ADD: Mary Ellen at the Church Turned Up

Subject: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: Lanfranc
Date: 21 Oct 00 - 08:05 PM

OK, 'catters - a challenge.

The is an old music hall song with a chorus that begins:

"Mary Ellen at the church turned up, her Ma turned up and her Pa turned up. Her sister Gert, and her rich uncle Bert and the vicar in a long white shirt turned up....'

Anyone know the rest of it, verses too???

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: roopoo
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 02:44 AM

Oh Lord, this is one getting dragged from the back recesses! Apologies for the presentation.

Mary Ellen at the church turned up/ Her ma turned up, and her pa turned up/ Her sister Gert and her rich Uncle Bert/ and the parson in his long white shirt turned up.

But no bridegroom with the ring turned up/ and a telegraph boy with his nose turned up/ with a telegram to say that he'd passed away/ and they'd find him in the river with his toes turned up!

I can't remember who taught me that. It might have been my dad, but I'm sure I was in "single figures" at the time!

Andrea

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 08:28 AM

This isn't the same Mary Ellen who's intended was so shy is it?

LTS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: roopoo
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 12:24 PM

Well she turned up, so she wasn't as shy as her bloke!

Andrea

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: roopoo
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 02:32 AM

P'raps it should read as: then a telegraph boy...

I haven't been able to get the blasted thing out of my head since yesterday. It was bad enough when I was 9! Would you believe that in the many solitary play times I had as an only child, I used to try and invent skipping games and two-ball games (and you can all shut up before you start!) to the rhythm of the words.

I can't really remember the tune apart from something vague for the first couple of lines. Perhaps my dad or whoever taught it me didn't know the tune all that well either. It's obviously a music hall song. I wonder who originally did it?

Andrea

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: GUEST,Mike cahill
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 02:48 AM

I can remember that the teligram said "I can't get away to marry you today, My wife won't let me"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: alison
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 03:12 AM

Mike.... that telgram was from

There was I waiting at the church
waiting at the church
waiting at the church
When I found he'd left me in the lurch
Oh, how it did upset me (boo hoo)
All at once he sent me round a note
Here's the very note
and this is what he wrote
can't get away to marry you today,
My wife won't let me

another music hall type song

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: alison
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 03:13 AM

mind you...... was that the second part of the same song??...... haven't sung it since I was a little kid at ballet lessons.....

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: alison
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 03:52 AM

Nope different songs

waiting at the church

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: Lanfranc
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 12:32 PM

Sorry, Mouldy, didn't mean to burden you with nostalgia.

Please keep trying, it's haunting me, too.

Mudcats as exorcists - watch out for ethnic greenslime!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: GUEST,Mike Cahill
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 04:59 PM

Thanks for the correction alison I came back to this thread to admit I'd got it wrong It was buzzing around my head all day. Sorry WMDC (my employers)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: roopoo
Date: 24 Oct 00 - 02:41 AM

Mike, if I see you in the pub tonight, I'll try and chant it at you. (He's heard my singing!) Mind you, if you don't know that one, I don't know who will...

And sort your cookie out, lad!

Andrea

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: Brakn
Date: 24 Oct 00 - 03:50 AM

I know of these three about Mary Ellen.

I'm Shy Mary Ellen, I'm Shy
Mary Ellen At The Church
I Met Mary Ellen At Th'Isle Of Man

Will dig out the words tot the one you want in the next couple of hours if I can find it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: roopoo
Date: 24 Oct 00 - 04:14 AM

I have just spoken to my mum (84, and hating it!) and she says she knew it as a long-rope skipping rhyme around 1925. (It's obviously older than that. To me it feels Edwardian). Now at least I know who taught it to me! She says she never knew any more of it, and that to her it seems complete. She also says it should be: "with a telegram to say that he couldn't come that day/ and they'd find him in the river with his toes turned up."

Probably the reason I don't know the tune is because my mum must have known it as a sort of chant, and anyway is a far worse singer than me. She avoids any form of singing as she cannot sing a note in tune at all. (I occasionally manage one or two).

Andrea

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: Brakn
Date: 24 Oct 00 - 04:47 AM

Basically the same as what's been posted before except for a couple of lines.

