Annotation:Fellow that Looks Like Me (The)

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FELLOW/FELLER THAT LOOKS LIKE ME, THE. AKA and see "Dark Girl Dressed in Blue (2) (The)," "Punkin Head," "Over the Waterfall." Old-Time, Song. An American comic song by J.E. Pooke, with a tune quite similar to the old-time standard "Over the Waterfall." It was published in New York in 1866 [1]. John F. Poole was a songwriter and proprietor of the Olympic Theater on Broadway in New York City, who also composed the words to "Tim Finigan's Wake" (c. 1861) for vaudeville impresario Tony Pastor (to the melody of "The French Musician"), and who is credited with the the words and music to the labor protest song "No Irish Need Apply." He was born in Dublin, Ireland, and although he emigrated to New York as a boy, he remained committed to his Irish roots, and it may be that the air to his "Fellow that Looks Like Me" was similarly an aspect of Irish cultural immigration.

The Fellow That Looked Like Me
In sad despair I wandered, my heart was filled with woe.
While on my grief I pondered, what to do I did not know.
Since cruel fate has on me frowned, the trouble seemed to be,
There is a fellow in this town the very image of me.

(Chorus:)
Oh, wouldn't I like to catch him, wherever he may be,
Oh, wouldn't I give him particular fits, the fellow that looks like me.

One evening as I started up Central Park to go,
I was met by a man upon the road, saying, "Pay me the bills you owe."
In vain I said, "I owe you naught," he would not let me free,
Till (sic) a crowd came around and I paid the bills for the fellow that looked like me.

(Chorus)

One night as I was walking through a narrow street up town
I was caught by a man upon the road, saying, "How are you, Mr. Brown?"
He said his daughter I had wronged, though the girl I ne'er did see.
He kicked me till I was black and blue for the fellow that looked like me.

(Chorus)
Then to a ball I went one night just to enjoy the sport,
A policeman caught me by the arm, saying, "You're wanted down to court.
You've escaped me thrice, but this here time I am sure you can't get free."
So I was arrested and dragged to jail for the fellow that looked like me.

(Chorus)

I was tried next day, found guilty too, just to be taken down
When another policeman just stepped in with the right Mr. Brown.
They locked him up and set me free; oh wasn't he a sight to see?
The homeliest man that ever I saw was the fellow that looked like me.

The following variant in the lyrics was collected in tradition from Roscoe and Leone Parish:

Oh, wouldn't I like to catch him Wherever he might be The way I'd punch his punkin head The fellow that looks like me.

In England the song is from the music hall era (Stanley Holloway) and is known as "The Dark Girl Dressed in Blue," though it was also popular in England and Ireland as a dance tune.

Source for notated version:

Printed sources:

Recorded sources: Volo Bogtrotters. Document 8041, The Hill Billies/Al Hopkins and His Buckle Busters: Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order, vol. 3" (originally recorded May 16, 1927). Supertone 9642 (78 RPM), Asa Martin (as Emmett Davenport) {1929}.

See also listing at:
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [2]

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