Folk Songs in
One Family
The E.L. Simons Folk Song Collection

Time: 1:11
Listen (.mp3@128 kbps)

Song Metadata

Lyrics
Oh, my name is Solomon Levi
I am a velly good man
I'll sell you a suit of klo-zes,
So sheep as ever I can.

My wife's name is Rachel,
She's nothing but a sham,
And every time she gets a chance
She slugs me if she can.

So help me jimminey moses
To sell you a suit of klo-zes;
I live way up on Market Street
Number One hundred Twenty-nine.

And it's kal-uh-ma, kal-uh-ma cinda,
I will meet you at the kavinda,
Kal-uh-ma cinda cinda cinda,
A-hosta, ka-zista, ka-zay!

Spoken: There was a loafer came in the store one day, and said, "Solomon, have you any nice cutaway suits?" I said, "Yes," and he tried on the coat. Just then he cut out of the back door, and I hollered to my song John, "John, get the gun and shoot him in the leg so you don't spoil the coat." Just then my wife Rachel appeared at the window singing, "Oh,

It's kal-uh-ma, kal-uh-ma cinda,
I will meet you at the kavinda,
Kal-uh-ma cinda cinda cinda
A-hosta, ka-zista, ka-zay!

Note from E.L. Simons (1952): As sung by Frank Simons of Howard, Kansas, during the summer of 1949 [note: the recorded version likely dates from 1951]. He learned this song from the Clayton brothers, Will and Jake, at Eminence about 1890.

With such dialogue and comedy lines this song must have been sung on the stage, and since the Clayton boys worked with a Medicine show it was probably sung there. This song is supposed to have been written by F. Seaver but I have not been able to find out when or whether his version resembles the above or not.