Mary Ellen at the church turned up
Her Da turned up and her Ma turned up
And her little sister Gert, and her rich uncle Bert
And the Pastor with his long white shirt turned up

But no bridegroom with the ring turned up
The telegram boy with his nose turned up
Brought the telegram which read, that he didn't want to wed
So you'll find him in the river with his toes turned up

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: Lanfranc
Date: 24 Oct 00 - 06:57 PM

OK, another fragment, this time the verse:

"In our little village there has been a tragedy
Deary deary me, what a terrible tragedy,
Mary Ellen Bottomley, she was to have been wed
But when she turned up at the church, this is what they said
Mary Ellen at the church... etc."

There is at least one other verse that ends up:
"If there had been a wedding, there'd have been a funeral, too."

(Thanks to Dom Bonito for the above)

I will leave no turn unstoned until I have the complete lyrics. This is my Holy Grail (well, at least until the next obsession bites!)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: roopoo
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 02:43 AM

Well that's something my mum will be interested in. Funny how it reduced down to a bit of playground doggerel, isn't it? I wonder when it actually dates from. It's not in the Opie book "Lore and Language of Schoolchildren", and I never heard anyone else use it. My mum was at school in the East Midlands. Maybe it was just something that developed at her school.

Keep looking! I'm as interested as you!

Andrea

Oh, and Mike, I meant in the pub tonight! Got me days crossed yesterday. Kids off for half-term break does that to me!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: GUEST,steve r
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 07:16 AM

wrong music hall song

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: Lanfranc
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 07:39 PM

Refresh the parts other fora cannot reach

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 09:46 PM

Mary Ellen at the church turned up.
Her Pa turned up and her Ma turned up.
Her sister Gert, her little brother Bert,
And the parson with his long white shirt turned up.
But no bridegroom with the ring turned up,
But a telegraph boy with his nose turned up.
When the telegram was read, he didn't want to wed,
And you'll find him in the river with his toes turned up.

Don't know if there are any other verses but I hope this helps Billy bee

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: Lanfranc
Date: 27 Oct 00 - 05:27 PM

Great so far - even sang it as far as we've got on HearMe, but still lacking verses.

Please don't give up, it's too tantalising.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: GUEST,steven
Date: 03 May 01 - 01:11 PM

I have been looking for these lyrics for years..my dad sang this relentlessly when i was a lad....at last I have the words and i will also sing it relentlessley... and i proved the song wrong because I married a Mary-Ellen...ah well ....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: wysiwyg
Date: 04 May 01 - 03:00 AM

LOL!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: roopoo
Date: 04 May 01 - 03:04 AM

Keep on diggin'!

Andrea

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: Wavestar
Date: 04 May 01 - 06:41 AM

It's been recorded on one of the February Tapes with Gordon Bok and Anne Dodson, if anyone has a copy. I don't remember if there are more words than that.

Kendall, can you help?

-J

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: KathWestra
Date: 04 May 01 - 11:10 AM

The February Tapes version (which is at home, so I don't remember who sang it -- it wasn't Gordon or Anne, though, but a bloke with an English accent, maybe Dave Goulder), is basically the same as those here, with the exception of the last two lines, which the singer sings:

...with a telegram that said that he didn't want to wed,
So they bunged him in the river with his toes turned up.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: GUEST,giles
Date: 28 Feb 06 - 06:47 AM

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: GUEST,Giles
Date: 28 Feb 06 - 06:52 AM

Nothing seemed to come out on last post - try again:

My Granny used to sing this to us when we were in the bath. We remember the last bit of the song as:

The Telegraph boy with his nose turned up
Brought a telegram to say
He can't marry you today
Cos you'll will find him in the river
With his toes turned up.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: GUEST,Bainbo
Date: 28 Feb 06 - 07:29 AM

I used to have it on an old 78 of my grandad's, but I can't for the life of me remember who sang it. The name may have been Jack something.

There was the verse given above, which starts "In our little village ...", then the chorus "Mary Ellen at the church turned up..."
then another verse:
"The people waiting at the church, they nearly blocked the road
They were waiting in the road for the money the bridegroom owed.
"My heart is broken!" cried the bride, so Jim - the butcher's son -
rushed into the shop and brought her out another one.

