Missing from the web

[acw]

Over the last few years I've become accustomed to thinking of the World-Wide Web as a sort of magical font of any kind of information one could imagine. In many areas it's close to that, but it still has some holes, and sometimes it's startling to stumble across them. Now, I know that the original blogs were intended as compendia of links: "Look

Comments

[anonymous]

My mom sang this to us. I'm 51. Must've been something children learned in the '20s and '30s. How lovely others were taught this song when they were little and remember it still. Shows what a small world we live in. Thanks for the sweet reminder.

[acw]

This late comment prompted me to go looking for "Dear Old Grouchytown" again. Several Sesame Street and Muppet wikis now mention the song, so I now know that it's in episode 2538, which aired February 1, 1989. This page is still the only Google hit for "dear old grouchytown" + "along the river slime".

[acw]

Just last night I found "Dear Old Grouchytown". I hope this link works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltjBO4ceYhg&t=600s

[acw]

Well, all right. Since nobody seems to have the lyrics:

Dear old Grouchytown, along the River Slime
Where mudballs travel
Through the gravel
And grime
Be it ever so humble,
I miss the trash-truck rumble
Of dear old Grouchytown, my home.

Back in Grouchytown, there's muck on every foot
And on our mayor
There's a layer
Of soot
Where the trash is as high
As a screech-monkey's eye
That's dear old Grouchytown, my home

Oh, take a romp
Through the swamp
With mosquitoes buzzing round
Oh, take a slog
Through the bog
On that squishy, fishy ground
What a sound!

Back in Grouchytown, the stinkweed's always ripe
And folks all mumble
And grumble
And gripe
In short, there just is not
A more disgusting spot
Than dear old Grouchytown, my home.

You're welcome.