Lyr Req/Add: Ballad of Bethnal Green (P Roberts)

Subject: RE: Still looking for Ballad of Bethnal Green
From: AndyG
Date: 29 Jul 99 - 05:02 AM

A copy can be done but not immediately I'm afraid. As I said earlier the album is in Manchester whilst I'm in Cambridge. The recording I've got was made in Manchester, is almost drowned by background hiss and is also very quiet. I'll have to get the album back to Cambridge to make a better recording but this won't happen for a couple of weeks yet.

AndyG

Subject: RE: Still looking for Ballad of Bethnal Green
From: Folkbloke
Date: 29 Jul 99 - 06:23 AM

O.K. Andy Thanks. I've waited this long, another couple of weeks won't hurt. By the way, I am in Hove, Sussex. If you are ever coming down this way let me know. There's a couple of pints waiting here with your name on. Cheers, Adrian. (folkbloke)

Subject: RE: Still looking for Ballad of Bethnal Green
From: Snuffy
Date: 17 Jul 00 - 07:32 PM

Refresh.

Joe, have you harvested these?

Subject: RE: Still looking for Ballad of Bethnal Green
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 Dec 00 - 08:31 PM

Now I have, Snuffy. Spent all afternoon on them. great stuff.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Still looking for Ballad of Bethnal Green
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 01:07 AM

Refresh.

Subject: RE: Still looking for Ballad of Bethnal Green
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 01:09 AM

I posted the following to a similar thread.

I've come across two thin volumes for sale of Paddy Roberts songs including Barking Creek and Tattooed Lady. They are quite frankly very expensive for what they are and I'm loathe to buy them just to post the lyrics and tunes for the DT. Does anyone else have these please that I might be able to draw upon at some time in the future?

Regards, John

Subject: Lyr Add: TATTOOED LADY (Paddy Roberts)
From: GUEST,Malcolm Smith
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 06:03 AM

Some fragments from memory, apologies if someone has posted better versions and I've failed to spot them.

Dreary biographical note: my cousins in Southend were big Paddy Roberts fans c. 1960, and I can remember my acute embarrassment as my mother, with me in tow, discussed with the man in the record shop whether this would be suitable material for the eleven year old me.
We ended up buying an EP.

TATTOOED LADY
(Paddy Roberts)

Oh, I was a bit of a lad, I admit.
My past was a trifle shady,
Until in the end I went right round the bend
And married a tattooed lady.

I immediately saw there were pictures galore
Round ev'ry available corner.
As I studied her frame very soon I became
An expert in flora and fauna.

On the back of each knee was a small chimpanzee.
On her thigh was a Knight of the Garter,
And just for a laugh, they had put on her calf
Eight bars of the Moonlight Sonata.

One evening I found as I ambled around,
I was feeling an absolute Charlie,
'Cause I couldn't be sure if the sketch on her jaw,
Was Picasso or Salvador Dali.

Some things I found out I just won't talk about;
I find it's inclined to embarrass.
But I give you my word, though it may sound absurd,
It was just like the Louvre in Paris.

On one of her feet you are liable to meet
A master of hounds in his habit,
And right round her waist in impeccable taste
Was a python devouring a rabbit.

I loved all the ships on one side of her hips,
The view in Peru on the other,
But I was struck dumb when I found on her tum,
A caricature of her Mother.

For this was much more than a man can endure,
Though I made the most earnest endeavor,
So I scuffled away, and I’m happy to say,
It was tat-a-tattoo forever,
Tat-a-tattoo forever,
Tat-a-tattoo forever.


Malcolm Smith

HTML line breaks added --JoeClone, 8-Jan-02.

Subject: RE: Still looking for Ballad of Bethnal Green
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 19 Dec 00 - 11:58 PM

I bought the two Paddy Roberts books 'Strictly For Grown Ups' and 'Paddy Roberts Tries Again'. Also advertised is a third LP 'Paddy Roberts Strikes Again' (presumably it also had a printed song album associated with it). UK publisher was Essex Music.

I'll attempt to fill in the lyric blanks and notate the tunes sometime after Christmas. If too much time elapses please PM me if you need anything more specifically.

