The Southlanders - I Am A Mole And I Live In A Hole (video, lyrics, comments)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases the 1958 song "I Am A Mole And I Live In A Hole" by the Jamaican British group "The Southlanders". This song is also known as "Mole In A Hole". A video of that song and song lyrics are also included in this post as is information about The Southlanders.

The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SOUTHLANDERS
From http://folkcatalogue.wordpress.com/2009/04/24/songs-from-trinidad-edric-connor-and-the-southlanders/ "(1955) Edric Connor and the Southlanders – Songs from Trinidad"
..."This was [Edric] Connor’s second of three albums with vocal harmony group The Southlanders (the first was Songs from Jamaica in 1954 when they were known as the Caribbeans)...

Notes about The Southlanders
When Connor was planning the LP Songs of Jamaica, he asked [Vernon] Nesbeth, who he had been coaching in singing, to see if he could put a vocal backing group together. The recording over, Connor persuaded them to stay together and invited them along to perform with him in cabaret at the Celebrity Restaurant in Central London.
“This man was so unselfish that he took the risk of having a group of novices join him, in his professional engagement at the restaurant, to perform two of the songs they’d recorded for their L.P. It is doubtful if any other artist would take such a risk. The show was a success. Edric Connor had a heart of Pure Gold,” was Nesbeth’s opinion of his mentor.

Although the Southlanders went on to have several chart hits – the biggest of which was Alone in 1957 – they’re probably best known and loved for their song I am a mole and I live in a hole. If you were a kid in the late ‘fifties/early ‘sixties, you’ll have sung its bass refrain in the playground with your chums.*
Nesbeth is still singing with the latest version of the Southlanders – “the longest running male vocal group in British pop history” – doing cabaret and cruise liners.
-snip-
The author of this review probably meant "if you were a British kid in the late 'fifties/early 'sixties"... I grew up during that time period in the United States, and I have no recollection of this song.

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From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Southlanders
"The Southlanders are a Jamaican / British vocal group[1] formed in 1950 by Edric Connor and Vernon Nesbeth. The group went through a variety of names, including The Caribbeans,[2] South Londoners, and Southerners, before settling on The Southlanders. Nesbeth remains with the group to this day, where they continue to perform on cruise ships and in hotels.[3]

Whilst their biggest commercial hit was 1958's cover version of "Alone", which sold over one million copies; the song they are most identified with is "I am a Mole and I Live in a Hole" (also known as "Mole", "The Mole" and "The Mole in a Hole"). The unforgettable title line from the song was spoken by the group's bass voice Harry Wilmot, father of Gary Wilmot. Harry Wilmot died in 1961, when his son was six years old. The song failed to make the UK Singles Chart in 1958, but has been performed at every Southlanders' event since its release. Group founder Vernon Nesbeth said that the group tried to take the song out of their set but that club managers and audiences insisted upon hearing it. "It's become protected. Untouchable. We've even sung it in Japanese", said Nesbeth.

"Alone" was released by Decca, and entered the UK Singles Chart in November 1957. It was the group's only appearance in the chart, in which they spent ten weeks and peaked at #17.[1]

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FEATURED VIDEOS
Video #1: Southlanders



Mark Nolan, Uploaded on Nov 15, 2006

Southlanders
-snip-
The portion of the film clip that is specifically about the Southlanders group begins at 2:34.

Here are four comments from that video's viewer comment thread http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P__OAhJPsg4&feature=related

jeted, 2007
"VERNON NESBETH formed the "SOUTHLANDERS" vocal quartet, NOT Alan Wilmott or his deceased Brother Harry Wilmott. After leaving the "Ken Hunter Quartet" they joined the "Southlanders" The "SOUTHLANDERS" were one of the slickest Vocal Groups of the time."

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Mark Nolan, 2007
"I should point out that this film was re-edited from the original C4 program. I have NO control over the original content"

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jeted, 2007
"WE know that the film was re-edited. But it was said in the C4 programme which we didn't see but were told what Mr Alan Wilmott had said. We just wanted to put the records straight that Vernon Nesbeth formed the group. C4 also did not know that Vernon Nesbeth formed the group, They believed what Mr A Wilmott had said, they had no reason not to."

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DoowopJohnnyBoy, 2007
..."Other Uk Groups that performed Doo wop in the 50s and 60s where, 'Neville Taylor and the Cutters, The Five Dallas Boys, The Viscounts, The Mudlarks, The Chants,Emile Ford and the Checkmates,Colin Hicks and the Cabin Boys,Paul Rich. there were a lot of Covers of American doowop in there Catalogs though,But still Good"

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Video #2: I am a mole and I live in a hole



Pauline Willoughby, Published on Jun 25, 2013

The song "I am a mole and I live in a hole" by the Southlanders with animations and lyrics.

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LYRICS: "I AM A MOLE AND I LIVE IN A HOLE" (also known as "THE MOLE IN THE HOLE"

(The Southlanders – 1958)

Ba ba ba ba ba bah!*
Ba ba ba ba ba ba bah!*

I'm not a bat or a rat or a cat,
I'm not a gnu or a kangaroo,
I'm not a goose or a moose on the loose,
I am a mole and I live in a hole.

I'm not a cow or a chow or a sow,
I'm not a snake or a hake or a drake,
I'm not a flea or a wee chimpanzee,
I am a mole and I live in a hole.

Yarg yarg, quarck quarck, fried boiled or roast,
You're the slick chick I dig the most ,
I'm not a ram or a clam or a lamb,
I'm not a hog or a frog or a dog,
I'm not a bus or a hip-potomus,
I am a mole and I live in a hole.

Yarg yarg, quarck quarck, fried boiled or roast,
You're the slick chick I dig the most,
I'm not a ram or a clam or a lamb,
I'm not a hog or a frog or a dog,
I'm not a bus or a hip-potomus,
I am a mole and I live in a hole.
I am a mole and I live in a hole.

Source: http://lyricsplayground.com/alpha/songs/t/themoleinthehole.shtml

*This transcription didn't include these first two lines which seem to me to be an integral part of the song.

Explanation for the line in the chorus "You're the slick chick I dig the most".
These slang terms are lifted from 1950s African American vernacular English. "Slick" has the positive meaning of "fine" [beautiful], but also probably has the added connotation of "smart, street wise".

"Chick" means "girl, woman". Combining all of these meanings, "slick chick" is very similar to the 1980s African American slang term "fly" -as in the referent "a fly girl".

The word "dig" here means "like" (love).

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Thanks to The Southlanders for their musical legacy. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube and thanks to those who I quoted in this post.

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