THE BALLAD OF BETHNAL GREEN
by Paddy Roberts

I tell the tale of a jealous male and a maid of sweet sixteen.
She was blonde and dumb and she lived with her mum on the fringe of Bethnal Green.
She worked all week for a rich old Greek, for her Dad was on the dole,
And her one delight was a Friday night when she had a little rock and roll.

CHORUS: To my rit-fal-lal, to my titty-fal-lal, to my itty-bitty-fal-dal-day (2x)

Then one fine day in the month of May, she found her big romance.
He was dark and sleek with a scar on his cheek and a pair of drainpipe pants,
And she thought: "With you I could be so true, through all the years to come!"
For she loved the gay abandoned way he chewed his chewing gum.

CHORUS

It started well, because he fell for all her girlish charms,
But he had some doubt when he caught her out in someone else's arms.
He said: "Look here; you know, my dear, this is going a bit too far"
Then he went quite white and he sloshed right in the middle of her cha-cha-cha.

He went before a man of the law, who said, "This will not do!
I've had enough of the sort of stuff I get from the likes of you!"
And was she peeved when he received a longish term in clink.
In a fit of pique she married the Greek and now she's dressed in mink.

CHORUS

The "folk process" may have changed a little of the above in the 35 years or so that I've been singing it, but it's pretty close.

Paddy Roberts was a South African songwriter who operated under a number of aliases. At one time he was President of the Songwriters' Guild in the UK. Other songs of his that are recommended: "The Ballad of Barking Creek", "Love isn't what it used to be", "Tattooed Lady".

As far as I am aware, none of his songs are available on CD or tape at present but I have all the above on vinyl by Paddy Roberts and could provide copies on tape if contacted. I'm still a little old-fashioned in my reproductive habits.^^