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Tell me A Story Mama
Mairzy doats and dozy doats and liddle lamzy divey
A kiddley divey too, wouldn't you?
Would you tell me a story Mama?
Would you, Mama, please?
I would sit really still,
Maybe kneel on both my knees.
Tell me about Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego.
Please tell me that story,
And off to bed we’ll go.
Sing, “Mares eat oats,
And Does eat oats,
And little lambs eat ivy.”
But what about the goats?
Tell me about the little old lady,
That lived in that shoe,
Tell me a story Mama,
Please, any one will do.
I miss you so much Mama.
Please bounce me on your knee.
Tell me we’re okay.
Tell me Jesus loves me.
What’s a knickknack?
What’s a paddywack?
I really need Pop,
To ride me on his back.
Please Mama,
If you’ll come back,
I’ll sit really still,
I’ll never make a crack.
The world you knew,
It’s not the same.
There’s no one in charge,
No one to blame.
I need you to tell me,
Of Daniel and his lion’s Den.
Tell me that death,
Is the wages of sin.
Tell me about that Samaritan,
Who was just passing through,
He saw a man in a ditch,
And knew what he had to do.
Let’s gather around Mama.
She’ll teach Sunday School.
She’ll tell us about Jesus,
And His Golden Rule.
Please tell me a story.
About the lady Ruth,
Tell me of God and glory.
Tell me a story of truth.
Tell me that God loves,
Every boy and girl.
Tell me God loves all,
The children of the world.
I’ve always believed,
Those words were true.
But Mama, they always sound truer,
Coming from you.
Mairzy doats and dozy doats and liddle lamzy divey
A kiddley divey too, wouldn't you?
Mairzy Doats is a novelty song composed in 1943 by Milton Drake, Al Hoffman and Jerry Livingston. Al Trace and his Silly Symphonists played the song first on radio station WOR in New York. The song made the pop charts several times, with a version by the Merry Macs reaching No. 1 in March 1944. Mairzy Doats was also a hit with American servicemen overseas, who allegedly used its nonsensical lyrics as passwords.
At first glance the song's refrain, as written on the sheet music, seems to be meaningless:
Mairzy doats and dozy doats and liddle lamzy divey
A kiddley divey too, wouldn't you?
The lyrics of the bridge provide a clue:
If the words sound queer and funny to your ear, a little bit jumbled and jivey,
Sing "Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy."
Knowing the first verse makes understanding the second easier. "A kid’ll eat ivy too, wouldn't you?"
Milton Drake's four-year-old daughter had come home singing another rhyme, "Cowzy tweet and sowzy tweet and liddle sharksy doisters.” (Cows eat wheat and sows eat wheat and little sharks eat oysters.) Mairzy Doats followed.
More poems by Micky Dee:
Comments
- Author
You know that's right MartieCoetser! Her words will remain. I sure miss my Mom. Thank you Ma'am!
At last I took the time to read you! I loved this poem. Nobody can influence us more than our mothers. Their words will always be in our minds.
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Thank you Mythbuster! Your hubs are just so spot on! Thank you Sir!
Mickey Dee, I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of this hub. Well done. A wonderful selection of pictures to accompany the text offered wonderful images to associate with the words. Bookmarked, voted up, etc. Thanks for sharing.
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2uesday I can see you doing just that! God bless you Dear!
This - made me misty eyed for the days when I had an arm around each child as I read them a story (trust me to be different). Lovely to read and the pictures are beautiful and so well suited to this. Thanks for sharing this.
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You're a beautiful soul Maita. God bless Maita.
Hi Mick, Now I miss my mother. This is lovely, a mother always tell the nicest story. Thanks for the share anout Mairzy Doats which was composed by Milton Drake,
Beautiful piece, Maita
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Hey Mekenzie!Generally- Mamas are Mamas! I knew you'd like this one. I bet you've told your kids all these stories. They'll want you to repeat them some day. God bless you Girl!
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Rossimobis, you make me so proud! I'd better get over to Rossiworld and see what's happening! God bless Rossi!
