My Proper Name is Clarence

My Proper Name is Clarence
(John "Mitch" Mitchell)

While sitting in a hostelry, alone one Sunday night,
A fella came across to me and asked me for a light,
He offered me a cigarette; he bought me half a beer,
And we were getting friendly when he whispered in my ear.

cho: "My proper name is Clarence, but you can call me Clare,
    I wear sexy undies and I peroxide my hair,
    My politics are liberal, my outlook's liberal too,
    In fact my dear, I'm a little bit queer and I've taken a shine to you."

Well I supped my jar; I left that bar, faster than a scalded cat,
Caught the landlord's eye as I went by and I stopped just for a chat,
I said, "Hey, he's propositioned me. Do you allow that there 'ere?"
Well he didn't get riled, in fact he just smiled and he whispered in my ear.

Well off I did go, to the new disco, to find myself a bride,
Picked up this pearl of a pastry girl, took her for a ride,
In the back of the car, I got so far, then I froze with fear,
When I felt a lump and my heart went thump and a voice whispered in my ear.

Next day at eight, I called my mate, he promised not to tell,
By a quarter to nine the production line, the foreman knew as well,
They called me misses and they blew me kisses, the boss he got to hear,
For me he sent, to the office I went and he whispered in my ear.

I joined the health service, to train to be a nurse,
With stethoscope and fob watch, with pride I fair did burst,
My charge nurse said he'd teach me, the kiss of life technique,
Well first he turned the lights down and when he began to speak, he said,

"My proper name is Clarence, but you can call me Clare,
I wear sexy undies and I peroxide my hair,
My politics are liberal, my outlook's liberal too,
In fact my dear, I'm a little bit queer and I've taken a shine to you.

In fact my dears, thanks for having me here, God bless, good night to you."
Song written by Mitch who hails from Worksop, UK.

This song is iin my opinion disgraceful, it encourages intolerance. i saw a couple sing this song at a zoom folk club and mention that two people had walked out of a folk club gig they had done. they introduced the song as being about the politician jeremy thorpe. The whole point about THORPE WAS THAT HE WENT ON TRIAL FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER.of his alleged gay lover. do we really want togo back to times when gay people were forced tobehave in a clandestine way?
remember Martin Carthy giving that silly old fool Tom Brown senior a bollocking for singing this song , Brown made it worse by doing all sort of actions with a limp wrist. this is a song that appeals to the worst in people. so we have a song where people who are liberal in their views are portrayed as laughable. If that couple continue to include the song in their set they are sooner or later going to get adverse reactions, they need to cop on