Songs about the game of Cricket?

Subject: RE: Songs about the game of Cricket?
From: GUEST,guest mick
Date: 17 Jan 04 - 08:50 AM

Does anyone remember Rolf Harris singing a song called something like "Jake du Peg with the extra Leg" It was very funny. Rolf used to romp around the stage singing folornly in a French accent and dressed up in a way that made him look like he had three legs.
Anyway, one of the verses went along the lines of:
At school I came in handy when we played the game of cricket/they used to roll my trousers up and use me for a wicket.

Subject: RE: Songs about the game of Cricket?
From: GUEST,Pete Carter
Date: 13 May 06 - 11:03 AM

I'm a bit late for this clearly, but as I was searching for the words to "The Cricketer" I stumbled across this thread. These are the words as I know them, for anyone else who is looking for them:

Once I thought I'd like to be a cricketer,
So in the park I took a little stroll,
Saw a cricket match,
First one in me batch,
Thought I'd learn the proper way to bowl.

One fellow there he knew the way to bat a bit,
He hit one ball wonderfully high,
I could see it there,
Right up in the air,
Looked like sticking to the sky.

I stood under it, right above my head,
"Come away from underneath it!" everybody said,
But I knew how to catch it,
All about it I had read,
In a little penny book I'd bought,

Oh, my eyes shut, mouth open wide,
Talk about an earthquake,
I thought I could have died,
They'll never get it back again from out of my insides,
How's that? Well caught!!


If anyone knows the origins or author of this song, then please do let me know at pjlcarter(at)hotmail.com

Subject: RE: Songs about the game of Cricket?
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 26 May 06 - 12:00 AM

Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads has 3 songs about cricket:

THE GAME OF CRICKET ("To live a life, free from gout, pain and phthisic ...") "between 1834 and 1886"

CRICKETING'S ALL THE RAGE ("Durham city has been dull so long ...") (No date given).

THE KENTISH CRICKETER ("Now fayther and mother they're both dead and gone ...") "between 1813 and 1838"

Subject: RE: Songs about the game of Cricket?
From: Cats at Work
Date: 26 May 06 - 09:28 AM

There's always Admiral Benbow - the 1st cricketing shanty...

Brave Benbow lost his legs by Chain shot [a chain being 22yards, the length of a cricket pitch] ,
Brave Benbow lost his legs
And on his stumps[!] he begs
Fight on my English lads
'Tis Arlott, 'tis Arlott[ That's John Arlott, the finest cricket commentator ever...]

Subject: RE: Songs about the game of Cricket?
From: Snuffy
Date: 26 May 06 - 06:19 PM

I didn't know you'd defected from the Cornish to the Corny Songwriters, Cats. :-)

Subject: RE: Songs about the game of Cricket?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 29 May 06 - 07:04 PM

Hurrah for the Bat & Ball: the Universal Cricket Song (1896)

Subject: RE: Songs about the game of Cricket?
From: The Curator
Date: 29 May 06 - 08:01 PM

Wind in the willow ! Remember some of the guys locally made up their own. Used many local guys names in them. Sadly none were recorded by locals. Shame really.

Subject: RE: Songs about the game of Cricket?
From: Commander Crabbe
Date: 29 May 06 - 08:37 PM

Theres also a song by Graeme Miles called The Wealden Men.

Subject: RE: Songs about the game of Cricket?
From: Cats
Date: 30 May 06 - 04:12 PM

Snuffy - Nothing to write, it's just the interpretation!!!

Subject: RE: Songs about the game of Cricket?
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 30 May 06 - 08:09 PM

http://www.monologues.co.uk/1960-2000/Cricket_Bag.htm

Subject: RE: Songs about the game of Cricket?
From: Acorn4
Date: 25 Nov 09 - 11:35 AM

Crap at Cricket:-

Now, Francis Drake, so history tells saw off those Spanish ships,
And Wellington stuffed Bonaparte with all his Gallic tricks,
Old Adolf couldn't humble us, though he gave it his best shot
With that gallant bulldog spirit we saw off the bleeding lot,
We used to rule the waves , old chap, until quite recently,
But there's one thing I do declare that's still a mystery...

Chorus;-

Why are we crap at cricket, why do we lose all the time,
When we invented the noble game, it seems like such a crime,
We've heard all the lame excuses, the tested and the tried,
And after all New Zealand, they are a world class side,
It's so utterly pathetic, don't know if to laugh or cry,
It's such complete embarrassment to dent the national pride!

There's 18 year old Sri Lankan bowlers who spread terror in their path
What've we got? - thirty something puddings that just make 'em laugh!
As our top and middle order batsmen go down like skittles before lunch,
It's the national sport of fishing wildly outside the off stump,
Old geysers in blazers go "tut tut" and blame the one day game,
But we're crap at that as well, and it's such a bleeding shame...

Chorus:-

Why are we crap at cricket, why do we lose all the time,
When we invented the noble game, it seems like such a crime,
We've heard all the lame excuses, the tested and the tried,
And after all Holland, they are a world class side,
It's so utterly pathetic, don't know if to laugh or cry,
It's such complete embarrassment to dent the national pride!

