Son of a Seven, The

DESCRIPTION: "The son of a seven's a miser." The singer is a doctor. He gives "Mr Bobie the Censer" "a powder for sleeping ... he never waked again." The doctor pays his respects and is asked for his bill. He gives it reluctantly and doesn't cash it [but see note].
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1914 (Greig/Duncan3)
KEYWORDS: death money medicine doctor
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland(Aber))
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Greig/Duncan3 696, "The Son of a Seven" (1 text)
Roud #5885
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Kill or Cure" (theme)
NOTES [123 words]: This is a recitation and song. The song has a nonsense chorus which is taken to stand in for something that the singer values even more than money. Everything in his doctor shop has a price but "I never heed that when once I get hold of the [chorus:] Fal dree lal dreel tweedledum...." When he gives the family his bill for an extravagant list of medicine "about as long's my staff," instead of just sleeping powder, "I never heeded the bill when once I got hold of the [Chorus:] ...." Is this obscenity in disguise (as in "The Chandler's Wife" and "Jack the Jolly Tar" [Laws K40] and, possibly, "Jock Hamilton")? Greig's source, Bell Robertson, says it "was popular when her father was young, who used to say it was a nursery rhyme." - BS
Last updated in version 2.4
File: GrD3696

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