Donegan was born as Anthony James Donegan in Glasgow, Scotland, the son of a professional violinist. His ethnic mix was Scottish/Irish. He moved with his mother to London at an early age, after his parents divorced. Inspired by blues music and New Orleans jazz bands he heard on the radio, he resolved to learn the guitar, and bought his first at the age of fourteen.
The first band he ever played in was the trad jazz band led by Chris Barber, who approached him on a train asking him if he wanted to audition for his group. Barber had heard that Donegan was a good banjo player; in fact, Donegan had never played the banjo at this point, but he bought one and managed to bluff his way through the audition. His stint in this group was interrupted, however, when he was called up for National Service in 1949. He also played in Ken Colyer's group
In 1952, he formed his first own group, the Tony Donegan Jazzband, which found some work around London. On one occasion they opened for the blues musician Lonnie Johnson at the Royal Festival Hall. Donegan was a big fan of Johnson, and took his first name as a tribute to him. The story goes that the host at the concert got the musicians' names confused, calling them "Tony Johnson" and "Lonnie Donegan", and Donegan was happy to keep the name.
With a washboard, a tea-chest bass and a cheap Spanish guitar, Donegan entertained audiences with folk and blues songs by artists such as Leadbelly and Woody Guthrie. This proved so popular that in July 1954 he recorded a fast-tempoed version of Leadbelly's "Rock Island Line", featuring a washboard but not a tea-chest bass, with "John Henry" on the B-side. It was an enormous hit in 1956 (which also later inspired the creation of a full album, An Englishman Sings American Folk Songs, released in America on the Mercury label in the early 1960s) but ironically, because it was a band recording, Donegan made no money from this recording beyond his original session fee. (Nevertheless, Donegan received considerable music publishing royalties from "Rock Island" simply by claiming the British copyright on an unregistered song which was considered to be in the Public Domain. This led to the peculiar situation that any "cover" version of "Rock Island Line" which was released on record in Britain from 1956 showed the song composition credited to Lonnie Donegan.) It was the first debut record to go gold in the UK, and reached the Top Ten in the United States. His next single for Decca, "Diggin' My Potatoes", was recorded at a concert at the Royal Festival Hall on 30 October 1954.[4] Decca dropped Donegan thereafter, but within a month he was at the Abbey Road Studios in London recording for EMI's Columbia label. He had left the Barber band by then, and by the spring of 1955, Donegan signed a recording contract with Pye. His next single "Lost John" reached #2 in the UK Singles Chart.
His success at the time saw Donegan sent to the United States, where he appeared on television on both Perry Como Show and Paul Winchell Show. Returning to the UK, Donegan recorded his debut album, Lonnie Donegan Showcase, in the summer of 1956, which featured songs by Lead Belly and Leroy Carr, plus "I'm a Ramblin' Man" and "Wabash Cannonball". The LP was a hit, securing sales in the hundreds of thousands.[4] The popular skiffle style encouraged amateurs to get started, and one of the many skiffle groups that followed was The Quarrymen formed in March 1957 by John Lennon. Donegan's "Gamblin' Man" / "Puttin' On the Style" single was number one on the UK chart in July 1957, when Lennon first met Paul McCartney.
Donegan went on to make a series of popular records with successes including "Cumberland Gap" and, particularly "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavour (On The Bedpost Over Night)", his only hit song in the U.S., released on Dot. He turned to a music hall style with "My Old Man's a Dustman" which was not well received by skiffle fans, or in an attempted but ultimately unsuccessful American release by Atlantic in 1960, but it reached number one in the UK Singles Chart. Donegan's group had a flexible line-up, but was generally formed by Denny Wright or Les Bennetts (of Les Hobeaux and Chas McDevitt's skiffle groups) playing lead guitar and singing harmony vocals, Micky Ashman or Pete Huggett - later Steve Jones - on upright bass, Nick Nichols - later Pete Appleby and Mark Goodwin - on drums or percussion and Donegan playing acoustic guitar or banjo and singing the lead.
He continued to appear regularly in the UK charts until 1962, before succumbing to the arrival of The Beatles and beat music.
