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Tuesday, November 22

Did you ever see a Turkey

Momma says her family has been singing this song for as long as she can remember. Her grandfather taught it to her, and before that he taught it to her father.

(sung to the tune of Did you ever see a Lassie)

Oh here we come marching,
Our fine feathers arching.
Oh, gobble, gobble, gobble,
Fine turkeys are we.

We are for Thanksgiving,
As sure as you're living.
Oh, gobble, gobble, gobble,
Fine turkeys are we.
Author Unknown
A search on Google brings up some similar songs but not an identical song. Apparently it changed a bit as it was orally taught to each generation.

However, a similar version was found in a 1902 manual for teachers: Outlines and Suggestions for Primary Teachers
Oh, see us come marching,
Our fine feathers arching.
We're kings of the barnyard
Plump turkeys are we.

We strut all so proudly.
We gobble so loudly
Oh, 'Gobble! Gobble! Gobble!'
Plump turkeys are we.
Another similar version is in the April 1904 School Work, Volume 3 by Leon W. Goldrich and Olivia Mary Jones:
Oh, see us come a-marching,
Our fine feathers arching,
We're kings of the barn-yard—
Plump turkeys are we;
We strut all so proudly,
We gobble so loudly—
Oh, "gobble! gobble! gobble!"
Plump turkeys are we.
 
Oh, would you think—scarcely—
That dressed up in parsley,
We kings of the barn-yard
Soon roasted will be?
Oh "gobble! gobble! gobble!"
Plump turkeys are we.

Do you have any family Thanksgiving traditions?

5 comments:

  1. My mother, a former teacher, still sings this every year. Her version has the second verse, "As sure as you're living/We'll be for Thanksgiving/So gobble gobble gobble/Fine turkeys are we"

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    Replies
    1. I am so glad to hear that! Is she from Ohio, by any chance?

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  2. No, Kansas. I checked w/her and she learned it from her mother, so it has survived four generations in our family.

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    Replies
    1. Well done! Our fourth generation is learning it now.

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  3. My mom and I were just looking for this. My great grandmother used to sing this song every year. We were trying to find out where it came from, and are so glad that you posted this. Our fifth generation is learning it now :) This is amazing!

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