"Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" is a ver famous children's song. The song has been documented as early as the 1950's and is often sung to the tune of "There Is a Tavern in the Town".
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes - Wikipedia
There Is a Tavern in the Town - Wikipedia
The oldest sheet I could find of "There Is A Tavern In The Town" is in "Student's Songs" (1883) compiled and edited by William Henry Hills (Published by Moses King, Cambridge, Mass.)
https://archive.org/stream/studentssongscom00hill#page/8/mode/2up
The next sheet music is dated between 1877 and 1884 (roud number 18834)
Ballads Online
http://ballads.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/static/images/sheets/30000/25997a.gif
http://ballads.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/static/images/sheets/30000/25997g.gif
But the next 1891 sheet music credits this piece to F. J. Adams.
There is a Tavern in the Town. Song and Chorus. The Season's Success. - The Lester S. Levy Sheet Music Collection
The earliest recording of this song I could find:
(o) London Concert Orchestra (1906)
Released on Edison Bell Cylinder #10008
Listen here:
(c) Peter Dawson (1917)
Released July 1917 on Zonophone # 1777

78 RPM - Mr. Peter Dawson - When Johnny Comes Marching Home / There's A Tavern In The Town - Zonophone - UK - 1777
Listen here:
(c) Kenneth Walters (1924)
78 RPM - Kenneth Walters - Wrap Me Up In My Terpaulin Jacket / There Is A Tavern In The Town - Regal - UK - G 8163
(c) Rudy Vallee and his Connecticut Yankees (1934) (as "The Drunkard Song")
Recorded on September 7, 1934 in New York
Released on Victor 24721
Rudy Vallee And His Connecticut Yankees - The Drunkard Song / Lost In A Fog (Shellac) at Discogs
Listen here:
(c) Gracie Fields (1938) (as "There Is A Tavern In The Town")
Gracie Fields - There Is A Tavern In The Town / The Sweetest Song In The World (Shellac) at Discogs
(c) The Bar-X Cowboys (1938)
78 RPM - The Bar-X Cowboys - There Is A Tavern In The Town / Undewrneath The Sun - Decca - USA - 5537
Listen here:
https://ia802702.us.archive.org/15/items/BarXCowboys-01-05/BarXCowboys-ThereIsATavernInTheTown.mp3
(c) Judy Garland and Dick Haymes (1944)
Recorded July 11, 1944 for an Autolite radio commercial
Judy Garland on the Radio 1935 - 1949
www.thejudyroom.com/songs/There-Is-A-Tavern-7-11-44.mp3
(c) Wally Cox (1953)
Wally Cox (3) - What A Crazy Guy / There Is A Tavern In The Town (Vinyl) at Discogs
45cat - Wally Cox [actor] - What A Crazy Guy (Dufo) / There Is A Tavern In The Town - RCA Victor - USA - 47-5278
Listen here:
(c) Four Aces (1955)
Recorded December 10, 1954
Released on Decca 29395
Four Aces* Featuring Al Alberts - Melody Of Love (Vinyl) at Discogs
Listen here:
(c) Burl Ives (1959)
45cat - Burl Ives - Cheers - Decca - USA
Listen here:
(c) Sammy Davis Jr (1961)
45cat - Sammy Davis Jr. - There Was A Tavern In The Town / One More Time (A Tribute To Ray Charles) - Reprise - USA - R-20,018
Listen here
(c) Connie Francis (1962)
LP Discography: Connie Francis - Discography
Connie Francis - Sing Along With Connie Francis (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs
Listen here:
(c) Nat King Cole (1963)
Nat King Cole - Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs
Listen here:
(c) Brothers Four (1961) (as "The Tavern Song")
The Brothers Four - Songbook (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs
Listen here:
(c) Sam Hinton (1967)
Vinyl Album - Sam Hinton - The Wandering Folksong - Folkways - USA
Listen here:
(c) Ashley Hutchings (1977)
Vinyl Album - Ashley Hutchings - Kickin' Up The Sawdust - Harvest - UK
Ashley Hutchings: Kickin' Up the Sawdust
Listen to a sample here:
Kickin' up the Sawdust - Ashley Hutchings | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic
(c) The Warners (1993) (as "Animaniacs Theme song")
The Animaniacs series theme song, performed by the Warners, was a very important part of the show. In the series' first season, the theme won an Emmy Award for best song. Richard Stone composed the music for the title sequence (heavily inspired by "There Is A Tavern In The Town") and Tom Ruegger wrote the lyrics.
Animaniacs - Wikipedia
The Warner Bros. Animation Archive
Listen here:
According to Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle of Fresno University, Alan Lomax calls "Hard Ain't It Hard" a reworking of this piece, Personally I don't see the connection with "Tavern in the Town".
Tavern in the Town
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