Regards, John

Subject: RE: Still looking for Ballad of Bethnal Green
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 13 Jul 03 - 11:31 AM

WHY DID IT ALL BEGIN
Paddy Roberts (fom memory)

Why did it all begin?
How did I get in this mess I'm in?
I guess I'm in the stew,
Cos you're awful snooty with me my beauty,
And I'm awful tired of you.

We'd done a little drinking,
And the pair of us were stinking
And our first embrace was underneath the table
It was really rather thrilling,
You were ready, you were willing,
And I very soon discovered you were able

Why did I have to fall?
Guess I intended to have a ball,
But now It's all in vain,
Lumbered with you, dear,
My whole life through dear,
Oh, Why did it all begin?

We had done a little drinking
And the pair of us were stinking,
And on top of that the lights were pretty shaded.
It was't 'til the morning
When the sun came up at dawning
That I found my little rose was rather faded.
Then, without any doubt,
You pulled a fast one and caught me out,
You poured me out a gin.
And I had to sign on the dotted line
Oh why did it all begin?

Look what is on my plate
How did I get in this awful state?
This dreadful state I'm in
Lumbered with you, dear,
My whole life through dear,
Oh, Why did it all begin?
Tell me, Why did it all begin?!


(Taken from memory, with assistance from Malcolm Smith's notes above)

Nigel

Subject: RE: Still looking for Ballad of Bethnal Green
From: Gurney
Date: 14 Jul 03 - 02:38 AM

Late into this one, as usual.
I have the LP 'Paddy Roberts Tries again", with the Dennis Wilson Octet, which has the following tracks:
S1
1/ Let me introduce the boys. (Musical introduction, obviously)
2/ I gave my love a cherry.
3/ You're a square
4/ We've never had it so good
5/ I wanna go home
6/ The belle of Barking Creek
7/ Why did it all begin
S2
1/ An awful lot of bull
2/ I love Mary
3/ The pie-eyed piper
4/ Tattooed lady
5/ We've got to thank Columbus
6/ Whats all this fuss about love

It is Decca Record Co London # LK 4358 1960

Subject: RE: Still looking for Ballad of Bethnal Green
From: cobber
Date: 19 Jul 03 - 10:29 AM

The Ballad of Bethnal Green was on an album called the World of British Comedy and it also included a song in similar vein by Marty Feldman. Most of the rest was sketches by people like Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. I think I've still got it. I'll see if I can look it out and maybe make an MP3 of the track.

Subject: RE: Still looking for Ballad of Bethnal Green
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Jul 03 - 04:25 PM

Dear All,

About 40 years when we bought our first record player (mono of course) having very few records, we borrowed several from a neighbour, one was I think an "EP" (extended play", like a longish single, played I think at 45 rpm) by Paddy Roberts. As well as the Ballad of Bethnal Green (words below according to my memory, a little different from those suggested above, with uncertain words in square brackets) I can remember "The Englishman with his Sang Froid", "Love Isn't what it used to be" and "When I was a Little Wolf Cub and You Were a Brownie" (Thase may not have been the exact titles). Indeed I could probably if pushed remember large bits of the others and certainly the tunes. Not that I thought the tunes or words were out of this world, but as someone (?Noel Coward) once said "How extraordinary is the potency of cheap music" (or similar)!

THE BALLAD OF BETHNAL GREEN


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 dal to my titty fal dal to my itty bitty fal dal day
To my rit fal dal to my titty fal dal to my itty bitty fal dal day.

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 her right in the middle of her cha cha cha.
CHORUS.

He went before a man of the law who said "This will not do.
I've had enough of this sort of stuff, By Gad, 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

Subject: RE: Still looking for Ballad of Bethnal Green
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 23 Jul 03 - 04:04 AM

"I get" NOT "BY Gad"
As posted alredyd by AndyG (where are they now...)in 1999...the correct words.
By one of those spooky coincidences I was singing it (in my head) while on my daily walk yesterday (the forest rangers have requested I don't sing out loud, too many deer are throwing themselves in front of traffic).

