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10 Oct 09 - 11:34 AM (#2742816) Subject: old time music hall song about a golly From: Sammi a. Hello all. this is a bit vague of me but as a child my nan who was around in the first world war, used to sing a song about a Golly or a dolly who went to the river to wash. i think it went something like this-: Miss Golly had a dolly who went to the river to wash wash wash. Not a lot to go on im afraid (its sort of locked up in my memory as i was only four when she died,) Nobody in the family can remember it. i dont know if the Black and white minstrels ever did a version of this either as obviously in to-days society its politically unexceptable. |
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10 Oct 09 - 12:10 PM (#2742848) Subject: RE: old time music hall song about a golly From: Emma B There is a nursery rhyme Miss Polly had a dolly This was sung as a song with actions - there is little girl performing these on you tube It's possible your nan added another action verse or two - as she felt necessary :) |
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10 Oct 09 - 02:35 PM (#2742925) Subject: RE: old time music hall song about a golly From: MGM·Lion Very charming — except that I didn't quite catch the little girl's final words or the significance of her actions. Was someone smacking the poor sick dolly? If so, who; & what for? If not, what do those gestures signify? |
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10 Oct 09 - 03:28 PM (#2742982) Subject: RE: old time music hall song about a golly From: Paul Burke My mother used to sing a song which I can only remember part of: I've a little black dolly named Topsy Who doesn't like sleeping alone, For she is afraid of white bogies Though I'm perfectly sure there are none. But Topsy is only a dolly And doesn't know better you see, So I just tuck her under my pillow For I know she likes sleeping with me. And when the sun shines in the morning I sing till I think she's awake, Then I take her down to the water And give her a bath in the lake. I think there was another verse which concerned being unable to clean the blackness off her, so it's probably a mercy that I've forgotten it. |
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10 Oct 09 - 04:15 PM (#2743027) Subject: RE: old time music hall song about a golly From: Q (Frank Staplin) A little more- I've a little black dolly named Topsy Who doesn't like sleeping alone, For Topsy's afraid of the shadows, In darkness I'm sure there are none. But Topsy is only a dolly And doesn't know better you see, So I just tuck her under my pillow For I know she likes sleeping with me. And when the sun shines in the morning I sing until I know she's awake. Then I take her right out in the garden And give her a bath in the lake. Though I scrub her and scrub her and scrub her, I can't get her white like me. But Topsy is blacker than ever And shiny as shiny can be. So I'll just pop her under my pillow For I know she likes sleeping with me. Taken from one of the versions on the internet. A couple of lines seem to be missing, the verses aren't even. I remember that it was in a children's story and rhyme book that I had as a child. No idea of author or age. |
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11 Oct 09 - 07:26 AM (#2743380) Subject: RE: old time music hall song about a golly From: Selchie - (RH) From my childhood I remember it as Miss Polly had a dolly who was sick sick sick So she sent for the doctor to come quick quick quick The doctor came and he shook his head And he said "You'd better get her into bed" The he wrote her a note for to get her a pill "I'll be back in the morning with my bill bill bill." |
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11 Oct 09 - 07:57 AM (#2743392) Subject: RE: old time music hall song about a golly From: GUEST,Snuffy on Selchie's PC Oops! That last post was actually me, at Selchie's. I forgot to log out before posting. |
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13 Apr 11 - 03:47 PM (#3134557) Subject: RE: old time music hall song about a golly From: GUEST,Doug M I'm trying to find the origins and history of "Miss Polly Had A Dolly". Does anybody know anything about this nursery rhyme, other than that it is also known as "Miss Molly Had A Dolly"? |
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14 Apr 11 - 01:46 PM (#3135207) Subject: RE: old time music hall song about a golly From: McGrath of Harlow I'd see that song about the dolly called Topsy as implicitly anti-colour prejudice, especially in the context of the period. |