Micky Dee, what a heartwarming and beautiful tribute to your mama. She took her time to read to you of rhymes and stories and truths .. what an honor sweet Micky Dee!
I enjoyed your writing .. your pictures were perfect .. very GOOD! It made me smile and even tear as I caught a glimpse of her devotion to YOU!
Hugs!
Mekenzie
Mother's love flows in every way and i felt it right here anyway but then sir, this is awesome and one of the greatest i have ever read.Mom once told us about the chimp!
Cheers Dad.
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God bless you brother Tony! You know how I feel about the truth and your hubs. God bless you Tony!
Micky my brother, you have written a great one here, for sure! I guess for most of us men our mother's love is always the one we use as the "gold standard" and we never forget them.
I'm just writing a Hub right now about another poet's love for his mother.
Thanks for this wonderful tribute to moether's love.
Love and peace
Tony
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Hey Joy. Mums are the best. Children need their mums. And we're all children.
Hey Katie. You're one of those mums we have to have!
How wonderful, my two kids love to hear me talk, sometimes I feel like a broken, they love to here stories about them all the time. Micky you such a sweet soul. Peace :)
mum's are the best., I have lost my mum also and no one can ever take her place.... I loved this hub. The photos you chose were magical, thanks so much
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Thank you Polly! I do love these memories. It warms the soul. God bless you Polly!
A kid will eat Ivy too, wouldn't you? Would you believe I listen to that song often? And others of that same time being one Mom sang often and I do love it, don't you? I have it on CD,with others, 40's isn't it? So many that just take you away and back in time. But that one I could listen to over and over, every child should sing it. Or adult. Lovely writing, your best yet for me. Thank you.
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Oh Katie! You mean I'm not soft and cuddly through out? Thank you Dear. I know I'm gruff. Somebody has to be me. I love you Mamas though. God bless you.
All that fresh air and excersise must have your creativity cranking. What a beautiful peace. I adore it, your have such a wonderful soft side... Peace :)
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You are the great one Freya. You are beauty and you are "that love"!
I love all those pics about mother and her child, and the poem very touching. You are great, Micky Dee!
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LeslieAdrienne- you are so welcome and thanks for reading!
kimberlyslyrics- God bless you too Girl! God bless!
carolina muscle- thank you Sir. God bless!
Man... this is a cool hub!!!!
Beautiful, my friend. I am sorry but am unable to say more.
God Bless Micky
Thanks
Mickey Dee this is wonderful...it brought many a warm feeling to my heart. Thanks for writing it....
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I wish Mama could read some stories right here on the hubs. I know there are many she'd love.
My mom has been dead for a long time. I always wish I could share things with her once more. Nothing like a mother's love. Beautiful.
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Yo Brother 50 Caliber. I'm sorry that you haven't had a fair mother to love you unconditionally as she should. There is a lot of what could be interpreted as insanity here. A lot of people still think their vote counts. Imagine! My father, obvious to me, loved my brother more. Maybe I mature very late. Some things happened back then. I don't know what happened but some "thing" happened that were negative but I have amnesia for the first several years. We were all in an auto accident, terrible, in 1953. Something was different about me as a child and Vietnam has made that "something" more evident. So as life after Nam. And that's why there is a Micky Dee. God bless you 50 Caliber Brother. I love you Man!!! I love you Man!!!
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Hey Brynda. Thank you. I love this a lot. Mama used to sing Mairzy Doats often but not often enough. I miss my Mama.
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My Brother/Son Prasetio!!! I know you loved your mother. But it is so easy for Prasetio to love! God bless you Prasetio!
Mic., my mama hates me, she always has, and she is still alive. It's a terrible way to grow up and I suppose to die.
