[Ads-l] Profiting without honor

[Ben Zimmer]

To add insult to injury, after "The Joker" lifts the "peaches" line from
"Lovey Dovey," it goes on, "Lovey dovey, lovey dovey, lovey dovey all the
time..."

On the peach-tree-shaking theme, Larry noted back in '05 that Charlie
Poole's "If the River Was Whiskey" (1930) has the line, "If you don't like
my peaches, don't shake my tree."

http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2005-February/046155.html

A check of Michael Taft's Pre-War Blues Lyrics Concordance finds similar
lines in these earlier songs:

Frank Stokes, "Mr. Crump Don't Like It" (1927)
William Harris, "Hot Time Blues" (1928)
Joe Linthecome, "Pretty Mama Blues" (1929)

Also from 1929 is Blind Lemon Jefferson's "Peach Orchard Mama":

"Peach orchard mama, you swore nobody'd pick your fruit but me
I found three kid-men, shaking down your peaches tree."

http://www.dylan61.se/michael%20taft,%20blues%20anthology.
txt.WebConcordance/framconc.htm

On Sat, Jan 28, 2017 at 9:33 PM, Wilson Gray <hwgray at gmail.com> wrote:

> Broadcasting - Page 39
> https://books.google.com/books?id=leRDAQAAIAAJ
> 1974 - ‎Snippet view
> Abounding with the "hooks" that top-40 program directors like ("Really love
> your peaches, want to shake your tree"), the single [The Joker, by the
> Steve Miller Band] made steady gains after its appearance on the "Playlist"
> in November 1973.
>
> The Clovers - Wikipedia
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Clovers
> The Clovers are an American rhythm and blues/doo-wop vocal group that
> became one of the biggest-selling [black] acts of the 1950's.
>
> Lovey Dovey - Wikipedia
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lovey_Dovey
> Single by The Clovers · A-side, "Little Mama". Released, 1954 · Genre ·
> R&B. Length, 2:54. Label · Atlantic Records 45-1022. Writer(s) · Memphis
> Edward Curtis, Ahmet Ertegün. "Lovey Dovey" is a popular American rhythm
> and blues song originating in the 1950's and written by Eddie Curtis and
> Ahmet Ertegün, with the latter usually credited using his songwriter's
> pseudonym, "Nugetre" - Ertegun spelled backwards.
>
> [Doo-wop intro followed by the lyrics]
> Well, you're the cutest thing
> That I did ever see
> I really love your peaches
> Going to shake your tree
> Lovey Dovey
> Lovey Dovey all the time
> Lovey Dovey
> I can't get you off of my mind
>
>

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org