“Some Little Bug”

Description

Singer describes perils of eating various foods, which can lead to ptomaine and death. This is why, before meals, some people pray. Ch.: "Some little bug is gonna get you someday..." "Eat that luscious ripe pineapple/And the sextons dust the chapel."

Notes

This has attained enough popularity in the bluegrass and folk-revival communities to warrant inclusion. The Bradley Kincaid recording, which is the one that has spread, uses a very different tune from the one found in the sheet music; possibly Kincaid wrote it. - PJS

Recordings

  • Roy Atwell, "Some Little Bug Is Going to Find You" (Columbia A-1926, 1916; rec. 1915)
  • Bradley Kincaid, "Some Little Bug Is Goin' To Get You Someday" (Bluebird B-5179/Montgomery Ward M-4379, 1933)
  • Billy Murray, "Some Little Bug Is Going to Find You" (Victor 17826, 1916; rec. 1915)
  • Unidentified baritone solo [Dan Quinn], "Some Little Bug Is Going to Find You" (Emerson 764, 1916)
  • Walter Van Brunt, "Some Little Bug Is Going to Find You" (CYL: Edison [BA] 2823, n.d.)

References

  1. DT, SOMEBUG
  2. BI, RcSLB

About

Author: Benjamin Hapgood Burt & Roy Atwell (lyrics); Silvio Hein (tune in sheet music; tune of folk version by unknown author)
Earliest date: 1915 (sheet music)