Lyr Req: Barrow Boy (cockney song)

Subject: cockney song lyric
From: GUEST,John
Date: 01 May 08 - 06:10 PM

There is a cockney song that I cannot track down the lyrics for. The bits I know are:

"All my life a lived among the slums of Cannington
Surrounded by the bricks and all the mortar
By I push my barrow...etc"

What are the complete lyrics and what is the name of the song?

Any help please?

John

Subject: RE: cockney song lyric
From: GUEST,patty o'dawes
Date: 01 May 08 - 08:13 PM

Can't help with the song, but it would make more sense if it was 'Canning Town'? At least that's in London.

Subject: RE: cockney song lyric
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 02 May 08 - 08:49 AM

or Kennington - but Canning Town is in East London, so is more likely to be "Cockney".

Subject: RE: cockney song lyric
From: Bert
Date: 02 May 08 - 12:40 PM

Unless it's a new song, I don't think it would be Canning Town. That's where I'm from and if there was an old song about it then Dad would have known it.

Subject: RE: cockney song lyric
From: Bugsy
Date: 03 May 08 - 12:37 AM

Sounds very much like "All my life I've wanted to be a barrow boy"

\\
CHeers
\

Bugsy

Subject: RE: cockney song lyric
From: GUEST,john
Date: 03 May 08 - 02:04 AM

Getting warmer. It's called "Barrow Boy", and has nothing to do with another song called "ELI, the barrow boy. I still need the words though...

Subject: RE: cockney song lyric
From: Bugsy
Date: 03 May 08 - 11:00 PM

All me life I wanted to be a barrah boy
A barrow boy I always wanted to be
I wheels me barrah it fills me up with pride
I'm a Costa, a Costa from over the other side
I turned me back on all the high society
Take me where the ripe bananas grow
I sells 'em a dozen a shillin'
That's how I makes me livin'
I should have been a barrah boy years ago
(get off me barrah)
I should have been a barrah boy years ago.

(Costa, short for Costa monger)

I don't know any more than that I'm afraid.

Do you know any more verses Bert?


Cheers


Bugsy

Subject: RE: cockney song lyric
From: Bugsy
Date: 04 May 08 - 01:43 AM

That should of course be Coster Mongers


CHeers


Bugsy

Subject: RE: cockney song lyric
From: GUEST
Date: 22 May 08 - 02:39 AM

First verse!!!

Up the apples and pears and across the Rory o'Moore
Up to see me dear old trouble and strife.
On the Cain and Abel you will always see
A pair of Jack the Rippers and a cup of Rosie Lee.
What could be better than this, a bit of a cuddle and kiss
Out beneath the pale moonlight.
When little Tommy Tucker goes up to Uncle Ned
Blows out the 'Arry Randle and a jolly good night instead.

Then Bugsy's bit....cheers Josh

Subject: RE: cockney song lyric
From: GUEST,tommy coyle
Date: 25 May 10 - 07:19 PM

Im born bread a barrow boy and we sing the courous in a mornin at work im avin a 21st and im trying to get the lyrics together for a singer and pionist to perform it! If any one can help be such great help thanks

Subject: RE: cockney song lyric
From: Nerd
Date: 25 May 10 - 07:36 PM

I found what seems to be a full set here:

http://londonbobby.com/lblyric.htm

Up the apples and pears and across the Rory o'Moore
Up to see me dear old trouble and strife.
On the Cain and Abel you will always see
A pair of Jack the Rippers and a cup of Rosie Lee.
What could be better than this, a bit of a cuddle and kiss
Out beneath the pale moonlight.
When little Tommy Tucker goes up to Uncle Ned
Blows out the 'Arry Randle and a jolly good night instead.

All me life I wanted to be a barrer boy,
A barrer boy I've always wanted to be.
I wheels me barrer, I pushes it with pride,
I'm a coster, a coster, from over the other side.
I turns me back on all the old society
I'm going where the ripe bananas grow.
I sells 'em a dozen a shilling, that's 'ow I makes me living,
I ought to 'ave been a barrer boy years ago.
(Get off me barrer!)
I ought to 'ave been a barrer boy years ago.

Best of luck, Tommy!

Subject: RE: cockney song lyric
From: Tug the Cox
Date: 25 May 10 - 07:45 PM

What's 'cuddle and kiss' Rhyming slang for?
The whole thing is 'Mockney' the whole point of rhyming slang, a trader's cant, is that you only spoke the first ( non-rhyming )bit, so others couldn't tell what you were saying, e.g Butcher's ( hook) China ( plate) Rubber ( dub). In terms of authentic slang its just a load of Flowers ( and frolics).