Mary Ellen at the church turned up..." etc

The song was just called "Turned Up."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: GUEST,Steve_Cooperator
Date: 28 Feb 06 - 07:38 AM

"Turned Up," Published B. Feldman & Co 1924. (Castling & Rule) sung by Florrie Forde and (as usually accredited) Lily Morris.

I have a copy of the original published songsheet somewhere, and as soon as I find it I will post the published lyrics.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church Turned Up
From: GUEST,GUEST Ellen
Date: 09 Apr 06 - 06:42 AM

I too have been searching for words and lyrics for Mary Ellen at the church turned up. I am pleased to have found this link
Any help would be appreciated.
Thankyou.
Ellen

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church Turned Up
From: GUEST,GUEST Ellen
Date: 09 Apr 06 - 06:47 AM

Sorry. I should have said Words and Music, not words and Lyrics.
Ellen

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: GUEST,Barbs
Date: 31 Jan 07 - 09:38 AM

Mary ellen at the church turned up
Her ma turned up and her pa turned up
Her sister Gert her rich Uncle Burt
The parson in his long white shirt turned up
but no bridegroom with a ring turned up
but a telegram boy with his nose tured up
brought a telegram to say that the couldn't wed today
and they would find him in the river with his toes turned up!!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: Leadfingers
Date: 31 Jan 07 - 10:00 AM

In our little village there has been a tragedy
Dearie Dearie me , such a terrible tragedy
Mary Ellen Bottomley today should have been wed
Its a good job that she wasnt now as all the people said

Mary Ellen at the church turned up
Her Ma turned up and her Pa turned up
Her sister Gert , her rich uncle Bert
The parson in his long white shirt turned up
But no bridegroom with a ring turned up
But a Telegraph Boy with his nose turned up
Brought a Telegram That said he didnt want to wed
They could find him in the river with his toes turned up

The people waiting at the church they nearly blocked the road
They waited down the road for the money the bridegroom owed
My Heart is broken cried the bride , so Jim the butchers son
Went into the shop and brought her out another one

Weeks went by and someone found the bridegroom wasnt drowned
They went around and found him asleep in bed so sound
His real wife had been waiting by the chrurch that day , its true
And she said If there'd been a wedding there'd have been a funeral too


There you are ! Three verses AND the chorus !

Subject: Lyr Add: TURNED UP (Herbert Rule & Harry Castling)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 10:43 PM

The National Library of Australia has the sheet music. Only a few words are different from what was posted above:
^^
TURNED UP!
Herbert Rule & Harry Castling, 1924.

1. In our little village, there has been a tragedy.
Deary, deary me, such a terrible tragedy!
Mary Ellen Bottomley today should have been wed.
It's a good job that she didn't now, so everybody said.

CHORUS: Mary Ellen at the church turned up,
Her mother turned up, and her dad turned up.
Her sister Gert, and her rich uncle Bert,
And the parson in his long white shirt turned up;
But no bridegroom with the ring turned up;
But a telegraph boy with his nose turned up
Brought a telegram that said he didn't want to wed,
And they'd find him in the river with his toes turned up.

2. The people waiting at the church they fairly blocked the road.
They waited in the road for the money the bridegroom owed.
"My heart is broken," cried the bride, so Jim, the butcher's son,
He rushed into his shop and brought her out another one.

3. A week went by, then someone learned the bridegroom wasn't drowned.
He went around and found John asleep in his bed so sound.
His real wife she was waiting at the church that day, it's true;
Said, "If there'd been a wedding, there'd have been a funeral, too."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: GUEST,lorrie johnstone
Date: 03 Jun 07 - 03:46 AM

my grand dad used to sing this to my granny back in the 1920's. this is the first verse, there is another one, and i don't remember the lead in. by the way it's a north england song and a mary ellen back then was a name for a lady of poor reputation.


i'm shy mary ellen i'm shy
it does seem so naughty oh my
kissing and loving is nice so they say
but how to do it i don't know the way
so if you put your arm round my waist
i promise i won't scream or cry
and you do the kissing and cuddling instead
for i'm shy mary ellem i'm shy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: kendall
Date: 03 Jun 07 - 02:45 PM

Yes, it was Dave Goulder who sang it on the February tape.

