Montgomery and Stone inThe Wizard of Oz The World Magazine Dec. 4, 1904 Sung by Montgomery and Stone as the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman 'Twas on the good ship Cuspidor We sailed through Baffin's Bay; We tied her to the ocean While the Bulwarks ate some hay. The Captain said "We'll tie the ship, Whatever else betide!" And he drank a pint of gasoline With whiskey on the side He had lost his breath But soon it was restored. It was midnight in the galley, It was one beside the dock; But by the starboard watch 'Twas only half past nine o' clock. The first mate said, "Unhitch the mules, We're going thro' a lock! And then the bo'sun went And put the larboard watch in "hock!" For the good ship didn't Have a cent aboard. Avast, belay--Hurrah for Baffin's Bay! We couldn't find the pole, Because the barber moved away. The boat was cold, We thought we'd get the grip, So the painter put three coats Upon the ship! Hip, hip! Hip, hip! Hurrah for Baffin's Bay! The bo'sun asked the polar bear Would she eat off his hand, But polar bears talk Polish And she did not understand. She chased him up a mountain peak; She acted very tough-- When she made him jump the precipice He knew it was a bluff! But if she had bit him He'd have bit her back. Two loving whales got in our net, We knew they were insane They blew themselves, And then we saw, They'd water on the brain. The bull whale said "Soapine, I love you best of all the whales." The lady said "Don't talk so loud-- The fishes carry tails!" And the bull whale kissed her With a fishing smack. Avast, belay--hurrah for Baffin's Bay! Just three years is a lifetime there, For six months is a day. A whale can give a ferry boat the slip, But it can't get full of sailors like a ship. Hip, hip! Hip, hip! Hurrah for Baffin's Bay!  Sheet Music Cover (1903)
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The song was sung by Fred A. Stone and David C. Montgomery who played the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman. It featured music by Theodore F. Morse and lyrics by Stone's close friend, Vincent Bryan, who wrote virtually all of Montgomery and Stone's comedy songs. Indeed, Bryan wrote more lyrics for The Wizard of Oz than any other author except Baum. Including: Down on the Brandywine; 'Twas Enough to Make a Perfect Lady Mad;The Tale of a Monkey; Sitting Bull; and Football among others. For this TIGER TUNE we are offering two mp3 recordings of the song. The first is a modern recording from a concert version of the show. The second is a 78 rpm recording from 1903 featuring early 1900s recording duo Collins and Harlan singing the song. It is quite probable that Montgomery and Stone had previously performed the song in their first big hit The Girl From Up There, as they performed a song described as "Nautical Nonsense;" although this could easily have been a different song on the same oceanic theme. 
Montgomery and StonePerforming "Nautical Nonsense" in The Girl From Up There (1901) In any case, Baffin's Bay sheet music only appeared after the song had attained "Hit" status in The Wizard of Oz. The song was also recorded by virtually every major record company including Victor, Columbia, and Zonophone Records. 
1903 Zonophone Record Label
Listen to this 1903 recording! (1:26 -- 256k) The song is a near riot of puns; and it can take several hearings to get them all. So listen to the two recordings, download the PDF sheet music and enjoy this delightful bit of nautical nonsense from 1903!
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