Subject: RE: cockney song lyric
From: Bert
Date: 26 May 10 - 05:33 AM

Subject: RE: cockney song lyric
From: Bert
Date: 26 May 10 - 05:37 AM

Whoops that disappeared.

Rhyming slang was used predominantly in the building trade, later it spread to the general population.

Traders, particularly Butchers and Grocers used Back Slang "kcab gnals" which was pronounced kaycab geenals.

Subject: RE: cockney song lyric
From: bubblyrat
Date: 26 May 10 - 05:43 AM

Isn't a Cuddle ( and Kiss ) something you'd need after a few Britneys? And certainly before you had a Melvyn !!

Subject: RE: cockney song lyric
From: Tug the Cox
Date: 26 May 10 - 08:03 AM

from wikipedia

although John Camden Hotten in his 1859 Dictionary of Modern Slang, Cant and Vulgar Words states that (English) rhyming slang originated in the 1840s with 'chaunters' and 'patterers' (each a kind of travelling salesman; chaunters sold sheet music and patterers sold cheap tawdry goods at fairs and markets up and down the country) in the Seven Dials area of Westminster.[4][5]

Subject: RE: cockney song lyric
From: Bert
Date: 26 May 10 - 08:11 AM

That would be a "Hit and a miss" Bubblyrat, or more often a Jimmy (Riddle)or even, politely "I'm going for a James Conundrum".

And it is also quite in order to make them up as you go along and leave the listener to guess.

Subject: RE: cockney song lyric
From: Tug the Cox
Date: 26 May 10 - 11:42 AM

Always knew it as a Gypsies ( Kiss), as well as a Jimmy,as reported by Bert.

Subject: RE: cockney song lyric
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 26 May 10 - 12:36 PM

Among my family and circle of associates. "Hit n' Miss" was not used for the act of taking a piss but going out on the piss. "Going out on the Hitt 'n" which in my family was pronounced "Eaton". Naturally we never pronounced the "H".

Hoot

Subject: RE: cockney song lyric
From: Bert
Date: 26 May 10 - 03:29 PM

We would always "go dahn the Battle Cruiser"

Subject: RE: cockney song lyric
From: Tug the Cox
Date: 26 May 10 - 07:56 PM

What..the Rubber ( Dub) ?

Subject: RE: cockney song lyric
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 26 May 10 - 09:38 PM

The catalogue of the National Library of Australia lists something called THE BARROW BOY SONG, words and music by Art Noel, Frank Walsh & Joe Burle*, copyright 1950; the cover marked "Recorded by Barry O'Dowd on Talent City Records."

* I suspect the name has been truncated. The British Library says "Joe Burley"; it also lists Harry Bull as one of the authors.

The sheet music is not viewable online, and the catalogue entry doesn't quote any lyrics, so I can't confirm that it's the right song.

The 1950 date surprises me; I think I've seen this referred to as a "music hall song" which would imply it's older, right? Or was that incorrect?

There have been other threads seemingly about the same song:
Lyr Req: Barrow Boy
Lyr Req: ...to be a barrow boy / Barrer Boy
Lyr Req: barrer boy - flanigan & alan

There's also a set of lyrics in the thread:
Amusing Work Songs??

However, there is one detail that bothers me: although we have several copies of various songs called BARROW BOY / BARRER BOY, none of them contains anything even remotely resembling the lines quoted by Guest John who started this thread, i.e.

"All my life a lived among the slums of Cannington [or "Canning Town"?]
Surrounded by the bricks and all the mortar..."

So—are we completely barking up the wrong tree (that is, have we failed to identify the song that John wanted), or is there a missing verse to THE BARROW BOY SONG that nobody seems to know?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: cockney song
From: GUEST,beccy 28.6.2011
Date: 30 Jun 11 - 04:26 AM

I think I may have the Verse to The Barra Boy


For many years I wandered round the streets of Canning Town
A Costa a Costa, I've always wanted to be,
I wheels be barrah it sticks to me with pride,
A Costa a Costa from over the other side.

