Topic: Oysters & Wine at 2AM -- Old South Quartette

[LeftyStrat]

Hello fellow blues enthusiasts,

This may be pushing the bounds of country blues, but I've recently started listening a bit more closely to Polk Miller and the Old South Quartette, and lately, the tune "Oysters & Wine at 2 AM" subtitled "The Laughing Song"  has found its way into my head and won't leave. Great, highly catchy tune!  Here is "Oysters & Wine at Two AM":



Could any of you with sharper ears than mine help work out the lyrics?

As I type this, I'll listen to the tune a few times, and try to give what I can figure out as a possible jump start

Our journey to love and to  ??
Is (always?) delightful to me
While strolling the beach at moonlight
and while we ??  (in the seas?)
Then give me a  ??
(next two lines intelligible)
We have oysters and wine at 2

Chorus:
We have Oysters and wine at 2AM, 2AM, 2AM!
We Have Oysters and Wine at 2AM!
We Have Oysters and Wine at 2!
 
Cant make out the bridge other than the last line and a half, which sounds like:

  ...most fortunate and grand
Now watch my music, and see how I laugh

Then comes the chorus, ad-libbed


Second Verse:
I'm a fellow that never refuses
A ?? that comes in my way
But now it is time to get married
??
The ?? stars were shining
??
We have Oysters and Wine at 2

Repeat Chorus, Bridge, and Ad-libbed Chorus.

It's not much, but I hope you can follow it...and I thank you, as always, for the assistance.

Lefty

[Gumbo]

That's in my head for the day now

OK ... some of this will be phonetical hearsay ... 

Our journey to love and to  PELTON
Is (always?) delightful to me ................agreed
While strolling the beach at moonlight
WHY WHILE WITH THE ROAR IN THE SEALS ..........phonetic
Then give me a  LADY FOR WALTZIN'
THOSE PLEASURES TO ME THEY ARE GRAND
AND LET"S HAVE WINE AND SPINACH .............no really lol
We have oysters and wine at 2

chorus - agreed - is the bridge about Milk??

MILK HAVE A PLEASANT MILK HAVE CHOUVES (in 1st), CHOUNES (in 2nd) 
MILK IS A THING TO KEEP US ALONG
MILK HAVE A PROVEN most fortunate and grand
Now watch my music, and see how I laugh


I'm a fellow that never refuses
A PLEASURE that comes in my way
But now it is time to get married
WE"LL DANCE ALL NIGHT FOR DE FRAILS
The FOUR THOUSAND stars were shining
WE FOUGHT WITH GRANPEPPER TOO ... haha*
AND LET"S HAVE WINE AND SPINACH ............ go figure ....
We have Oysters and Wine at 2


Maybe the bridge is
WE CAN HAVE ... and not about MILK at all ..... - more coffee needed ...

*well I'm going to sing this whatever it turns out to be

[dj]

Polk Miller!  I love a place where Polk Miller's name comes up in the conversation.

I believe Miller recorded The Laughing Song several times.  (Edited: I was wrong about that.  Miller only made seven recordings, all in one 1909 session for Edison.  There's only the one version of The Laughing Song.)  I've tried to transcribe the 4 minute Edison Blue Amberol version. 

Miller was a Confederate artilleryman during the Civil War.  I think the last verse is reminiscing with fellow veterans.

OH A journey to LONG BRANCH IS PLEASANT
OH IT'S ALWAYS delightful to me
While strolling the beach at moonlight
WHILE WILD WINDS ARE ROLLING THE SEAS
Then give ME A LADY FOR WALTZIN'
THOSE PLEASURES TO ME THEY ARE GRAND
AND QUICKLY PASSED BY IT IS FINISHED
WE'LL have oysters and wine at 2

Chorus:
We have Oysters and wine at 2 a.m., 2 a.m, 2 a.m
We Have Oysters and Wine at 2 a.m.
We Have Oysters and Wine at 2
We have Oysters and wine at 2 a.m., 2 a.m, 2 a.m
We Have Oysters and Wine at 2 a.m.
We Have Oysters and Wine at 2

THE MUSIC IS PLEASANT, THE MUSIC HAS CHARMS
THE MUSIC IS SOMETHING TO KEEP US AROUND
THE MUSIC IS PLEASANT, SO [?] AND GRAND
NOW WATCH [?] MY CHILDREN AND SEE HOW I LAUGH

Chorus (ad-libbed laughing)

I'm a fellow that never refuses
A PLEASURE that comes in my way
But now it is time to get [?]
I [?] IT"S OLD FLAG ON DISPLAY

WE FOUGHT WHILE stars were shining
WE FOUGHT WITH FRIENDS THAT WERE TRUE
AND QUICKLY PASSED BY IT IS FINISHED
We have Oysters and Wine at 2

Chorus

THE MUSIC IS PLEASANT, THE MUSIC HAS CHARMS
THE MUSIC IS SOMETHING TO KEEP US AROUND
THE MUSIC IS PLEASANT, SO [?] AND GRAND
NOW WATCH [?] MY CHILDREN AND SEE HOW I LAUGH

Chorus (ad-libbed laughing)

[Gumbo]

I thought some of mine sounded a bit odd