Lyr Req: Cockney songs

29 Oct 01 - 03:04 AM (#581761)
Subject: Cockney Lyrics Wanted
From: GUEST,[e-mail]

I am looking for the lyrics to traditional cockney songs/rhymes -- as performed by Pearly Kings & Queens, Marie Lloyde etc.

eg. Knees Up Muvver Brown, My Old Man (said follow the van), Any Old Iron, My Old Mans A Dustman, Oringes & Lemons, Bow Bells, etc.

Can you help

---

29 Oct 01 - 06:57 AM (#581810)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cockney Lyrics Wanted
From: GUEST,Scabby Doug ( at work)

According to Bill Bailey, you can make any piece of music into Cockney by adding these words at the end of a verse:

"Oi!!" and "'Ave a banana!"

As in :
"...... Go-od save the Que-eee-en...
Oi!"
And:
".... we'll tak' a cup o kindness yet, for auld
lang syne.. 'Ave a banana!"

Works for me...

Cheers

Steven

---

29 Oct 01 - 07:18 AM (#581816)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cockney Lyrics Wanted
From: Wolfgang

Use the Digitrad and Forum search. I tried two and they both were available: Any old iron (in the DT) and My old man's a dustman (in the Forum).

Wolfgang

---

29 Oct 01 - 03:20 PM (#582145)
Subject: Lyr Add: ORANGES AND LEMONS SAY THE BELLS OF ST...
From: Keith A of Hertford

Oranges and lemons say the bells of St. Clements,
You owe me 5 farthings say the bells of St martins.
When will you pay me say the bells of Old Bailey,
When I grow rich, say the bells of Shoreditch.
When will that be say the bells of Stepney,
I do not know, said the great bell of Bow.
Here comes a candle to light you to bed.
Here comes a chopper to chop off your head.

---

29 Oct 01 - 03:28 PM (#582151)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cockney Lyrics Wanted
From: MMario

knees up

---

29 Oct 01 - 03:35 PM (#582163)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cockney Lyrics Wanted
From: lady penelope

That last bit about candles and choppers is part of a choosing system. We used to do it to 'count people out.'

'Cockney' songs tended to be whatever was popular in the music halls at the turn of the century

"Half a pound of tupenny rice
Half a pound of treacle
that's the way the money goes
Pop goes the weasle"

There's another part to the above, I think Lonny Donegan did it as the 'b' side to "my old man's a dustman".

---

29 Oct 01 - 03:51 PM (#582191)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cockney Lyrics Wanted
From: Gareth

"Up and down the City Road,
In and out the Eagle,
Thats the way the money goes,
Pop goes the weasel"

Is this the bit wot was missing Lady P ?

Gareth

---

29 Oct 01 - 03:55 PM (#582196)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cockney Lyrics Wanted
From: Liz the Squeak

Just listen to the way Dick Van Dyke speaks in Mary Poppins (or Murry Poppings as he says....) and sing any song in that style....

Some of the stuff from 'My Fair Lady' is pretty good too.

Of course, you can't find a real cockney sound now, it's all street, hip, Ali G or Estuary.

LTS

---

29 Oct 01 - 04:00 PM (#582203)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cockney Lyrics Wanted
From: GUEST,JTT

Look up English music hall on Google and you'll get links like this one, which has a few of the songs you want. I particularly like the wistful "If It Wasn't for the 'Ouses In Between".

---

29 Oct 01 - 04:01 PM (#582205)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cockney Lyrics Wanted
From: Gareth

"My ole man, se'd follow the van,
And don't dilly dally on the way.
Off went the van wiv my ole man in it,
I followed on wiv me old cock linnet.
I dillied, I dallied, dallied and dillied,
Lorst me way and don't know where to roam,
Oh you can't trust a special, like an ole time copper,
When you can't find your way home."

I fink there was more verses to it - definitly Music Hall probably dating from 1914/5 with the reference to the Special Constables - tho I am open to correction on this.

Gareth (in sarf Lunnun mode)

---

29 Oct 01 - 04:36 PM (#582223)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cockney Lyrics Wanted
From: John MacKenzie

Dick van Dyke's accent in Mary Poppins was, if you will excuse the expression, total crap. I liked the Dick van Dyke show, but as a film actor he was about as much use as tits on a bull.

Jock

---

29 Oct 01 - 06:50 PM (#582273)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cockney Lyrics Wanted
From: Keith A of Hertford

Are you telling me that Dick V D is not a cockney?
Lines to convert a song to cockney should include "get off me barrer"

---

30 Oct 01 - 04:21 AM (#582480)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cockney Lyrics Wanted
From: Long Firm Freddie

"London is a large village on the Thames where the principle industries carried on are music halls and the confidence trick."

Dan Leno

This is quoted on the home page of this Music Hall site

Loads of good stuff!

LFF

---

30 Oct 01 - 07:53 AM (#582522)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cockney Lyrics Wanted
From: GUEST,pavane

John Foreman used to sing lots of cockney and music hall songs, including

The Ratcatchers Beautiful Daughter
The Coffeepot song (All I want is a proper cup of coffee...)
Villikins and Dinah
The cockney alphabet (spoken) starting
The Old Dun Cow
A is for 'orses
B for and after
C for yourself
E fer Brick (Heave a brick)
G fer Police (Chief) etc
One about whitewash (Slap dap? - don't know the name)

There are also a lot of others in the Bodley collection.
All Around My Hat was originally printed in cockney dialect of the time, where W and V were interchanged (as in Villikins), as were many other songs.
The Black Velvet Band originated in Barking, just east of the Cockney area, not Belfast

---