; give me the Gungy band thet’s got some depth an’ noise,

Tobarker smoke, an’ “howdy-do” from ev’ry one the boys;

They start right in an’ whoop it up, things we can understand –

They ain’t no show nor fillergree in Gungawamp’s brass band.

I like to hear Fred Grunzey play

     Them “pom-pom” notes upon his bass;

Ted Harding he jest toots away

     An’ makes the fellers keep his pace.

The tenors don’t have much to do

     ‘Cept answer of the bass’s lead;

An’ uncle Ham he gets there too

     An’ keeps the hull thing up to speed.

                                  V.

Once ev’ry year they come outside an’ have a grand parade,

An’ I tell you the boys look fine in all their gilt an’ braid;

The “Fourth” they allus git in line an’ march around an’ play,

An’ Gungawamp just shows itself on that eventful day.

I allus like to lug the drum ahead of uncle Hamp,

An’ if they marched a hundred mile I wouldn’t mind the tramp.

Ain’t nothin’ I would ruther do than allus take a hand,

An’ help in ev’ry way I can ol’ Gungawamp’s brass band.

I’d ruther hear that ol’ band play

     Than any music off in town;

Mebbie ‘tain’t classic ev’ry way,

     But it jest keeps my hunger down.

An’ so on Monday nights if you

     Would like to know just where I stop,

You’ll allus find me just behind

     The band in Mack’s ol’ wagon shop.

Dec.  13, ‘09