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Aug 07 - 08:18 PM

My grandmother used to call me "a right mary ellen" as a child. now I understand why! by the way im only thirty and mt grandmother and I are also from the north of England.

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: GUEST,Michael Mills
Date: 13 Mar 08 - 05:59 PM

My Grandma taught me this song when i was a little boy and i used to sit on the toilet singing it to myself. Not knowing my mum was listening to me. Now i have my own daughter, my mum keeps saying i need to teach it to my daughter to pass it on to the next generation. Here is the version my Grandma taught me, the only thing you can't compare on here is the actual tune everyone sings to it, but here are my lyrics.

Mary Ellen at the church turned up,
her ma tunred up and her pa turned up,
her auntie Gert, her rich uncle Bert,
the parson in the long white shirt turned up,
no bridegroom but the ring turned up,
then the telegraph boy with his nose turned up,
with a telegram that read, he didn't want to wed,
and they found him in the river with his toes turned up!!!

My e-mail is [e-mail] if anyone wants to contact me about this

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: GUEST,sandy
Date: 27 Mar 08 - 10:50 AM

sorry you're all wrong
it's
just a telegram boy with his nose turned up
with a telegram that said
that he didn't want to wed
and you'll find him in the river with his toes turned up

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: GUEST,Alf Russell
Date: 23 Jun 08 - 03:40 PM

But, no bridegroom with the ring turned up.
then a telegram boy with a note turned up.
Says he doesn't want to wed... (can't remember)
and they'd find him in the river with his toes turned up.

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: GUEST,Jane
Date: 03 Nov 08 - 07:48 AM

Fantastic, Mudcat always knows. My 92 year old dad who lives with us has been fretting over 'you'll find me in the river with me toes turned up' for a week or more. Says he heard it on Uncle Monty's record when he,Dad, was about 5. He'll be thrilled to have the words, thanks all, Jane.

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: GUEST,charlotte
Date: 21 Nov 08 - 02:59 PM

I have been looking for this song and so happy to find further details on it- I cant actually find the song played any where, which is unfortunate. My Grandma always sang us this song when we were little girls.

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: GUEST,GUEST, Rog
Date: 19 Jan 09 - 02:35 PM

The version that my ma used to sing in the 1940's ended'

A telegraph boy with his nose turned up
Brought a telegram to say
He couldn't wed today
And they'd find him in the river with his toes turned up.

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: GUEST,Lindsay
Date: 04 May 09 - 11:13 AM

Mary Ellen at the church turned up Her Ma turned up and her Pa turned up/Her sister Gert and their rich Uncle Bert and the parson in his long white shirt turned up/But no bridegroom with the ring turned up/just a telegraph boy with his nose turned up/With a telegram that said he didn't care to wed and they found him in the river with his toes turned up!

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: GUEST,shongolollo
Date: 30 Jun 09 - 08:15 PM

the version my mum used to sing was identical except: the telegram read, he'd sooner not be wed.

amazing how these mucic hall fragments survive yet. I have written down a dozen or more that my mum used to sing, circa 1955-75. I can also sing most of them and will write down the music for anyone interested.

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: GUEST,Alec
Date: 13 Nov 09 - 01:27 PM

QUOTE
"But no bridegroom with the ring turned up/ and a telegraph boy with his nose turned up/ with a telegram to say that he'd passed away/ and they'd find him in the river with his toes turned up!"

I knew this as -

No bridegroom with the ring turned up/ but a telegram boy with his nose turned up/ bought a note that said that he didn't want to wed/ and they'd find him in the river with his toes turned up!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: GUEST,Bridie, Aldergrove, British Columbia
Date: 20 Aug 11 - 03:24 PM

Mary Ellen at the Church turned up, her Ma turned up and her Pa turned up
Her sister Gert and her rich uncle Bert and the Parson with his long white shirt turned up
But no bridegroom with the ring turned up, but a telegraph boy with his nose turned up
Brought a message that read - he didn't want to wed
And you'll find him in the river with his toes turned up.