My Grand Mother stepped in and filled her shoes and would have kept me, save for my Father wanting me home, as he loved me much as I loved him and miss him and Granny and Grand Pa. One of the last conversations I had with my Dad was why did she hate me so. He acknowledged it was true, but he could never understand why. She catered to my little brothers step kids like they were her own, he never had any he contributed to, but his step kids he raised as his own and rightly so, and he did a good job. She catered to my little sisters kids as well. To my daughter and six kids nary even a birthday card. My Dad didn't understand that phenomena either. I must have kicked to hard in the womb? Granny embroidered me a cloth in a picture frame, that hangs on my wall of fame it reads "Should All the World Upon Me Frown, Your Grand Mother Loves You Still". I grew up well despite it though, my Granny made it so, even in her late years my momma has verbally made it clear for me not to come around. My daughter remains upset despite my encouragement for her to forgive. I no longer send the old woman cards of any kind as they get marked return to sender and come back unopened. Guess there is one in every crowd and I'm sure that God will explain it to me when I get to heaven, 50
PS bumped your buttons up, you've done a fine job, I just mentally changed the words to Grand Ma Ma!
Wonderful! Remember to repost this at Mother's Day! Love it and appreciate my mother even more..although she never was a story teller(geneology stories!) until these later years!
Very..very...very beautiful, my brother. Until I don't have any word to express my feeling after read this poem. The pictures also presenting how mama always share her love. Thanks for spread the love for us. Mama is the best for me and always has special places in my heart. I can't born without mama. Very inspiring hub, Micky.
Happy Birthday to you! Sorry for being late. I heard bout your birthday from Sa'ge Hub. I hope you always healthy, so I can meet you all the time. My love, my pray always for you.
Blessing.....Prasetio
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Thank you Dim! I do miss my Mum! I'll be checking your hubs out later! God bless my Dear!
That was so beautiful, heartfelt......And the pictures???? WOW absolutely gorgeous. Great one this, Micky.
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KKalmes, our moms should never die. It's too painful.
Nell Rose, please tell me a story.
poetvix, you know what I'm saying too.
lorlie, you know. You love your Mom. You are that Mom.
Akirchner, you women make such wonderful mothers!
God bless!
Absolutely fabulous tribute to mamas - the pictures just make you speechless. Beautifully done!
I know just how you feel, Micky-I sure miss my mama, too. It's so hard to grow out of such wonderful times, and equally difficult to let them go!
I don't think I'll ever let the longings go.
Great hub-beautiful images, thanks.
This is just wonderful Micky. The poem is so touching and full of love. The pictures paint an image of mother's around the globe all united in a common goal. You have outdone yourself with this one.
Hi, Micky, I love this, and I do miss my mum as well, and I love your selection of photos, we will tell you a story Micky, just for you! nell
Hello my simpatico friend, I miss my mom, too... so much in fact, that I have not even tried to express it even to myself for fear I would not survive the reality of her passing on October 13, 1992.
You are so right, Micky.
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You know it's all true Hummingbird. I wish my mother was still alive. We don't really miss the water till the well is gone.
That's true about mothers. I often wish mine were still alive. A very nice hub, Micky.
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God bless you Coolmon! I do love you and your work. I'm coming over to check on you!
Beautiful words and selection of images. You are a gifted writer.
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Hey Sa'ge. You just can't beat a mother's love. Unconditional. Without any reservation. You have that love. You have that grandmother-love too. God bless Sa'ge.
my brain dose not compute
the rhyme has me confused
the words i get, all but eat
it is lost within that rhyme
I just can not find.
I might get it.
maybe given more time!
very sweet piece, you do mama proud!
the love you have shows true!
those pictures shine with love and
a glory of motherhood.
MD, you done a fine job here!
You some kind of gift, and you say you not a poet!
Doh! you lie boy, you lie!
~ Aloha Nui ~
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Hey there Always Exploring! Thank you Ma'am. You are so kind. This was an easy write because Mama was in it. Thank you Dear!
Micky, this is soo beautiful and the pictures are so loving. I didn,t know you had this, but i ans. a friend on facebook and saw this. Micky u are so gifted. I wish you believed it. You could publish this, send it to someone, i know they will love it.
Love and Peace
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Hey Darski! I just love and miss my mother. I wish she would tell me a story Darski. Thank you Dear! I love you too.
oh Micky this is so fantastic, whatever made you think of such a great hub? This is so cute and cleaver you are a great writer and a fantastic friend...I rate you up up and away...love you, darski
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