Skin

Awhile back, my sister asked me to teach her the song "Skin". Feels weird to be the one typing this down because the song originated with Grandpa, went to Mom, and then to all of us kids, but here goes.

Incidentally, the story of this song is that Grandpa learned it while sharing a hotel room with three or four other WWII vets (I may have that wrong. It may have been Korean War.) One of the guys in the hotel room was either writing it or putting music to it. Grandpa took it home and it has been a favorite for many, many years.

Maybe some day I'll get up the guts to sing it on camera and post it. Or, I'll have to find that taped version of my mom singing it. It is buried somewhere on tape, along with the banned song "Band-aid Blues". I need to find that tape so that she can put it on CD. My tape is going to burn out one day!

Skin

You've gotta have skin
Yards and yards and yards of skin
Skin's the thing that when you've got it outside
It helps hold your insides in.

It covers your nose
And it's wrapped around your toes
And inside it you put lemon meringue
And outside you hang your clothes.

Skin is what you feel at home in
And without it furthermore
Both your liver and abdomen
Would be falling on the floor
And you'd be dressed in your intestines.

A Siamese twin
Has an extra set of skin
And when the doctor knows that you're feeling sick
Where does he stick his needle in?
In the end of your skin.

All your friends and all your kinfolk
Whether poor or whether rich
They have all got skin for skin folk
It's convenient when you itch
Nothing can match it when you scratch it

It fits perfectly
Yours fits you and mine fits me
When you sit, well it folds and looks grand
And then when you stand it's where it's been
Ain't you glad you've got skin.

When you were just a little baby well your skin fit fine
Still it's going to fit you when you're six foot nine
So whether you're big tall short small chubby or thin
Ain't ya glad you've got it
Madly glad you've got it
Ain't you glad you've got skin