Norf and Sarf - cockney songs

Subject: RE: Norf and Sarf - cockney songs
From: GUEST,Gary- Hut People
Date: 01 Jul 09 - 06:23 PM

I was born in The London Hospital on Whitechapel Road and I am a Bethnal Green lad who now lives in Hull. It is true that to be a cockney you have to be born within the sound of the Bow Bells, you might have heard them in the 1800's, but with the traffic as it is now you are lucky to hear someone in the same room as you!

Subject: RE: Norf and Sarf - cockney songs
From: GUEST,Alex Fitt
Date: 31 Mar 11 - 05:20 AM

I have snatches of lyrics in my head but can't place the song:

"aye, aye, aye, kippers a penny-a-pair
(bloaters?) three for tupence, you can get them anywhere
the best place in London is down on donkey (row/road?)
and when you go by, you get a black eye and a punch on top of the nose".

Any help would be appreciated

Please e-mail me at [e-mail]

Thanks.

Subject: Lyr Add: NINE INCH NAILS (H M Burnaby)
From: reynard
Date: 21 Feb 12 - 10:11 AM

So back in '99 Alan B asked for the words of "Nine inch Nails" and Steve Parkes obliged ... except that it turns out that was just the chorus to a three verse song. I myself heard this from John Foreman about 50 years ago and it stuck- I think John was the source for the above as he paired it with "On Monday, I never go to work" etc and didn't sing the whole piece. Two weeks ago I was speaking to John (who is in good health and still getting around) and asked him about it. He told me that there were three verses and that he would send me the words; but he couldn't find them and now he can only remember the first verse! This is verbatim what he wrote to me:

Johnson- a commercial travellor- was a pushful man,
He pushed his goods as only a commercial travellor can-
He had a special line and it was ironmongery,
And everywhere he went he always murmered hopefully:

I can't find nobody who don't want to buy no nine inch nails.
They do go in, not half they don't, they do make holes, not half they won't.
I know the King, I know the Queen, I know the Prince of Wales (all pubs!)
But I don't know nobody that don't want no nine inch nails.

Does that jog any memories? John said there was a recording.

Subject: RE: Norf and Sarf - cockney songs
From: GUEST,The Walrus
Date: 22 Feb 12 - 05:32 AM

But at one point Bow Bells were broadcast by the BBC - Does that mean everyone in range od British domestic radio stations are Cockney?

Tom

Subject: RE: Norf and Sarf - cockney songs
From: davyr
Date: 22 Feb 12 - 05:54 AM

Yus - But only in the same way that everybody who says they like Riverdance is "honorary Irish".

Subject: NINE INCH NAILS
From: reynard
Date: 22 Feb 12 - 09:23 AM

The short answer, Walrus, is "no".
If you want a longer answer, that would be, "Nooooooooooooo".

Now to return to my question, I have just purchased,from Amazon UK, for the sum of £1.08, a second hand copy of "Cockney Ding Dong" by Charles Keeping (as recommended by John Foreman). This is an excellent collection with all the old favourites- including "On Monday I never go to work" which is given with the "Nine inch nails" chorus just as John used to sing it. But John insists there is a longer song, the first verse of which I gave above. He did say "It's not much of a song, I wouldn't want to sing it", but I beg to differ. To me it shines like a gem on a dungheap. Is this treasure to be lost to posterity?

Subject: RE: Norf and Sarf - cockney songs
From: Mr Happy
Date: 23 Feb 12 - 06:32 AM

This is a song thread & should be above the line - elf to fix, please?

Subject: RE: Norf and Sarf - cockney songs
From: Flash Company
Date: 23 Feb 12 - 10:30 AM

From Sidney Carter of 'Lord of the Dance' fame

Me farver was a cupid an' me muvver wheeled a barrer,
That's why I'm 'ere in Piccadilly wiv me bow and arrer,
CH
One leg up an' one leg darn, like an old cock-sparrer,
Flyin' over Piccadilly wiv me bow an' arrer!

Caesar came across the sea an' thought the girls were pretty,
Look at all the Roman noses walkin round the city.
CH

William came to conquer us an' now we have some Yanks, sir
If you look like Billy Clinton you know who to thank , sir
CH

What's the Cockney pedigree, I'm surprised you ask it
Everybody's gone and stuck a bun into the basket.
CH

FC
(The President of the US changes to suit circumstances, I think it was Jimmy Carter when Sidney wrote it!)

