Although
Most historians agree that Mrs O'Leary's cow did NOT cause the Great
Chicago Fire, this song remain one of my favorite songs about Illinois. It makes
a good Cub Scout Song to introduce fire prevention in October.
Theresa Danks, Nassau County, NY, Council Trainer writes:
Like most folk songs, there are
apparently several "regional variations". What I find interesting is not
so much the small changes in the main verse as the variety of add-on verses
and "novelty" ways of singing--getting quieter or splitting into rounds,
etc.
We would repeat the verse getting
quieter and quieter, except for the "Fire, fire,
fire."
Several years later, I was working
at a Suffolk Council camp, and a councelor--non-Girl Scout--taught us a
new version. With hers, it was important to get the words just right, as
you'll see:
As you can see, you have to get
the words in the first verse right to make the joke in the second verse
work. Of course, by concentrating on the "backwards" verse so much, I have
a tendency to forget how the "frontwards" version goes.
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Sing three
times, a little faster and a little louder each time
Late last night when we were all
in bed
Mrs. O'Leary left a lantern in
the shed
And when the cow kicked it over
The townspeople said
"They'll be a hot time in the
old town tonight"
(Shout) Fire, fire, fire
Version 2:
Late one night, when we were all
in bed
Old Lady Leary lit 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."
(Shout)
Fire! Fire! Fire!
Version 3:
One night late, when bed we all
were in
Old Leary Lady lit a shed the
lantern in
And when the kick cowed it over,
She eyed her wink and said,
"There'll be a time hot in the
old town tonight."
(Shout)
I-fer! I-fer! I-fer!
That's "Fire" said sideways, sort
of.
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