Lyr Req: Doctor Shelley (from Harry Champion)

Subject: Lyr Req: DOCTOR SHELLEY (from Harry Champion)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 02 Feb 11 - 09:50 AM

You can hear this music-hall song at The Internet Archive.

There are several gaps in my transcription, and several more words that are questionable. I would appreciate your help in correcting these.

DOCTOR SHELLEY
Words and music by Edgar Bateman and Huntley Trevor
As sung by Harry Champion, 1914.

1. In me you see a doctor who has won a great renown.
I only charge 'em tuppence ... instead of half a crown.
I cure the ..., the whooping cough, the measles and the flu.
You can pay me by installments if you give an I.O.U.

I'm Shelley! Good old Doctor Shelley!
No matter what complaint you've got, I can cure you on the spot.
If you've got the slightest pain in your Darby Kelly,
Bring the little Marys round to me, Good old Doctor Shelley!

2. A chap named mister Junger who was ill in bed for days,
He got a ... down his neck ...
They ... him with emetics and ... don't you see,
But nothing seemed to answer so they sent him round to me.

I'm Shelley! good old Doctor Shelley!
He said, "Oh, doctor, do be quick, or I shall go right up the stick."
I dropped ... right down his throat into his Dardanelly,
Turned old guv'nor inside out. Good old Doctor Shelley!

3. This morn I heard the night-bell as the clock was striking two.
Standing on the steps was a big cock-a-doodle-doo.
He said, "Oh, doctor, come at once ... got a bad attack.
She's twisted up; I took her in; she cannot ... back."

I'm Shelley! Good old Doctor Shelley!
I cured his wife in half a mo'. You should have heard that rooster crow.
... water in some chloroform so smelly.
Now she's laying hard-boiled eggs. Good old Doctor Shelley!

4. I had to go and see a man who couldn't eat his grub.
He'd worn his spinal column out through holding up a pub.
I had to take his backbone out and mend it with some cork.
But as his back was ... dinner slice of pork.

I'm Shelley! Good old Doctor Shelley!
Here's a testimonial: He ... his old girl.
Now when he sits round the fire, ... and smelly,
He's got buttons up his back. Good old Doctor Shelley!

REPEAT LAST CHORUS.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Doctor Shelley (from Harry Champion)
From: GUEST,joolz
Date: 06 Oct 12 - 05:49 PM

The second verse is a joke about Jonah and the whale but I'm missing a word or two...

2. A chap named mister Jonah who was ill in bed for days,
He'd got a whalebone down his neck throughout ...
They tried him with emetics and a stomach pump you see,
But nothing seemed to answer so they sent him round to me.

I'm Shelley! good old Doctor Shelley!
He said, "Oh, doctor, do be quick, or I shall go right up the stick."
I dropped my tongs right down his throat into his Dardanelly,
Turned old Jonah inside out. Good old Doctor Shelley!

To me the last line of 3 sounds like 'She's twisted her bazooka and she cannot get it back."' ?!?!?!?!

The missing bit in following section is related to the joke of laying hard boiled eggs as he:

Gave her boiling water and some chloroform so smelly.

In 4 he sings:

But as his back was narrow I shoved in a slice of pork.

I'm sure the last section, right after 'fire' he mentions crackling, as in pork crackling, but I can't make it all out.

I also hear 'thruppence' instead of tuppence in the fist verse but am not 100%.

I hope my bits help you to figure out the rest and that you will share your thoughts as I'm a huge fan of Harry Champion.

cheerz

joolz

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Doctor Shelley (from Harry Champion)
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 06 Oct 12 - 07:23 PM

Here's what I hear.

(You can also see a transcription of a 1915 version at Doctor Shelley 1915).


Mick

---

DOCTOR SHELLEY
(Words and music by Edgar Bateman and Huntley Trevor)


1. In me you see a doctor who has won a great renown.
I only charge 'em thruppence cash instead of half a crown.
I cure the rats?, the whooping cough, the measles and the flu.
You can pay me by installments if you give an I.O.U.

I'm Shelley! Good old Doctor Shelley!
No matter what complaint you've got, I can cure you on the spot.
If you've got the slightest pain in your Darby Kelly,
Bring the little Marys round to me, Good old Doctor Shelley!

2. A chap named mister Jonah who was ill in bed for days,
He's got a whale bone down his neck ?throughout the servants' stays?
They tried him with emetics and and a stomach pump you see,
But nothing seemed to answer so they sent him round to me.

I'm Shelley! good old Doctor Shelley!
He said, "Oh, doctor, do be quick, or I shall go right up the stick."
I dropped the tongs right down his throat into his Dardanelly,
Turned old Jonah inside out. Good old Doctor Shelley!

3. This morn I heard the night-bell as the clock was striking two.
Standing on the steps was a big cock-a-doodle-doo.
He said, "Oh, doctor, come at once me hen's got a bad attack.
She's twisted her bazooka and she cannot get it back."

