The song “I’m My Own Grandpa” was written by Dwight Latham and Moe Jaffe. On the heels of the Great Depression in the 1930s, an entertainer by the name of Dwight Latham appeared frequently with his band, the Jesters, on broadcast radio. In order to spice up their musical act, they added a generous amount of humorous stories and anecdotes.

On one occasion, while reading from the writings of Mark Twain, Latham became fascinated by a concept posited by Twain that is was theoretically possible for a man to become his own grandfather, if not genetically at least by pedigree, through a series of pedigree mishaps and ill-advised decisions.

In 1947, Dwight Latham teamed up with Moe Jaffe and brought this concept to life in a song entitled “I’m My Own Grandpa” also referred to as “I’m My Own Grandpaw”.  The song was witty and original and became an instant hit.  The song has endured and prospered over the years and is still sung with fondness around campfires and in comedy acts across the country.  If you are not familiar with the tune to the song it can be found on YouTube or iTunes as well as on numerous published recordings. 

The Lyrics to I’m My Own Grandpa are shown below:



I’m My Own Grandpa

Many, many years ago when I was twenty-three
I was 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 they, too, were wed.

This made my dad my son-in-law and changed my very life
For my daughter was my mother, 'cause she was my father's wife.
To complicate the matter, even though 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.

My father's wife then had a son who kept them on the run
And he became my grand-child, 'cause 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 nearly drives me wild
For now I have become the strangest case you ever saw
(This has got to be the strangest thing I ever saw)
As husband of my grandmother, I am my own grandpaw.

Chorus
I'm my own grandpaw
I'm my own grandpaw
It sounds funny I know
but it really is so
Oh, I'm my own grandpaw.