Knife & Fork, Like My Peaches & Shake My Tree (1944) and more

[Wilson Gray]

On Feb 16, 2005, at 5:17 AM, neil wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       neil <neil at TYPOG.CO.UK>
> Subject:      Re: Knife & Fork, Like My Peaches & Shake My Tree (1944)
> and more
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>
> on 15/2/05 8:02 pm, Mullins, Bill at Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL wrote:
>
>
>>> At 1:24 AM -0500 2/15/05, Bapopik at AOL.COM wrote:
>>>> Pg. 799:
>>>> If you don't like my apples,
>>>> Then don't shake my tree;
>>>> I'm not your boy friend,
>>>> He's after me.
>>>>
>>>
>>> The first couplet above (but not the second one*) has been a
>>> staple in blues (and folk, and occasionally rock) songs for
>>> ages--well before '44, I'd wager.
>>
>> I can find it back to "PIPELINER BLUES No. 2" (written by: Moon
>> Mullican, 1941).
>>
>> See also "Squeeze my lemon til the juice run down my leg"
>> from Travellin Riverside Blues by Robert Johnson, 1937.
>
> Different lemons (and sense) can be found in:
>
> Please let me squeeze your lemons
> While I'm in your lonesome town.
> Now let me squeeze your lemons, baby,
> Until my love come down.

"Until my _love come down_"

This phrase should also be of historical interest. There was once a
song - 1940's? 1950's - with the line and/or the title, "Down came my
heavy love." "Bring/brought my love down," "my love came down," etc.
are other popular versions. I'd start looking for it myself, but today
is a *very* busy day for me. If this is already in HDAS or wherever, I
apologize.

-Wilson Gray

> - Charlie Pickett, 'Let me squeeze your lemons', NYC, 3 August 1937
>