"I Used to Work in Chicago"

Found a Spike Jones song tonight called "I'll Never Work There Anymore". It's a variation on an older song called "I Used to Work in Chicago", which was popularized by Larry Vincent in the mid-1940s. The problem is there are varying stories about the origins of this song. Some credit Vincent, while others say it's a drinking song that had been floating around for years before Vincent got hold of it. There are numerous recordings of the song, with varying lyrics, all with the same style (hilarious plays on words and varying degrees of sexual innuendo). Does anyone have info on the true origins of this? Apparently it's even become popular among some rugby fans in the UK

OM... You are one "old soul" as the say.

Just so you know I do look at these help requests, but they are so far out of my proverbial wheelhouse....

My guess is that this is an old vaudeville song. It was definitely old when Larry Vincent and many others recorded it in the 1940s. Newspapers in the early 1920s published lyrics for this song without referencing a songwriter. Consequently, I think the song is much older.

I Used to Work in Chicago and 6 versions of it are now on site. Still researching Benny Bell's version ("Jack of All Trades") as well.

Michael,

I think Benny Bell's 1975 version, is his adaptation of an old song, which might have some connections with another old song "The Jolly Tradesman" or "Jack of all Trades"

http://dmdb.org/lyrics/benny.bell.html

https://www.vwml.org/search?q=jack%20of%20all%20trades&is=1

BTW the fist 2 versions you entered in the SHS DB were both sung by Merle Travis

I Used to Work in Chicago

I Used to Work in Chicago

The first one is probably the oldest recorded version (til now)

20 September 1945 [19:00-22:00] Radio Recorders, 7000 Santa Monica Blv., Hollywood, CA - Tin Ear Tanner and His Back Room Boys (Merle Travis [gt/vcl], Frankie J.Marvin [steel], Art Wenzel [accd], Cliffie Stone [bass], Tex Atchison [fiddle])

029 BT 82 I USED TO WORK IN CHICAGO Bel-Tone 275

Listen here:

https://archive.org/details/78_i-used-to-work-in-chicago_tin-ear-tanner-and-his-…

Or here:

And here is the Dusty Ward version:

6 March 1946 Universal Recorders, 6757 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA - Dusty Ward and His Arizona Waddies (Merle Travis [vcl/gt], Shug Fisher [gt], Eugene Rodgers [bass], Tex Atchison [fiddle], ? [piano], Darol A. Rice [clarinet])

033 APP 12A I USED TO WORK IN CHICAGO Globe 110/BCD-15637

Listen here:

Jojo greets

Quote from SlimD

Newspapers in the early 1920s published lyrics for this song without referencing a songwriter.

Murray, I am very curious about the 1920's newspapers. are they viewable online ?

The earliest printed date for the song I found is March 1945 in the underground mimeographed songbook Songs of the Century.

https://archive.org/details/1945songsofthecentury/page/9/mode/2up

https://www.horntip.com/html/books_&_MSS/1940s/1945-03-00_songs_of_the_century_(…

Many MP3 versions here: https://www.horntip.com/all_items_on_website.htm

JoJo greets

Last edit: 2020-06-07 10:35:43 UTC by jojo

jojo wrote:

Murray, I am very curious about the 1920's newspapers. are they viewable online ?

Probably not. I have access to the resources of a university library. I have found that local historic societies often have access to old newspapers as well. There are also several paid subscription services, for example, newspapers.com, which provide access to old newspapers.

Murray

FYI, here are excerpts from my research notes concerning "I Used to Work in Chicago."

I Used to Work in Chicago

The Washington Times (Washington, District of Columbia)

08 Sep 1921, Thu

Page 13

variation of the next version

Garrett Clipper (Garrett, Indiana)

18 Jun 1923, Mon

Page 7

I used to work in Chcago

I used to, no more.

I used to work in Chicago

In a hosiery store.

A lady asked for some garters,

I asked her what kind she wore:

"Rubber," she said. Rubber I did.

I did - but not anymore.

The Buffalo Times (Buffalo, New York)

12 Apr 1924, Sat

Page 8

Frank Roche is going on tour with his latest song entitled

"I Used to Work in Chicago."