I heard it first, I want the royalties
May 18, 2008 5:43 AM Subscribe
Help me find the origin of the joke/song/story "Missing My Son" as told by Tom Waits.
I first heard this story in 1979. It was told to me almost verbatim the way Waits tells it, only the son had been killed in Viet Nam. My sense is it originally came from a comedy routine but now is definitely in the public domain.
Can anyone help me narrow down the original source?
I first heard this story in 1979. It was told to me almost verbatim the way Waits tells it, only the son had been killed in Viet Nam. My sense is it originally came from a comedy routine but now is definitely in the public domain.
Can anyone help me narrow down the original source?
For those who don't feel like bothering with an mp3, here are the lyrics:posted by languagehat at 6:55 AM on May 18, 2008 [1 favorite]
Ariel Gordon? Did you see this film? Did it also end with the 'pulling your leg' bit?
posted by farishta at 6:58 AM on May 18, 2008
posted by farishta at 6:58 AM on May 18, 2008
My dad used to tell us "pulling your leg" stories like that one. Are you looking for the origins of that specific story or the whole "pulling your leg" story twist?
posted by NoraCharles at 7:47 AM on May 18, 2008
posted by NoraCharles at 7:47 AM on May 18, 2008
Snopes says it appears in the Brunvand books, so that's a start.
posted by dilettante at 7:56 AM on May 18, 2008
posted by dilettante at 7:56 AM on May 18, 2008
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