Lullaby My Dadio

[philreckless]

I was thinking of a couple of word changes;
From ‘tells me my laddio’ to ‘asks me my laddio’ – I think it fits in with the context;
and ‘screw his brains out all night long’ to ‘pick his brains out all night long’, because of the modern day implications of the word ‘screw’.
Comments welcome.

[Malcy]

Speaking as one manifestly guilty of either deliberately or accidentally tweaking Jake’s lyrics for clarity or effect, I have always cringed a bit at the Screwing lyric, if only from a modern slang viewpoint. I am convinced that if Jake were still here, were still playing and had this regularly in his live set (yes I know, a long shot) he would long ago have re-written this lyric : so if I ever had to play it I would definitely try and come up with some suitable alternative.

So all we have to do is to think of what he really means. I get the impression from the song that, when he’s older and the roles are reversed, the Laddio would hope to try to subject his Daddio to all the annoyances and such that he’s had foisted on him. I reckon that Jake intends a more intense mental battering than “picking” his brains though – I have in mind something more like the modern catch-all, “doing my head in”, or “driving me bonkers” or something. Someone else’s turn…

[KeithD]

“Asks” for “tells” – yes.

“Do his brain in all night long” is my suggestion. Almost sounds the same.

Shame we only have the one sample of this to transcribe. The improved words and the extra verse in the version of Bethlehem on the new CD was a revelation. In addition we know Jake improved his lyrics as time went by and I feel pretty sure he wouldn’t mind.

I noted that Paul Thompson’s guitar music at the Tramfest was lovely and fitted extremely well, but it wasn’t quite what Jake played. I don’t have a problem with that either.

[Malcy]

Now that is a comfort. I’ve been playing guitar in the

wasn’t quite what Jake played

style for ages. Phew !

[philreckless]

Thanks chaps. ‘Do his brains in’ will do for me – or ‘Do his head in’ perhaps, which is quite common, at least round ‘ere! :ohmy:

[Judith]

I like “do his head in…” too – it’s a phrase I have recourse to myself sometimes and fits in there very comfortably.

[SJosephine]

I’d certainly be pleased to see a change of lyric, at the moment it sounds like a bondage and child abuse nightmare!

I for one would be happy to see those changes, at the moment it sounds like a child abuse, bondage nightmare!

Crikey, I’m being haunted by a doppelganger!!!

[Author]

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