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03 Jan 12 - 09:36 AM (#3284043) Subject: RE: old time music hall song about a golly From: GUEST i have a black dolly named topsy, she's as black as black be, i wash her and wash her but i can't get her white like me. and when the sun shines in the morning, we go on down to the stream, i wash her and wash her but i can't get her white like me. |
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03 Jan 12 - 10:46 AM (#3284083) Subject: RE: old time music hall song about a golly From: RTim I had a Golly when I was very young (in the 1950's) - but I pulled out all its hair. So one night my Mum crept into my room and took it from me as I slept and that night she carefully knitted new hair and put it back before I woke up. The next morning I woke up and was the only child in the World who had a Golly with NAVY BLUE hair!!! Tim Radford |
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20 Mar 12 - 09:09 PM (#3326014) Subject: RE: poem From: GUEST,Brian My wife part remembers a poem from her chilhood about doll that was lost on the heath. The first lines went. I lost my dear little doll dears, As I played on the heath one day, And I mourned for her more than a week dears But never could find where she lay |
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29 Mar 12 - 07:53 PM (#3330857) Subject: RE: old time music hall song about a golly From: GUEST,Brian Regarding my request I am pleased to say that I have now found the poem and it is one by Charles Kingsley. Thankyou The Little Doll ~Charles Kingsley I once had a sweet little doll, dears, The prettiest doll in the world; Her cheeks were so red and so white; dears, And her hair was so charmingly curled. But I lost my poor little doll, dears, As I played in the heath one day; And I cried for her more than a week, dears; But I never could find where she lay. I found my poor little doll, dears, As I played in the heath one day: Folks say she is terrible changed, dears, For her paint is all washed away, And her arm trodden off by the cows, dears, And her hair not the least bit curled: Yet for old sakes' sake she is still, dears, The prettiest doll in the world. |
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14 Mar 19 - 08:11 AM (#3981969) Subject: RE: old time music hall song about a golly From: GUEST Topsy - Nan's Song C I had a little dolly named Topsy Who G does not like sleeping C alone 'Cause C dolly's afraid of white shadows Though I'm G perfectly sure there are C none But F Topsy is only a C dolly And F doesn't know better you G see So I C just put her under my pillow For I know she likes G sleeping C with me And C when I get up in the morning I G sing til I think she's C awake Then C I take her out in the garden And G give her a bath in the C lake As F Topsy is only a C dolly And as F shiny as shiny can G be Tho I C wash her and wash her and wash her I can't make her G white like C me |
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06 Jul 21 - 10:40 PM (#4112535) Subject: RE: old time music hall song about a golly From: GUEST,Lynne I've a little black dolly named Topsy Who doesn't like sleeping alone, For Topsy's afraid of white bogies Though I’m perfectly sure there are none But Topsy is only a dolly And frightened as frightened can be So I just tuck her under my pillow For I know she likes sleeping with me. And when the I wake up in the morning I sing til I think she's awake. Then I take her right out in the garden And give her a bath in the lake. But Topsy is blacker than ever And shiny as shiny can be. Though I wash her and wash her and wash her, I can't get her white like me. |
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07 Jul 21 - 06:34 AM (#4112586) Subject: RE: old time music hall song about a golly From: Steve Gardham Interesting thread with all sorts of suggestions. Going back to the OP I would say the first rhyme offered is the most likely fit to what the OP asked for. Miss *olly had a dolly who..... and then the 3 repeats certainly fits the well-known song. Having said well-known I can't find it under any of the most likely titles in my extensive children's rhyme index. Anyway here's what I can remember. Miss Polly had a dolly who was sick, sick, sick She sent for the doctor to be quick quick quick The doctor came with his bag and his hat And he knocked on the door with a rat a tat tat. He looked at Miss Polly and he shook his head And told Miss Polly put her into bed He wrote on his paper for a pill. pill, pill, I'll be back in the morning with my bill, bill, bill. The tune has some affinity with the dance tune 'The Morpeth Rant' and also the theme to The South Bank Show (UK TV) |