Also another of the lovely old music hall songs my great aunt Polly sang to us in the 40's:

There was I waiting at the Church, waiting at the Church, waiting at the Church,
When all at once he left me in the lurch, Oh how it did upset me, da da
All at once he sent me round a note, sent me round a note, and this is what he wrote
"I can't get away to marry you today my wife wont let me!"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 20 Aug 11 - 06:48 PM

Bridie: The second song you quoted is WAITING AT THE CHURCH. Complete lyrics have been posted here.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: kendall
Date: 20 Aug 11 - 08:13 PM

Dave Goulder sang it this way:

Mary Ellen as the bride turned up
Her Ma turned up and her Pa turned up
Her auntie Gert and her rich Uncle Bert
And the Parson in his long white shirt turned up
But no bridegroom with the ring turned up
Until a little boy with his nose turned up
Brought a telegram that said the he didn't want to wed
So, they bunged him in the river with his nose turned up.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Sep 11 - 07:13 PM

My old man JVK loved this but always sang


Mary Ellen as the bride turned up
Her Ma turned up and her Pa turned up
FAT auntie Gert and her rich Uncle Bert
And the Parson in a long white shirt turned up
But no bridegroom with the ring turned up
But a telegraph boy with his nose turned up
With a telegram that said the he didn't want to wed
And they found him in the river with his nose turned up.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Mary Ellen at the Church turned up
From: Billy Weeks
Date: 16 Sep 11 - 02:36 PM

'Toes turned up'. Better dead than wed.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Mary Ellen at the Church Turned Up
From: GUEST,Bob Moore
Date: 22 Aug 12 - 12:12 PM

Mary Allen at the church turned up,
and her pa turned up and her ma turned up.
Her big sister Gert and her rich uncle Bert,
and a tall white parson with his shirt turned up.

But no bridegroom with the ring turned up,
but a telegraph boy with a note turned up.
A note that said the Groom wouldn't wed,
'cause they'd find him in the river with his toes turned up.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Mary Ellen at the Church Turned Up
From: GUEST,jim
Date: 16 Aug 13 - 06:37 AM

any one know the guitar chords to mary ellen at the chuch turned up

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Mary Ellen at the Church Turned Up
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 16 Aug 13 - 08:08 PM

I wonder if one of these songs was in the back of Stan Rogers mind when he picked on the name Mary Ellen Carter...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Mary Ellen at the Church Turned Up
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 17 Aug 13 - 08:43 PM

GUEST,jim: I can't help with the chords, but someone more musically literate than I should be able to figure them out from the sheet music, which can be viewed at the website of the National Library of Australia: click here.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Mary Ellen at the Church Turned Up
From: GUEST,Dave Cox
Date: 27 Jun 14 - 01:19 AM

The version my Gloucestershire Mum used to sing was "the telegram said 'You'll find me dead'; and they found him in the river" etc.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Mary Ellen at the Church Turned Up
From: GUEST,#
Date: 27 Jun 14 - 09:53 AM

MEATCTU can be heard at 22:10 on this YouTube presentation.

Subject: RE: ADD: Mary Ellen at the Church Turned Up
From: GUEST,Danielle
Date: 18 Jun 22 - 02:38 AM

Very late to the party, but here we go. I used to sing it with my mum.

Mary Ellen at the church turned up
Her Ma turned up and her Pa turned up
Her sister Gert and their rich Uncle Bert
And the parson with his long white shirt turned up
But no bridegroom with a ring turned up
But a telegraph boy with his nose turned up
Brought a telegram that said he didn’t eant to wed
And they found him in the river with his toes turmed up.

Subject: RE: ADD: Mary Ellen at the Church Turned Up
From: Snuffy
Date: 18 Jun 22 - 06:11 AM

So many variants on a simple story line - and none of them exactly as I learned from my Mum about 1950:

Mary Ellen at the church turned up.
Her Ma turned up, and her Pa turned up.
Her sister Gert; her Uncle Bert;
The parson in his long white shirt turned up.
But no bridegroom at the church turned up:
Just a telegraph boy with his nose turned up
With a telegram to say "Can't marry you today,
And You'll find me in the river with my toes turned up".