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I Am My Own Grandpa...

3 Jan 2023 6:47 PM | Anonymous

Here is a bit of a mind-bender for any genealogist. Consider the lyrics to the song I Am My Own Grandpa, written by Dwight B. Latham and Moe Jaffe:

Many many years ago when I was twenty three, 
I got married to a widow who was pretty as could be. 
This widow had a grown-up daughter 
Who had hair of red. 
My father fell in love with her, 
And soon the two were wed. 
This made my dad my son-in-law 
And changed my very life. 
My daughter was my mother, 
For she was my father's wife.

To complicate the matters worse, 
Although it brought me joy, 
I soon became the father 
Of a bouncing baby boy.

My little baby then became 
A brother-in-law to dad. 
And so became my uncle, 
Though it made me very sad.

For if he was my uncle, 
Then that also made him brother 
To the widow's grown-up daughter 
Who, of course, was my step-mother.

Father's wife then had a son, 
Who kept them on the run. 
And he became my grandson, 
For he was my daughter's son.

My wife is now my mother's mother 
And it makes me blue. 
Because, although she is my wife, 
She's my grandmother, too.

If my wife is my grandmother, 
Then I am her grandchild. 
And every time I think of it, 
It simply drives me wild.

For now I have become 
The strangest case you ever saw. 
As the husband of my grandmother, 
I am my own grandpa!

This song has been recorded by many artists, including Shel Silverstein, Lonzo & Oscar, Homer & Jethro, Ray Stevens, and Dave Grisman. It reportedly was inspired by an anecdote that Mark Twain related in a book, proving how a person could become his own grandfather.

You can listen to the lyrics and watch any of several videos by going to http://facebook.com and entering “I Am My Own Grandpa” in the search box in the upper left corner of that page. My favorite rendition of the song is the one by Willie Nelson at https://tinyurl.com/yuaudh55.

Can your genealogy program handle these relationships?

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