Who first said this and what did he mean by it? I was told where it came from years ago by my wrestling coach, but I’ve forgotten. Apparantly its a pretty common saying too as I heard it in BJJ class the other day.
It’s from an old folk song, originally done by Leadbelly, I believe. Although a lot of folks would also know the version by the Weavers.
Good night Irene, good night Irene, I’ll see you in my dreams.
I believe in the context that your wrestling coach was using it, it would mean game over, that’s all she wrote, etc.
I remeber, in Pro Wrestling, Adrian Adonis called his sleeper hold “good night Irene”.
I saw the folk song performed by Dr. John…now there is a man who can handle a piano
Dr John also sings the politically incorrect verses about comiting suicide
" I’m going to take morphine and drown"
My best friends mom is named Irene, and I say it to her every night…but then again a lot of guys have said it before me, so that dosn’t count.
:happy:
gad cdnronin, it’s take morphine and die and the other lyric is jump in the river and drown.
The priest at my grandmother’s funeral called her Irene…
…
…
…Her name was Ilene, not Irene.
Like many a folk song, there are various versions of the tune floating around, complete with"floating verses" that are included in some versions and not in others. The Weavers made this song one of the most popular tunes in 1950, and their version of the lyrics have the jump overboard and drown line in them, no reference to morphine.
“The Weavers closed with Goodnight Irene […]. They hedged on the more controversial lyrics, dropping a verse about taking morphine, and changing the chorus from [Leadbelly’s version]: “I’ll get you in my dreams” to “I’ll see you in my dreams”. No matter: In 1950, singing a song by a black ex-convict made an unmistakable political statement. (Dunaway, Seeger 142).”
Sounds to me like they made a PC version of the tune. 55 years ago, although you could talk about death ,or suicide in a pleasant little folk tune, a direct reference to hard drugs was a definite no-no.
(Huddie Ledbetter)
Chorus:
Irene goodnight, Irene goodnight
Goodnight Irene, goodnight Irene
I’ll get you in my dreams
Last Saturday night I got married
Me and my wife settled down
Now me and my wife are parted
Gonna take another stroll downtown
Sometimes I live in the country
Sometimes I live in the town
Sometimes I get a great notion
To jump in the river and drown
Well I asked your mother for you
She told me you was too young
I wish to the Lord I’d never seen your face
Or heard your lying tongue
Stop your rambling, stop your gambling
Stop staying out late at night
Go home to your wife and your family
Stay home by the fireside bright
I love Irene God knows I do
Love her to the day I die
If Irene turns her back on me
I’ll take morphine and die
I didn’t know that this was the most popular song of 1950, now I know how Pete Seeger got funded enough to live through McCarthyism.