Play up play up and play the game , keep a stiff upper lip!
We still go down like ninepins then get thrashed all round the pitch,
And if by chance our opening pair knock up a few runs perhaps,
We know it's just a prelude to the middle order collapse,
Enter one stubborn Yorkshiremen who can "eeeh take it on't chin"
"oops, there he goes lbw, and it all seems such a sin...

Chorus:-

Why are we crap at cricket, why do we lose all the time,
When we invented the noble game, it seems like such a crime,
We've heard all the lame excuses, the tested and the tried,
And after all the Scotland under 11's, they are a world class side,
It's so utterly pathetic, don't know if to laugh or cry,
It's such complete embarrassment to dent the national pride!

We'll never hold onto the ashes, let's be completely candid,
Even if the Ozzies bowl underarm, blindfold and left-handed,
We're so completely useless with no bottle and no skill,
Don't you just know that we'll screw up and I suppose we always will!
Is it the lack of long hot summers, or no youngsters coming through?
Eh, 'ang about, we've won the toss, there's something we can do!

Chorus:-

Why are we crap at cricket, why do we lose all the time,
When we invented the noble game, it seems like such a crime,
We've heard all the lame excuses, the tested and the tried,
And after all , those Japanese girl guides, they were a world class side,
It's so utterly pathetic, don't know if to laugh or cry,
It's such complete embarrassment to dent the national pride! Oi!

Subject: RE: Songs about the game of Cricket?
From: giles earle
Date: 25 Nov 09 - 12:04 PM

The cricketers of Hambledon – a poem by Bruce Bunt, set to music in December 1928 by Peter Warlock. Originally scored for unison voices, cornet, saxhorns, baritones and euphonium, for performance by the Hambledon Brass Band and choir at a cricket match on New Year's Day 1929; later expanded a bit by Warlock and published as a song for voice(s) and piano:

I'll make a song of Hambledon, and sing it at "The George",
Of balls that flew from Beldham's bat like sparks from Fennex' forge;
The centuries of Aylward, and a thousand guineas bet,
And Sueter keeping wicket to the thunderbolts of Brett.

Then up with every glass and we'll sing a toast in chorus:
"The cricketers of Hambledon who played the game before us,
The stalwarts of the olden time who rolled a lonely down,
And made the king of games for men, with Hambledon the crown."

Although they sang the nights away, their afternoons were spent
In beating men of Hertfordshire and flogging men of Kent,
And when the flow'r of England fell to Taylor and his peers,
The fame of Hambledonians went ringing down the years.

The sun has left Broadhalfpenny, and the moon rides overhead;
So pass the bottle round again for drinking to the dead
To Small and his companions all who gathered, lose or win,
To take their fill of Nyren's best when Nyren kept the inn.

Subject: RE: Songs about the game of Cricket?
From: Treacle Bolly
Date: 08 Dec 10 - 09:51 AM

"Crack of the Willow" by Caravan (again). Just remembered this one after mentioning their golf song on the relevant thread. This one is from the "Cool Water" album.

Subject: RE: Songs about the game of Cricket?
From: GUEST,Mark Fleming
Date: 28 Apr 11 - 06:48 AM

The London Quartet - Cantabile are going to bring out a CD in Summer 2011 with at least 30 cricket songs on it.... on the Signum label...
Songs of Cricket

Subject: RE: Songs about the game of Cricket?
From: GUEST,Mark Fleming
Date: 28 Apr 11 - 06:50 AM

.... not only the four singers The London Quartet, but also the voices of Rory Bremner, Eliza Lumley, Richard Stilgoe & Tim Rice

Subject: RE: Songs about the game of Cricket?
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Jun 11 - 04:48 AM

I know the song ;

one day i thoutht i would like to be a cricketer ,
off to the park i took a little stroll .
saw a cricket match ,
first one in my natch
then i thought id like to learn to bowl .
there was a fellow thought he could bat a bit
he knocked to ball right up in the air
i saw it there , right up in the air
Looked like sticking to the sky
my eyes were shut and my mouth was open wide ,
come away from under it everybpody cried
they never got the ball again from out of my insides

Owes that ?

well caught !!

where does it come from ??

Subject: RE: Songs about the game of Cricket?
From: Allen in Oz
Date: 10 Jun 11 - 09:49 PM

Does anyone have the words for The Seven Ages of Cricket ?

AD

Subject: RE: Songs about the game of Cricket?
From: GUEST,Mark Fleming
Date: 04 Aug 11 - 02:54 PM

www.songsofcricket.com

It is out now....

Oh go on...

Subject: RE: Songs about the game of Cricket?
From: Hoblander
Date: 05 Aug 11 - 08:18 PM

Another one by Graeme Miles "Cricket By The Shipyard Wall " Kevin

Subject: RE: Songs about the game of Cricket?
From: The Sandman
Date: 16 Aug 17 - 06:21 AM

there was one by the singing postman too ,but not his best
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFCffVJnksg

Subject: RE: Songs about the game of Cricket?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 16 Aug 17 - 08:06 AM

Mike and Sue Dewsbury - Stitherum of Gainsborough. Lincs - Sooz of Mudcat renown.

hard to hear the very funny words here - perhaps someone could print the words


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X306OJ1-K8

Subject: RE: Songs about the game of Cricket?
From: GUEST,Sol
Date: 16 Aug 17 - 08:50 AM

Not a fan of the game so my choice would be "Suicide is Painless"