Oh, all me life I wanted to be a barrah boy etc


Then it is the same as Buggsy wrote

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barrow Boy (cockney song)
From: GUEST,John ex Londoner now in Kent
Date: 05 Sep 13 - 11:24 AM

Rubadub or pub, for a drop o' pigs ear, beer

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barrow Boy (cockney song)
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 05 Sep 13 - 12:06 PM

Not this one then:
"Push me barra rahnd and rahnd,
Buy tomaters firm and sahnd,
Only 'alf a crahn a pahnd.
Get them from me barra
Walking the roads 'ere every day,
Soon as I get a place to stay,
Up comes a scuffer, I'm on me way.
"Shift yer bleedin' barrer"

Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barrow Boy (cockney song)
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Dec 17 - 02:47 PM

I have to go to a hospital for a blood test on a thursday morning.A old Welsh gentleman sings the Barra Boy song when he see me arrive,he learnt it during the second world war. Iworked on a family barra as a kid and later inherited it .Its a hard game.I also led a horse and cart selling sea food on a sunday morning.I am from north west london and live in South Wales my accent stands out like a sore thumb.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barrow Boy (cockney song)
From: Bugsy
Date: 23 Dec 17 - 05:46 AM

CUDDLE &KISSES = MISSUS = WIFE.

Cheers

Bugsy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barrow Boy (cockney song)
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Dec 17 - 12:42 AM

Howsabout "J. Arthur Rank"?
Jon

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barrow Boy (cockney song)
From: Bugsy
Date: 27 Dec 17 - 03:51 AM

are you pullin my chain Jon? and on Jesus' birthday too!

"One off the wrist" so to speak.


Cheers

bugsy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barrow Boy (cockney song)
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 28 Dec 17 - 06:46 AM

I would have thought this was a fairly well documented Music Hall song.

It certainly featured in programmes like the Billy Cotton Band Show and the later Good Old Days on TV.

I would also have thought there were a fair number of London folkies familiar with it but maybe they don't do mudflap.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barrow Boy (cockney song)
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Jul 20 - 03:08 AM

All my life I’ve lived among the slums of Canning Town
Surrounded by the bricks as well as the mortar
Now I know a fella his name is OLLIE Smith
And when he’s grinding scissors you’ll hear him singing this
All me lif I wanted to be a Barra boy
A barra boy I’ve always wanted to be
Etc etc

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barrow Boy (cockney song)
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Jul 20 - 03:24 AM

Amendment to my above post


They says I ain’t no good cos I’m a barra boy
But a barra boy I’ve always wanted to be
Etc etc

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barrow Boy (cockney song)
From: GUEST,London born in l936. Now in California.
Date: 19 Oct 20 - 05:28 PM

Out wiv me barra and me smoke I go, walkin me greens about,
Nice cauliflowers you can't beat ours, when you ear me say All luvly.
Nice broad beans, nice curly beans, taters all nice and floury.
Their cooked in alf an our and their like a ball of flour,
and me rhubarb is the talk of all the townie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barrow Boy (cockney song)
From: GUEST,Margaret from Hackney Wick London
Date: 06 Jan 22 - 02:05 PM

After our parents came back from the Pub with the crates at chucking out time, Home they went to Uncle John's house as he had a piano but no one played so a cousin up the street could so always came to the doo's as long as you put a full glass and plate of food she played all night.
When my Dad had his whistle wet he would always sing the Barrow Boy Song
Great Memories this was all in the 1950's and 60's.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barrow Boy (cockney song)
From: RunrigFan
Date: 06 Jan 22 - 09:34 PM

see this link

https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=45604

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barrow Boy (cockney song)
From: GUEST,Stiggles.
Date: 25 Jul 22 - 06:26 PM

All me life i've lived among the slums of Canning Town. surrounded by the bricks aswell as the mortar. now i knew a geezer, his name was oliver twist.. and everytime i see;s him you'd hear him holler this.. all me life i've wanted to be a barrer boy.. a barrer boy i've always wanted to be. now i pushes me barrer.. i sticks to it with pride.. coz i'm a coster .. a coster from over the other side.. i turns me back against the whole of society.. it take;s me where the ripe bananas grow.. they're only two pound a shilling.. it's how i earns me living.. i outta ave been a barrer boy years ago.. get orf me barrer.. i outta ave been a barrer boy years ago , two pound a   shilling .. i outta ave been a barrer boy years agooo oo..   this song was sung ( along with others ) on many an away trip following West Ham United in the 70s & 80s..   great memories..

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barrow Boy (cockney song)
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 26 Jul 22 - 05:13 AM

Joe Brown - Barrow Boy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzyAls4qqbs