Subject: Lyr Add: TOTTIE ("DAGONET"/G. R. SIMS)
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 23 Feb 12 - 10:46 AM

John S. Farmer's Canting Songs and Slang Rhymes
TOTTIE (1887)
By "DAGONET" (G. R. SIMS) in Referee, 7 Nov..

I   As she walked along the street
With her little 'plates of meat,' (feet
And the summer sunshine falling
On her golden 'Barnet Fair,' (hair)
Bright as angels from the skies
Were her dark blue 'mutton pies.' (eyes)
In my 'East and West' Dan Cupid (breast)
Shot a shaft and left it there.

II She'd a Grecian 'I suppose,' (nose)
And of 'Hampstead Heath' two rows, (teeth)
In her 'Sunny South' that glistened (mouth)
Like two pretty strings of pearls;
Down upon my 'bread and cheese' (knees)
Did I drop and murmur, 'Please
Be my "storm and strife," dear Tottie, (wife)
O, you darlingest of girls!'

III Then a bow-wow by her side, (dog)
Who till then had stood and tried
A 'Jenny Lee' to banish, (flea)
Which was on his 'Jonah's whale,' (tail)
Gave a hydrophobia bark,
(She cried, 'What a Noah's Ark!') (lark)
And right through my 'rank and riches' (breeches)
Did my 'cribbage pegs' assail. (legs)

IV Ere her bull-dog I could stop
She had called a 'ginger pop,' (slop = policeman)
Who said, 'What the "Henry Meville" (devil)
Do you think you're doing there?'
And I heard as off I slunk,
'Why, the fellow's "Jumbo's trunk!" (drunk)
And the 'Walter Joyce' was Tottie's (voice)
With the golden 'Barnet Fair.' (hair)

Jim Carroll

Subject: Lyr Add: NINE INCH NAILS (H M Burnaby)
From: reynard
Date: 06 Mar 12 - 11:38 AM

Ever get the feeling you are talking to yourself?
Yes Reynard. Spooky isn't it?

So here's the answer to my question about "Nine Inch Nails".
(Thanks to those friendly and well-informed folk at the British Music Hall Society)


NINE INCH NAILS
(Written by H M Burnaby)

Johnson- a commercial travellor- was a pushful man,
He pushed his goods as only a commercial travellor can-
He had a special line and it was ironmongery,
And everywhere he went he always murmered hopefully:

Oh you don't know nobody what don't want to buy no nine inch nails?
They do go in, not half they won't, they do make holes, not half they don't.
I served the King, the Queen, the Ace, also the Prince of Wales!
But you don't know nobody what don't want to buy no nine inch nails?

Once he met a motorist who'd had an accident.
All the road was strew'd with tin tacks, all his tyres were bent.
Some broken bottles lay around, the poor chap's luck was out.
Said Johnson, "Here's where I come in!" and then he began to shout:

Johnson started courting; quite a pretty girl was she.
He couldn't pop the question for a nervous man was he.
They'd sit together in the park and while the hours away.
Instead of a proposal this is all he'd ever say:

Performed 1924 by Jay Laurier - WINDYCDR39 - Let's have a Jolly Good Cry
recording available from
http://www.musichallcds.com/jay_laurier.htm

Tune to follow
                                                                                                               CL

Subject: Tune Add: NINE INCH NAILS (H M Burnaby)
From: reynard
Date: 07 Mar 12 - 09:31 AM

X:1
T: Nine Inch Nails
C: H M Burnaby
M: C
L:1/4
K: D
a,^a,b,_b,|a,^a, b,_b,|a,e,e,^d,|E3,e,|
a,^a,b,_b,|a,^a,b,_b,|a,e,e,^d,|E3,a,|
a,^a,b,_b,|a,^a,b,^b,|c',e,e,^d,|E3,^e,|
f,d',c',b,|e,c',b,a,|a,^g,f,g,|A3,B3/4,B/4,|
a,a,a, B3/4,_B/4,|a,a,a,b,|c,g,g,f,|G3,a,|
b,a,b,a,|b,a,b,c',|d',d,d,e,|c,e,a,a|
b,a,d',b,|a,g,g,g,|g,f,b,f,|E3,B/2,_B/2,|
a,a,a,B3/4,_B/4,|a,a,a,b,|g,a,b,c',|d3',z|

Subject: RE: Norf and Sarf - cockney songs
From: GUEST,tedbone
Date: 21 Mar 12 - 03:31 PM

hairs on your old tut tut anyone no this song.

