"Lily the Pink" is a 1968 song released by the UK comedy group the Scaffold. It is a modernisation of an older folk song titled "(The Ballad of) Lydia Pinkham", which was part of Carl Sandburg's "American Songbag" (1927).
It has also Roud number 8368. SEE: Vaughan Williams Memorial Library
The lyrics celebrate the "medicinal compound" invented by Lily the Pink (= Lydia Pinkham), and, in each verse, chronicle some extraordinary cure it has effected.
The Scaffold version also very closely resembles Nina & Frederik's 1959 version "Sippin' Cider" (which is a precursor of "The Ballad of Lydia Pinkham") (see further on in this topic)
In 1962 Oscar Brand recorded a version of "Lydia Pinkham" (his version was titled "Four For Three")
(c) Oscar Brand (1962) (as "Four For Three")
And here's The Scaffold's adaptation of "Lydia Pinkham" (they titled it "Lily The Pink")
(c) The Scaffold (1968) (as "Lily The Pink")
(c) Irish Rovers (1969) (as "Lily The Pink")
Lisen here:
As I said above the words were a derivation from the 1962 Oscar Brand version, who took his version from Carl Sandburg's "American Songbag" (1927).
But the tune was in fact adapted from an even older traditional song "Sucking (Sipping) Cider Thro' A Straw" written in 1894 by W. Freear.
And that song was also contained in Carl Sandburg's "American Songbag" (1927).
And here's the sheetmusic from 1894
In 1875 a version of this song was included in the songbook "Songs of the Class of Seventy-Five" of the University of Michigan, but with the tune of "Lone Fish Ball"
Here below is the oldest recording (with the "Lily The Pink" tune) I could find.
(c) Mack Allen (=Vernon Dalhart) (1928) (as "Sippin' Cider")
(Written by Bob Miller)
Recorded November 16, 1928
Released on Harmony 707-H (as by Mack Allen)
Listen here: Sippin' Cider - Mack Allen - Miller.mp3
Or here:
A few months later Dalhart recorded a version for the Victor-label:
Listen here: Sippin' Cider - Vernon Dalhart - Miller.mp3
Or here:
(c) Crockett Family Mountaineers (1928) (as "Hard Cider Song")
Recorded November 12, 1928 in Los Angeles
Released on Brunswick 290
Listen here: honkingduck.com/mc/system/files/HARD_CIDER_SONG.MP3
(c) Otto Gray and his Oklahoma Cowboys (1931) (as "Suckin' Cider")
Recorded February 16, 1931 in New York
Released on Melotone M 12127
Listen here:
In 1953 Guy Mitchell recorded another variation of the song
(c) Guy Mitchell (1953) (as "Sippin' Soda")
(Adapted by Paul Campbell = The Weavers)
Listen here:
(c) Johnny Hicks (1953) (as "Sippin Cider")
(c) Johnny Cooper (1953) (as "Sippin' Soda (Through A Straw)")
Listen here
(c) Black and White (1954) (as "Zeep En Soda")
(Dutch lyrics by Stan Haag)
Listen here:
(c) Stig Olin (1954) (as "Släcka Törsten")
with Thory Bernhards
Listen here:
(c) Nina & Frederik (1959) (as "Sippin' Cider")
On this version the "Lily The Pink" connection is very clear.
Listen here:
(c) Chubby Checker (1964) (as "Sippin' Cider Through A Straw")
Listen here:
Here below more cover-versions of the Scaffold-version:
(c) Thijs van der Molen (1969) (as "Drinke Totteme Zinke")
(Dutch lyrics by Thijs van der Molen")
(c) Johnny Hoes en Feestneuzen (1969) (as "En We Drinken Tot We Zinken")
(Dutch lyrics by Thijs van der Molen)
Listen here:
(c) Rijk de Gooyer (1969) (as "Leve De Man, De Man, De Man")
(Dutch lyrics by Rijk de Gooyer and Jacques Hartman)
45cat - Rijk de Gooyer - Leve De Man, De Man, De Man / Pak Me Dan - Artone - Netherlands - DJ 25.913
Listen here:
(c) Disko Johnny (=Jan Boezeroen=Johnny Goverde) (1969) (as "Sophietje")
(Dutch lyrics by Johnny Goverde and Gunter Kaleta=Addy Kleijngeld)
Listen here:
(c) Richard Anthony (1969) (as "Le Syrop Typhon")
(French lyrics by Richard Anthony)
Listen here:
(c) I Gufi (1969) (as "La Sbornia")
(Italian lyrics by Leo Chiosso)
Listen here:
(c) Lennart Grahn & Nya Sahnes (1969) (as "Doktor E Munk")
(Swedish lyrids by Börje Carlsson)
Listen here:
(c) Gluntan (1969) (as "Doktor E Vang")
(Norvegian lyrics by Freddie=Terje Mosnes)
(c) Grethe Sønck (1969) (as "Lille Fru Flink")
(Danish lyrics by Volmer Sørensen)
Listen here:
The melody of "Sippin Cider" was also used for the Scout song "I Met A Bear".
In 1919 Collins and Harlan recorded SIPPING CIDER THRU A STRAW, which has a few of the same words, but has a different melody.
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