I'd like full verses, author, when popular, and any other information
about the following children's songs and poems, of which I remember
only fragments.
1.  Today is the day they give babies away with a half a pound of tea...
2.  Oh Katarina, my Katarina, to keep my luf you must be leana,dere's
so much uf you tree could luf you...
3.  Yes, we have no bananas...
4.  I'm in love with the garbageman's daughter, she lives down by the swill...
5.  He is gone from us forever, is our darling little Jim, ...we could
tell our boy was failing by the color of his breath, we knew our boy
was nipping in the bud... [NB: Jim was 94.]
6.  One fine day in the middle of the night, 2 dead men got up to fight...

Greetings Cuercus27,

Whew!  I located the six but not the complete lyrics of Katharina. 
Also, the Little Jim poem *may* not be the one you seek - I'm not
certain about it. I hope you find my answer acceptable.  If not,
please let me know in a clarification.

*******************************************

1. TODAY IS THE DAY THEY GIVE BABIES AWAY [soldier's ditty, no author given]

"Mark also found a fascinating reference to "The Day They Gave Babies
Away," a story by Dale Eunson that appeared in the Christmas 1946
issue of Cosmopolitan, their most successful Christmas story ever. It
was published as a book the following year.

**"The reference also mentioned a soldiers' ditty circulating in the
1940s that went "Today is the day they give babies away / with a half
a pound of tea. / If you know any ladies who want any babies / Just
send them around to me."
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1197/is_1_48/ai_113887014

************************************************

2. KATARINA 

"O Katharina." By L. Wolfe Gilbert and Richard Fall. Sydney,
Melbourne, Wellington, London, & New York: J. Albert & Son, 1924.
Double version of The Sensational Success from "Chauve Souris."
Specially featured by Elsie Parkes in Hugh J. Ward's Stupendous
Christmas Pantomime Cinderella. Produced by Frank Neil. Musical
Director A. T. Burton.

The verse tells how Heinie came to Yankee Land from Rotterdam, went to
the follies, then returned home to Katharina, lamenting how to keep
his love she must be leaner, "There's so much of you, two could love
you. Learn to swim, join a gym, eat farina. Unless you're leaner I'll
have to build a big arena, you're such a crowd, my Katharine, I got a
lot when I got you." In the second verse she becomes leaner and so
wows him that in the chorus all he can say is "O Katharina" over and
over again.

http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/cinder/cin9.htm

The sheet music is for sale, and the song appears to be in a few
songbooks for sale.  Here are the search results for
"O Katharina" lyrics
://www.google.com/search?q=%22O+Katharina%22+lyrics&hl=en&lr=&start=0&sa=N

************************************************

3. YES, WE HAVE NO BANANAS
Folk Song written By: Frank Silver and Irving Cohn (1923)
Lyrics (and music in background) at
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/bananas.htm
[Please read there as song is copyrighted]

************************************************

4. GARBAGEMAN'S DAUGHTER [no author name given]
http://www.scoutscan.com/songs/songsg.html
credited as in Boy Scout Songbook at
http://www.accesscom.com/~daveh/sean/song/pbsong4.html

1. I'm in love with the garbage man's daughter,
Who lives down by the mill.
I love the smell of her garbage,
But her breath is sweeter still.

CH: Um slop slop. Um slop slop. Um slop slop.

2. Last night we strolled through the garbage,
Her greasy hand in mine,
Her clammy lips on the back of my neck,
Oh life is so divine.

***************************************************

5. LITTLE JIM

Little Jim by E. Farmer
http://poeticportal.net/EFGH/farmer.html
[Please read there as I do not want to infringe on copyright should one exist]

***************************************************

6. ONE FINE DAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

Numerous versions on the theme cited at
http://www.emule.com/2poetry/phorum/read.php?f=7&i=2162&t=2162

One example:

One dark night, in the middle of the day.
Two dead boys went out to play.
Back to back, they faced one another,
Drew their swords and shot one another.
A deaf policeman heard the noise,
And came to kill! The two dead boys.
If you don't believe my stories true,
Ask the blind man...He saw it too.

******************************************************


Hope these help!  :)

Best regards,
journalist-ga


SEARCH STRATEGY:

"the day they give babies away"
katarina three could love you
katerina leana
katarina OR katerina OR catarina OR caterina song
katarina OR katerina OR catarina OR caterina poem
katarina OR katerina OR catarina OR caterina ditty
"so much of you three could love you"
"so much of you two could love you"
"O Katharina"
"O Katharina" lyrics
"O Katharina" words
"O Katherina" lyrics
"O Katherina" words
"yes we have no bananas" lyrics
"the garbageman's daughter"
"little jim"
"little jim" poem
"little jim" poetry
"little jim" breath
"lil jim"
jim ninety-four
"one fine day in the middle of the night"
"one fine day in the middle of the night two"

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Request for Answer Clarification by quercus27-ga on 31 Jan 2005 13:30 PST

Your anwer was grand.  Only one problem: I could not get to the site
with the Jim song: http://poeticportal.net/EFGh/farmer.html.  Says "no
server."  Any other place I could look?  Thanks.

---

Clarification of Answer by journalist-ga on 31 Jan 2005 14:28 PST

Hi Quercus27,

Hmmm, there's no accounting for the Internet: That site is loading
fine for me. However, I did locate it on a forum site:

http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=64970
Poem begins about 1/3 of the way down the page (and is again posted a
couple of times below that)

If the alternate doesn't load, please let me know.  

Best regards,
journalist-ga

Most of researcher's info was grand, but one web site not
available...I wrote back for clarification.  I'm really impressed,
though.  I'll use the system again.