Subject: RE: Norf and Sarf - cockney songs
From: GUEST,Peter Brown
Date: 30 Dec 12 - 08:49 AM

Great to see the words of these old songs again. I remember seeing John Foreman perform them at Maidenhead Folk Club in the 60s. A few years later as a young journalist on a training session I was astonished to bump into him again at the London College of Printing (I think), somewhere near St Bride's, where he was teaching. A scholar and a gent. I've been waiting ever since to see the full words of 'one leg up and one leg down', which I've always remembered. I think he also did "I can't get my winkle out' but I may be wrong.

Subject: RE: Norf and Sarf - cockney songs
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 30 Dec 12 - 12:08 PM

For a more modern 'cockney' song This thread includes "Arthur Daley, E's alright" by "The Firm", a song based on the long running tv show "Minder"

Subject: RE: Norf and Sarf - cockney songs
From: GUEST,jim bainbridge
Date: 30 Dec 12 - 01:52 PM

Have just come across this- havent read it all, but even though I am of a Northern persuasion, it seems strange to me that no-one has mentioned that excellent singer of London songs, one 'Lucky' Luckhurst, who spent his latter years in Swindon, and as a regular at the folksingers club there. I have a cassette of his songs and please note that John Foreman has been known to refer to him as the 'Guv'nor'
I don't think Lucky's excellent cassette has ever got onto CD so if I ever master the technology, I'd be glad to supply copies!

Subject: RE: Norf and Sarf - cockney songs
From: GUEST,Jackie
Date: 22 Feb 14 - 11:47 AM

Trying to find a song with words lover and mother in ?? Any ideas

Subject: RE: Norf and Sarf - cockney songs
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Aug 16 - 07:10 AM

Last line of verse 1 of Down the Road mentions "jimmies in a bag". Does anyone have any idea of the origin/meaning of jimmies in this context? For while I thought 'Jimmy Jewels' but the song is too early for that reference.

Subject: RE: Norf and Sarf - cockney songs
From: Long Firm Freddie
Date: 08 Aug 16 - 10:31 AM

Jimmies = Guineas (near rhyme jocularisation)

Subject: RE: Norf and Sarf - cockney songs
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 08 Aug 16 - 05:38 PM

Jimmies short for Jimmy O'Goblins.

Jimmy O'Goblin = Sovereign A gold coin long before decimalisation of the UK currency.

Where the O'Goblin comes from I have no idea. I can't ask my dad as he's long gone but he and his chinas would often use the term.

Subject: RE: Norf and Sarf - cockney songs
From: GUEST,Roger Wooller
Date: 14 Jun 17 - 08:57 PM

I'm really keen to hear the tune for "Nine Inch Nails" by H M Burnaby. Can you or anyone else put it up on youtube please?

Subject: RE: Norf and Sarf - cockney songs
From: Senoufou
Date: 15 Jun 17 - 04:06 AM

This is called the (something) Polka. The missing word is a district of London which I've forgotten.

There's been a body in the house
Since father passed away.
He took bad on Saturday night
And he went the following day.
Mum's pulled the blinds all down
And bought some cherry wine.
And she's put the tin
What the arsenic's in
At the bottom of the Serpentine.

I particularly love the Cockney pronunciation of house - 'aaahss'

Subject: RE: Norf and Sarf - cockney songs
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 15 Jun 17 - 04:59 AM

If you copy the 'ABC' provided by Reynard above:
X:1
T: Nine Inch Nails
C: H M Burnaby
M: C
L:1/4
K: D
a,^a,b,_b,|a,^a, b,_b,|a,e,e,^d,|E3,e,|
a,^a,b,_b,|a,^a,b,_b,|a,e,e,^d,|E3,a,|
a,^a,b,_b,|a,^a,b,^b,|c',e,e,^d,|E3,^e,|
f,d',c',b,|e,c',b,a,|a,^g,f,g,|A3,B3/4,B/4,|
a,a,a, B3/4,_B/4,|a,a,a,b,|c,g,g,f,|G3,a,|
b,a,b,a,|b,a,b,c',|d',d,d,e,|c,e,a,a|
b,a,d',b,|a,g,g,g,|g,f,b,f,|E3,B/2,_B/2,|
a,a,a,B3/4,_B/4,|a,a,a,b,|g,a,b,c',|d3',z|
And paste it into the site at: MandolinTab
That will provide the music in stave notation, and the option to listen to it as a MIDI.