This song was written by Tom in 1952, and performed by him throughout
the 1950's, but he never included it on an album because he considered it
too risqué at the time. In 1980, he revised it for inclusion in the stage
revue of his songs called Tomfoolery, and notes that, although the
revision made it naughtier, it seems fairly innocent by today's standards.
The lyrics given here are from the revised Tomfoolery version. A studio
version of this song recorded in 1996 can be found on the album Songs &
More Songs by Tom Lehrer, available from Rhino
Records.
Lehrer Comments: "I Got it From Agnes was written in 1952.
Originally it was I Got it From Sally. I used to sing that in nightclubs,
but I didn't put it on records because I didn't want to be identified with
so-called 'party records' like those by Ruth Wallis, Rusty Warren, Redd Foxx.
I didn't want to be in that bin. When Cameron Mackintosh asked if there was
anything else in the trunk that they could use for Tomfoolery, I polished
it up, wrote a new verse, and made it more like a British music-hall song.
Of course, that was all before anybody had heard of AIDS." --1996
Interview
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MISCELLANEOUS TOM LEHRER SONGS
I Got It From Agnes (1952)
I love my friends, and they love me,
We're just as close as we can be.
And just because we really care,
Whatever we get, we share!
I got it from Agnes,
She got it from Jim.
We all agree it must have been
Louise who gave it to him.
She got it from Harry,
Who got it from Marie,
And everybody knows that Marie
Got it from me.
Giles got it from Daphne,
She got it from Joan,
Who picked it up in County Cork,
A-kissin' the Blarney Stone.
Pierre gave it to Sheila,
Who must have brought it there.
He got it from Francois and Jacques,
Haha, Lucky Pierre!
Max got it from Edith,
Who gets it every spring.
She got it from her Daddy,
Who just gives her everything.
She then gave it to Daniel,
Whose spaniel has it now.
Our dentist even got it,
And we're still wondering how.
Ah, but I got it from Agnes,
Or maybe it was Sue,
Or Millie or Billie or Gillie or Willie,
It doesn't matter who.
It might have been at the club,
Or at the pub, or in the loo,
And if you will be my friend,
Then I might...(Mind you, I said "might")...
Give it to you!
Notes
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