Add 1: In the early fifties after Donegan was demobbed from National Service he joined Chris Barber and Ken Colyer and others called Ken Colyer's Jazzmen which consisted of Ken Colyer (trumpet), Chris Barber (trombone), Monty Sunshine (clarinet), Lonnie Donegan (banjo), Jim Bray (bass) Dickie Bishop (Guitar) and Ron Bowden (drums). This group recorded two excellent blues numbers with Lonnie Donegan as vocal called "In the evening when de sun go down" and "The Midnight Special" After a year, Ken colyer stormed out of the group and Chris Barber took over.
http://www.p.griggsy.btinternet.co.uk/Untitled/Lonnie.html (Memories of Lonnie Donegan by Paul Griggs)
Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavour
Lonnie Donegan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whatever shall I do?
Hallelujah,
The question is peculiar
I'd give a lot of dough
If only I could know
The answer to my question
Is it yes or is it no?
Does your chewing gum lose its flavor
on the bedpost overnight?
If your mother says don't chew it,
Do you swallow it in spite?
Can you catch it on your tonsils,
Can you heave it left & right?
Does your chewing gum lose its flavor
on the bedpost overnight?
Here comes a blushing bride
The groom is by her side
Up to the altar,
Just as steady as Gibraltar
The groom has got the ring
And it's such a pretty thing
But as he slips it on her finger
The choir begins to sing:
Does your chewing gum lose its flavor
on the bedpost overnight?
If your mother says don't chew it,
Do you swallow it in spite?
Can you catch it on your tonsils,
Can you heave it left & right?
Does your chewing gum lose its flavor
on the bedpost overnight?
Now the nation rise as one
To send their wanted son
Up to the White House, yes,
The nation's only White House
To voice their discontent
Unto the Pres-I-dent
The bonny burning question,
What has swept this continent?
If tin whistles are made of tin,
What do they make fog horns out of?
Boom boom
Does your chewing gum lose its flavor
On the bedpost overnight?
If your mother says don't chew it,
Do you swallow it in spite?
Can you catch it on your tonsils,
Can you heave it left & right?
Does your chewing gum lose its flavor
On the bedpost overnight?
On the bedpost overnight
Hello there,
I love you and
The one who holds you tight!
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday, Friday, Sat'day night
On the bedpost overnight
A dollar is a dollar & a dime is a dime!
He'd sing another chorus
But he hasn't got the time
On the bedpost overnight, yeah!
Lonnie Donegan's Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour is a humorous novelty song that reflects on the folklore surrounding chewing gum. The song asks the listener a series of absurd questions, using hyperbole to convey the idea that chewing gum is a mysterious and elusive substance. The song's first verse begins with the singer posing a bizarre question which he places a great importance on: does your chewing gum lose its flavour on the bedpost over night? This conflates the idea of chewing gum with objects that one would never dream of leaving on their bedpost - thereby drawing attention to the ephemeral nature of chewing gum. The song then incorporates two other scenarios where chewing gum is used - a wedding and the White House - and poses more silly questions, all in the service of highlighting the absurdness around the folklore of chewing gum.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh me oh my oh you
The singer is addressing someone and expressing confusion or concern.
Whatever shall I do?
The singer is asking what actions they should take.
Hallelujah,
The singer is exclaiming praise or joy.
The question is peculiar
The artist acknowledges that the question they are about to ask is unusual or weird.
I'd give a lot of dough
The artist would be willing to pay a lot of money or make a big sacrifice.
If only I could know
The singer wishes they had the answer to their question.
The answer to my question
The singer is searching for a specific answer.
Is it yes or is it no?
The artist wants to know definitively whether the answer to their question is affirmative or negative.
Does your chewing gum lose its flavor
The artist is posing a series of questions or hypotheticals about chewing gum.
on the bedpost overnight?
The artist is asking whether certain actions involving chewing gum will cause it to lose flavor.
If your mother says don't chew it,
The singer is asking what someone would do if instructed not to chew gum.
Do you swallow it in spite?
The artist is asking if someone would go against their mother's command and swallow gum.
Can you catch it on your tonsils,
The singer is asking if someone could intentionally drop gum onto their tonsils.
Can you heave it left & right?
The singer is asking whether someone could skillfully manipulate their gum in their mouth.
Here comes a blushing bride
The singer is introducing a new scenario involving a wedding.
