Lyr Req: The Barking Creek Bell-Ringer's Daughter

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Search for octopus and flagellation song
From: GUEST,David
Date: 03 Apr 07 - 01:20 PM

Poem performed and recorded by poet William Bealby-Wright (Barrow Poets) of Isle of Man
Possibly written by Paddy Roberts, although I have seen it attributed to Anon

The Barking Creek Bell Ringers bell it was rung
When the fog hung down thick on the water
but its not over Barking Creek Bell my songs sung
But the Barking Creek Bell Ringers daughter

..The octopus turned inside out with a gulp
But Snout became even distraugher
And he sliced them all up, and he beat to a pulp
the barking Creek Bell Ringers daughter

it goes on forever!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Search for octopus and flagellation song
From: SouthernCelt
Date: 03 Apr 07 - 03:51 PM

I tried to find the lyrics to "Mrs. Ravoon" in the db but got no result. I realize the message that referred to it being there was posted ten years ago, but I didn't realize anything ever disappeared from the db. I didn't read every message here so did I miss something along the way?

SC

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Search for octopus and flagellation song
From: Bill D
Date: 03 Apr 07 - 04:04 PM

dunno where you looked, but a DB search on "Ravoon"
gives..this

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Search for octopus and flagellation song
From: SouthernCelt
Date: 03 Apr 07 - 07:06 PM

Thanks, BillD. I tried searching the DT for "Mrs. Ravoon" and I get no hits. If you search for "Ravoon" though you do get it. Is there something about multiple words or abbreviations not being searchable?

SC

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Search for octopus and flagellation song
From: Bill D
Date: 03 Apr 07 - 10:00 PM

hmmm...you got me. I don't know what multiple terms do, but it sure doesn't work on
"Mrs. Ravoon"
Mrs. Ravoon
Mrs Ravoon

but does on Ravoon.

I 'usually' keep searches to the simplest form I can, just to be safe.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE BARKING CREEK BELL-RINGER'S DAUGHTER
From: GUEST,Fantum
Date: 19 Jul 10 - 12:51 PM

Here is a set of words with the requisite form. Bit late but I have just found the thread. I have it as a poem and I got it from the monologue site Make 'em laugh. Sadly I have no author but thrice blessed may he be.


BARKING CREEK BELL-RINGER'S DAUGHTER

The Barking Creek bell-ringer's bell it gets rung
When the fog lies thick on the water,
Though it's not of the Barking Creek bell my song's sung
But of the Barking Creek bell-ringer's daughter.

Now she was so lovely, so fair and so squat
That conductors fell off of their buses
As she walked down Cable Street bearing on top
Her bath full of live octopuses.

And all down her back from shoulder to thigh
Their tentacles hung down in tresses,
As sweetly she'd sing, "Won't you cough up and buy
My octopus, live octopuses?"

Now one day in August the sunshine was spread
On her wares that she proudly was bearing,
And the blowflies all glittered and buzzed round her head
Like the halos that angels are wearing.

As on the embankment her stock she laid out
In that far from salubrious quarter,
She aroused the wild passions of Algernon Stout
An unemployed Billingsgate porter.

Now Stout was a villain who wallowed in crime
Who lived under some derelict barges
And the day being hot, was laid out on the slime
Where the Barking Creek sewer discharges.

He crouched on the crust as the maiden drew nigh
Her petticoats all of a-splatter.
He licked his fat lips then, suddenly, like
A wild rhino-sore-arse, flew at her.

His head hit her first in a cloud of black dust
And the bath took off like a rocket
They crumpled and crashed till they broke through the crust
To the mud underneath which was clotted.

She pushed a large handful all slimy and green
Down his gob like a mouthful of jelly,
Then the bath full of octopus fell on the scene
Upside down on top of the melee.

Beneath it they struggled but Stout never knew
The danger to which he was liable.
An octopus, slyly, did stealthily glue
Its sucker upon his left eyeball.

Now vainly Stout struggled to loosen its grip
And attempted the monster to throttle,
When his eye came away with a pop and rip
With the sound like a cork from a bottle.

When Algernon spied he was only one-eyed
He was filled with distraught irritation,
And grabbed the poor octopus by its inside
As a weapon of flag-e-olation.

The octopus turned inside out with a gulp
As Stout's actions got even distraughter.
He sliced them all up and beat to a pulp
The Barking Creek bell-ringer's daughter.

Now there's some literati what's going to complain
That a moral should here be appended,
Whilst others, as surely, will loudly maintain
That it's high time the bloody thing ended.

But all you bum critics take notice from me
If you're of the feminine gender,
That in Barking today, there's a vacancy
For a lady-like octopus vendor.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Search for octopus and flagellation song
From: Aeola
Date: 19 Jul 10 - 02:55 PM

Just flicking thru' and saw this thread. I learnt this monologue many years ago, having heard it on the radio but could never find the origin.So thanks -- I can chase up a few links, you never know!!

Subject: RE: Algenon Pide?
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 01 Aug 11 - 02:02 AM

The song (recitation, actually) is THE BARKING CREEK BELL-RINGER'S DAUGHTER and the text has been posted here.

It has to be the right one because it mentions "octopuses" and "flag-e-olation."

There is a character named Algernon in it, but his last name is Stout. I have no idea where "Pide" comes from.