It entered the British singles chart 60 years ago today: Lonnie Donegan's best-known hit

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour (On the Bedpost Overnight?)

Single by Lonnie Donegan & His Skiffle Group
B-side: "Aunt Rhody"
Released: late-January 1959 (United Kingdom); 21 July 1961 (United States)
Format: 7" (45RPM and 78RPM)
Recorded: New Theatre Oxford, 13 December 1958
Genre: Skiffle, novelty song
Length: 2:29
Label: Pye Nixa (UK), Dot (US)
Songwriter(s): Marty Bloom/Ernest Breuer/Billy Rose, Lonnie Donegan & His Skiffle Group

"Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour (On the Bedpost Overnight?)" is a novelty song by Lonnie Donegan. Released as a single in 1959, it entered the UK Singles Chart on 6 February 1959 and peaked at number 3. It was also Donegan's greatest chart success in the United States, reaching number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1961.

The song is a cover version of "Does the Spearmint Lose Its Flavor on the Bedpost Overnight?" written by Billy Rose, Ernest Breuer, and Marty Bloom and first released in 1924 by The Happiness Boys (Ernie Hare and Billy Jones), and later a hit for Lulu Belle and Scotty and The Two Gilberts. The song is humorous in content, the verses each describing a dramatic or urgent scenario leading up to the asking of the titular question.

The title and lyrics of the Donegan version were changed in the UK because "Spearmint" is a registered trademark there, and the BBC would not play songs that mentioned trademarks. Donegan's version of the song was recorded live at the New Theatre Oxford in December 1958 and was released both as a single as a track on the album King of Skiffle. An extended version with more banter was released on the live album The Last Tour.

Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavor (On The Bedpost Over Night) (Re-Recording)
Lonnie Donegan

Oh me oh my oh you
Whatever shall I do?
Hallelujah,
The question is peculiar
I'd give a lot of dough
If only I could know
The answer to my question
Is it yes or is it no?

Does your chewing gum lose its flavor
on the bedpost overnight?
If your mother says don't chew it,
Do you swallow it in spite?
Can you catch it on your tonsils,
Can you heave it left & right?
Does your chewing gum lose its flavor
on the bedpost overnight?

Here comes a blushing bride
The groom is by her side
Up to the altar,
Just as steady as Gibraltar
The groom has got the ring
And it's such a pretty thing
But as he slips it on her finger
The choir begins to sing:

Does your chewing gum lose its flavor
on the bedpost overnight?
If your mother says don't chew it,
Do you swallow it in spite?
Can you catch it on your tonsils,
Can you heave it left & right?
Does your chewing gum lose its flavor
on the bedpost overnight?

Now the nation rise as one
To send their wanted son
Up to the White House, yes,
The nation's only White House
To voice their discontent
Unto the Pres-I-dent
The bonny burning question,
What has swept this continent?
If tin whistles are made of tin,
What do they make fog horns out of?
Boom boom

Does your chewing gum lose its flavor
On the bedpost overnight?
If your mother says don't chew it,
Do you swallow it in spite?
Can you catch it on your tonsils,
Can you heave it left & right?
Does your chewing gum lose its flavor
On the bedpost overnight?

On the bedpost overnight
Hello there,
I love you and
The one who holds you tight!
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday, Friday, Sat'day night
On the bedpost overnight
A dollar is a dollar & a dime is a dime!
He'd sing another chorus
But he hasn't got the time
On the bedpost overnight, yeah!

Songwriters: Billy Rose / Ernest Breuer / Marty Bloom
Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavor (On The Bedpost Over Night) (Re-Recording) lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Take it away, Lonnie Donegan:

fromthebalcony1
Published on Jun 27, 2011

The Muppet Show's jug band in a hilarious oldie goldie, "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavor On the Bedpost Overnight?"

Wait, that's not right. Let's try again. This sounds a lot like the original, other than being in stereo. It's from a live performance:

Here he is, live in Sweden. The tune begins at 2:05:

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. Just the other night I heard the "Spearmint" version

It was a movie scene set in the 1920/early 30's. but my brain won't tell me what movie it was.

I remember hearing Lonnie donnigan version on my transistor radio, '59 sounds right. And the Rock Island Dam song too.

Back then we had no way to know what "Skiffle" music was, but were familiar with "rockabillie", and within days would be hearing a guy named elvis on that lil radio.