The groom is by her side
The artist is describing the people present in the scenario.
Up to the altar,
The artist is noting the characters' positions and movements.
Just as steady as Gibraltar
The singer is noting that the couple is not nervous or wobbling.
The groom has got the ring
The singer is identifying an important object in the scenario.
And it's such a pretty thing
The artist is complimenting the appearance of the ring.
But as he slips it on her finger
The artist is introducing a complication or twist in the scenario.
The choir begins to sing:
The artist is changing focus to an event happening concurrently with the wedding.
Now the nation rise as one
The singer is introducing another hypothetical scenario involving politics.
To send their wanted son
The artist is referring to an election in which the people elect the candidate they want to win.
Up to the White House, yes,
The singer is identifying a specific place that is associated with the presidency.
The nation's only White House
The singer is emphasizing the importance and uniqueness of the White House to the country.
To voice their discontent
The singer is revealing the purpose for the people's visit to the White House.
Unto the Pres-I-dent
The artist is identifying the person to whom the people will voice their dissatisfaction.
The bonny burning question,
The artist is introducing the important question or issue that people want addressed.
What has swept this continent?
The singer is posing the exact question the people want the President to answer.
If tin whistles are made of tin,
The singer is transitioning from the political scenario back to a hypothetical or joke.
What do they make fog horns out of?
The artist is asking a nonsensical question for humorous effect.
Boom boom
The artist is adding a sound effect to emphasize the humor of the previous lines.
Hello there,
The artist is transitioning again, to address someone directly.
I love you and
The singer is declaring their romantic feelings for someone.
The one who holds you tight!
The artist is endowing this someone with special meaning.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
The singer is rattling off several days of the week.
Thursday, Friday, Sat'day night
The singer is emphasizing that they think about this person all week long.
On the bedpost overnight
The singer is repeating a line from earlier in the song.
A dollar is a dollar & a dime is a dime!
The artist is making an off-topic statement that may be unrelated to the rest of the song.
He'd sing another chorus
The artist is making note of the fact that the song is coming to an end.
But he hasn't got the time
The singer is acknowledging that they are running out of time in the song.
On the bedpost overnight, yeah!
The singer is making a final reference to the gum losing its flavor, before the song concludes.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BILLY ROSE, ERNEST BREUER, MARTY BLOOM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Cmack6025
dochechkabronya yup!
Charlie Brown
Surfing bird
Monster mash
It’s bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini
Ally oop
The name game
A boy named sue
Hello mudder hello fadder
Yakety yak
Splish Splash
Rocking robin
Does your chewing gum
Purple people eater
They’re coming to take me away
You talk too much
Still trying to remember more
@staciec2088
My 73 year old dad just sent this to me! He used to sing it to my sisters and me when were little. So thankful to still have my Daddy!
@krosermajap7453
This is amazing: I was 12 yrs old when I started to learn English. At that time this song was around us and we all did sing this song and learned with it. I am from Germany and now 72 - hahaha. Greetings and thank you all
@bridgefin
I'm the same age and I got my first transistor radio and loved this song. Used to sing it all the time.
@michaelrauch2179
I'm also from Germany and discover this song today. I'm 40. It's just awesome.😀
@secondchancehomestead
My ex-mom-in-law was German. Her name was Lisalota Eva Leitscheu. I loved her immensely. I remember this one on the radio when I was only 4 or 5 years old. My mother loved music and we had the radio on all day long. I learned to sing early on and over the years I remember this song. So tonight, I don’t know what possessed me to do it, but I wanted to se if this was available here and to my surprise here it is.
@karenfalch2929
Same here. From Norway. Learned English from singing along to popular songs. Had A 45 record that had Hang Down your Head Tom Dooley on the flip side.
@DenpaKei
Its scary how fast time flies
@paulaburnett5587
I can remember hearing this in 1961 and I laughed so hard..I tried to learn all of the lyrics but couldn't get them out as fast as the singer..I still think it is funny and enjoy the silliness of it. I was 13 when it came out and I still get a kick out of it at 73...
@steven-nb6rt
I am 75 and I also loved the song Chug a Lug Chug a Lug.
@cynapse993
Amazing how time flies! I can imagine being all nostalgic to things I love right now in a few decades lol