ABC Song (II), The

DESCRIPTION: "Uncle John he had an educated wife; she studied very hard all the days of her life." Proud of her learning, she tells others about it and tries to teach her husband. When there is a "spelling match" in town, he, not she, successfully spells "Ebenezer"
AUTHOR: Alfred W. Sweet (source: sheet music)
EARLIEST DATE: 1880 (sheet music published by White/Smith Music Publishing)
KEYWORDS: wordplay husband wife
FOUND IN: US(Ap)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Burton/Manning-EastTennesseeStateCollectionVol1, pp. 24-25, "The ABC Song" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #7122
BROADSIDES:
Library of Congress, M 3500 M2.3.U6A44, "Old Uncle John and his educated wife" (Sheet music: White, Smith & Co., 1880)
Levy 138.040, "Old Uncle John and His Educated Wife," Providence Music Publishing Co., Providence, R.I., 1880
NOTES [118 words]: Thanks to Jim Dixon for finding the sheet music to "Old Uncle John and His Educated Wife."
The gimmick of this rare song is rather a curiosity: The husband spells "Ebenezer," but "Ebenezer" is not a word, it is a name -- found in the Bible in 1 Samuel 7:12, where Samuel, after holding off the Philistines, sets up a stone and calls it "Ebenezer," meaning "Stone of Help." There were also battles at Ebenezer in 1 Samuel 4:1, 5:1 (it's not absolutely clear if those are the same place). Thus, one could argue, the correct spelling of Ebenezer is in fact Hebrew
אבן העזר
(aleph bet nun . he ayin zayin resh -- two words). In any case, not a proper word for a spelling bee. I wonder if it isn't a corruption. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.4
File: BuMa1024

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