I'm Shelley! Good old Doctor Shelley!
I cured his wife in half a mo'. You should have heard that rooster crow.
Gave her boiling water in some chloroform so smelly.
Now she's laying hard-boiled eggs. Good old Doctor Shelley!

4. I had to go and see a man who couldn't eat his grub.
He'd worn his spinal column out through holding up a pub.
I had to take his backbone out and mend it with some cork.
But as his back was narrow I shoved in a slice of pork.

I'm Shelley! Good old Doctor Shelley!
Here's a testimonial: He is cured cos his old girl
Now, when he sits round the fire, crackling she can smelly,
He's got buttons up his back. Good old Doctor Shelley!

REPEAT LAST CHORUS.


Source: As sung by Harry Champion, 1914.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Doctor Shelley (from Harry Champion)
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 06 Oct 12 - 07:36 PM

Sorry that link should be: Doctor Shelly 1915 (forgot to check it before I committed the post)

Perhaps a mudelf can fix it!

Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Doctor Shelley (from Harry Champion)
From: GUEST,joolz
Date: 06 Oct 12 - 08:52 PM

I was pretty close then :-)

I was sure I could hear thruppence and also 'throughout servants stay' but I agree it's probably (something) 'servant's stays' as stays were often made of whalebone and if Jonah was having hanky panky with a servant.....!

Do you put water *in* chloroform? I thought it was 'and', but thought he sang it abbreviated as "'n'".

I see you think it's bazooka too.

I knew there was crackling, but didn't get the line, thanks.

joolz

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Doctor Shelley (from Harry Champion)
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 07 Oct 12 - 12:33 PM

joolz

You could be right about that abbreviated and (as 'n') before the chloroform; I'll try and have a listen again later.

The bit before the stays I'm not sure about. It sounded like throughout when I listened yesterday, but it doesn't make the best sense, so it's probably something else. The stays part I'm pretty confident about.

Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Doctor Shelley (from Harry Champion)
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 07 Oct 12 - 02:05 PM

I've just had another listen. It really does seem to be in some chloroform.

I also had an idea that the Jonah line might be from out the servants' stays, but sadly it still sounds like throughout!

Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Doctor Shelley (from Harry Champion)
From: GUEST,joolz
Date: 07 Oct 12 - 03:53 PM

Maybe 'throughout' is 'through out' but he runs them together because of the speed he sings. Two separate statements, one saying the whalebone went through his neck, the second being the source of the whalebone....

He'd got a whalebone down his neck through / out the servant's stays

But maybe I'm clutching at straws? I've put my current version below.

I've commented on a few other Harry Champion lyrics as I'm a big fan :-)

joolz


DOCTOR SHELLEY
(Edgar Bateman/Huntley Trevor)
As sung by Harry Champion, 1914.

1. In me you see a doctor who has won a great renown.
I only charge 'em thruppence ... instead of half a crown.
I cure the ..., the whooping cough, the measles and the flu.
You can pay me by installments if you give an I.O.U.

I'm Shelley! Good old Doctor Shelley!
No matter what complaint you've got, I can cure you on the spot.
If you've got the slightest pain in your Darby Kelly,
Bring the little Marys round to me, Good old Doctor Shelley!

2. A chap named mister Jonah who was ill in bed for days,
He'd got a whalebone down his neck through out the servant's stays
They tried him with emetics and a stomach pump you see,
But nothing seemed to answer so they sent him round to me.

I'm Shelley! good old Doctor Shelley!
He said, "Oh, doctor, do be quick, or I shall go right up the stick."
I dropped my tongs right down his throat into his Dardanelly,
Turned old Jonah inside out. Good old Doctor Shelley!

3. This morn I heard the night-bell as the clock was striking two.
Standing on the steps was a big cock-a-doodle-doo.
He said, "Oh, doctor, come at once me hen's got a bad attack.
She's twisted her bazooka and she cannot get it back."

I'm Shelley! Good old Doctor Shelley!
I cured his wife in half a mo'. You should have heard that rooster crow.
Gave her boiling water and some chloroform so smelly.
Now she's laying hard-boiled eggs. Good old Doctor Shelley!

4. I had to go and see a man who couldn't eat his grub.
He'd worn his spinal column out through holding up a pub.
I had to take his backbone out and mend it with some cork.
But as his back was narrow I shoved in a slice of pork.

I'm Shelley! Good old Doctor Shelley!
Here's a testimonial: He is cured 'cos his old girl.
Now when he sits round the fire, crackling she can smelly,
He's got buttons up his back. Good old Doctor Shelley!

REPEAT LAST CHORUS.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Doctor Shelley (from Harry Champion)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 07 Oct 12 - 04:04 PM

1
I cure the rash......
2
He's got a whalebone down his neck; throw out the servants' stays.

My take on these lines.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Doctor Shelley (from Harry Champion)
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 07 Oct 12 - 04:57 PM

They both sound good Q. I think that might finish this one.

Mick