Lyr Req: British Bobby (Fred Wedlock)

Subject: 'Bristol Bobbies'
From: Gareth
Date: 30 Jun 02 - 02:49 PM

Many years ago, in the days of my drunken youth, I heard a song entitled (I think) "Bristol Bobbies" a sardonic look at the Bristol Police.

It went something like :-

"I'am a Bristol Bobby, patrolling on my beat,
You can tell it's me thats comming by the pounding of my feet, ...."

Anybody know this and know the source, or better still can post the lyrics. A search in the DT, and forum under Bristol gives no returns.

Gareth

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Bristol Bobbies'
From: GUEST,Cyder-D (at work)
Date: 01 Jul 02 - 07:13 AM

Think it's "British Bobby" by Fred Wedlock, on his album "The Folker", side , track 2.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Bristol Bobbies'
From: Gareth
Date: 01 Jul 02 - 03:27 PM

Cyder-D

I think you could be right, its on the LP with Bristol Buses, one I remember well from those merry days.

Ah well much scouring of the second hand record shops !

And Thanks.

Gareth

Subject: Lyr Add: BRITISH BOBBY (Fred Wedlock)
From: GUEST,Hatman
Date: 08 Oct 02 - 06:40 PM

BRITISH BOBBY
(Fred Wedlock)

I am a British Bobby; I pound a Bobby's beat.
You can tell it's me what's pounding by the banging of my feet.
It's the Bobby's way of keeping warm,
In his Bobby's ufinorm.
I am a British Bobby, from the wilds of Redland Green.

Why I joined the police force I will never know,
Cos' I was almost human till about a month ago.
One consolation to my song:
The customer is always wrong.
I am a nasty Bobby, like the rest up Redland Green.

Pounding on my beat, boys, it makes me very tired,
But if I complain of blisters, I'm sure that I'll be fired.
So they gave me a panda car; now I just get blisters on my elbows.
I am an idle Bobby, kipping down in Redland Green.

Good old Cannabis resins we like it quite a lot,
And if the truth be known, boys, what a lot we've got.
It's issued to us every day
For planting in a crafty way
To become a turned on sergeant, freaking out in Redland Green.

I caught a girl soliciting where I knew I would.
I took her in my Bobby Box and I cautioned her right good.
Took down her name with a frown,
And that's not all what I took down.
I am a virile Bobby, populating Redland Green.

And when I get to old for it--a fight I cannot win--
My helmet and my truncheon I'll have to hand them in.
Hang my whistle on a hook,
Close my little note(e)book.
I'll be a clapped out Bobby, being carried out of Redland Green.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Bristol Bobbies'
From: CraigS
Date: 08 Oct 02 - 07:25 PM

While this was certainly included on Fred Wedlock's first album, the author and composer of the song was Dave Turner, of Hyson Green, Nottingham - the lyric was originally about a British bobby of Hyson Green, Fred changed it to match his locality. Dave also wrote the bus song, which was also originally Nottingham buses (also green, by some coincidence).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Bristol Bobbies'
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 09 Oct 02 - 10:22 AM

I wonder if Fred gave any acreditation to the original author - he has been known to forget(?) on quite a few occasions.....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: British Bobby (Fred Wedlock)
From: GUEST,Alex Watson
Date: 18 Sep 16 - 11:26 AM

When I heard Fred perform this he added a little monologue between verses, I can't remember it all but it was something about him finding a body on Princess Elizabeth Street, which he couldn't spell in his notebook - and ended up asking a passerby 'Can you give us a hand to drag 'im up the Downs?'

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: British Bobby (Fred Wedlock)
From: GUEST,SqueezeMe
Date: 19 Sep 16 - 10:10 AM

I think that should be Princess Victorial Street, which was the location of Bristol's famed Troubadour Club, a venue well known to Mr Wedlock.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: British Bobby (Fred Wedlock)
From: GUEST,LynnH
Date: 19 Sep 16 - 01:44 PM

The tune is "Lili Marlene", by the way. At least that's how I remember Dave Turner singing it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: British Bobby (Fred Wedlock)
From: GUEST,Platenut
Date: 22 Jul 17 - 11:11 AM

Many years ago I heard Fred sing this one evening in a local police club. I remember that the lyrics were changed to include something about a man who viciously butted him in the fist with his face. Went down a treat, as you can imagine.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: British Bobby (Fred Wedlock)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 24 Jul 17 - 06:46 PM

This song, sung by Wedlock, from his album "The Folker and Frollicks," can be heard on Spotify. There it's called BRISTOL BOBBY. But he clearly sings "British Bobby."

I am puzzled by the lack of rhyme between "car" and "elbows" in verse 3. Every other verse has a rhyme in that position. Usually that kind of thing is done deliberately for humorous effect: the listener is led to expect an obscene rhyming word, but a clean non-rhyming word is substituted. But if that's what he intended, I can't think of what word he had in mind. Maybe it's my incomplete familiarity with British slang.

Yes, the tune is "Lili Marlene."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: British Bobby (Fred Wedlock)
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 24 Jul 17 - 07:43 PM

car ...arse...???

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: British Bobby (Fred Wedlock)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 26 Jul 17 - 05:17 PM

Punkfolkrocker: You're probably right. I guess I didn't think of that because (1) "car" and "arse" isn't a very close rhyme, and (2) being American, I would naturally say "ass" not "arse."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: British Bobby (Fred Wedlock)
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Jul 17 - 09:56 AM

an "ass" is a four-legged equine where we are...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: British Bobby (Fred Wedlock)
From: GUEST,Lee Prince
Date: 15 Sep 21 - 05:19 AM

The melody Fred sings here sounds like a slightly altered version of a tune I used to hear blaring out of ice cream vans in Bedford forty years ago. I always thought it was Italian, but does anyone know what it is?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: British Bobby (Fred Wedlock)
From: GUEST,Lee Prince
Date: 16 Sep 21 - 11:29 AM

Answering my own question after I found it on a website of ice cream chimes (!), it's 'Lili Marlene'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSMuTm649Hk