RtS
(formerly RtZ)

Subject: RE: Still looking for Ballad of Bethnal Green
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 07 Sep 03 - 02:09 PM

Slight variation to Andy G's quote of "The Belle of Barking Creek"
I remember (from the EP version) the verse:
"And all day long she wheels her barrow
And behaves like a good girl ought
And she'll only stray from the straight and narrow
When the fleet is home in port"

as:
"And every day she wheels her barrow
Selling whelks and winkles by the Court*/Quart*
And she only strays from the straight and narrow
When the fleet is home in port."

*(unsure, probably quart),and her trade is reminiscent of one Molly Malone!

Nigel

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Still looking for Ballad of Bethnal Green
From: GUEST,sonja
Date: 02 May 05 - 01:52 AM

. . . . . She was blonde and dumb and lived with her Mum on the fringe of Bethnal Green


Looking over all the other submissions, I think that about does it. Looks like you gottem all now.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Bethnal Green (Paddy Roberts)
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 04 Mar 07 - 12:13 AM

An English mudcatter visited Sinsull (Barry - I think) and he and I reminisced about the song 'Ballad of Bethnal Green' - when he went back to England this dear man found the words and sent them to me and I have sung it since........great stuff

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Bethnal Green (Paddy Robert
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 04 Mar 07 - 01:01 AM

I wonder what happenned to John in Brisbane's books. I hope they went to a good home.

..................

From: John in Brisbane - PM
Date: 19 Dec 00 - 11:58 PM

I bought the two Paddy Roberts books 'Strictly For Grown Ups' and 'Paddy Roberts Tries Again'. Also advertised is a third LP 'Paddy Roberts Strikes Again' (presumably it also had a printed song album associated with it). UK publisher was Essex Music.

I'll attempt to fill in the lyric blanks and notate the tunes sometime after Christmas. If too much time elapses please PM me if you need anything more specifically.

Regards, John

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Bethnal Green (Paddy Roberts)
From: AJR
Date: 04 Mar 07 - 07:05 PM

if anyone wants details of the other Bethnal Gtreen" (The blind beggar's dauhter of Bednal Green" as I noticed someone asking, I can supply this having resarched its history.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Bethnal Green (Paddy Robert
From: Celtaddict
Date: 08 Jul 07 - 05:50 PM

I have heard bits of 'Lavender Cowboy' off and on for years and am glad to see words.
One question though:
I have heard another verse (maybe more). There was some mention of his purse. And at some point the sheriff and a posse were after him (for stealing the strawberry gin?) and there was something about the sheriff saying "I'll getcha!" and the lavender cowboy saying, "Ooo, I'll letcha!" Was this perhaps added by someone else along the way?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Bethnal Green (Paddy Roberts)
From: GUEST,Chris Murray
Date: 08 Jul 07 - 06:09 PM

There are several Paddy Roberts' CDs on sale at Amazon.co.uk

I'm a lifelong fan.

Subject: RE:Lyrics of the Belle of Barking Creejk)
From: GUEST,Jenny
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 11:55 AM

to Andy G

I distinctly recall that the line was "her age had been a steady 21 since 1942" At the time (1963) I worked out that she was 42. That was the only line I could recall and I was reminded because I just turned 60 and someone described it as "the 39th anniversary of my 21st birthday"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Bethnal Green (Paddy Roberts)
From: GUEST,Silvertonsiren
Date: 08 Apr 08 - 08:20 AM

Can anyone provide the full lyrics for Belle of Barking Creek?
Thanks!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Bethnal Green (Paddy Roberts)
From: Gurney
Date: 09 Apr 08 - 04:39 PM

There you go, Silversiren. Look at the 'lyric add' posting.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Bethnal Green (Paddy Robert
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 10 Apr 08 - 04:31 AM

Just in case anyone is still interested - The Ballad of Bethnal Green was released on a Decca EP (DFE6584) "Strictly For Grown-ups" and first published in 1959. The other songs were - L'anglais avec son sang-froid, Follow Me and Love isn't what it used to be. This was followed in 1960 by (DFE6641) "Paddy Roberts Strikes Again" - with the songs The belle of Barking Creek, I love Mary, Tattooed Lady and Why did it all begin.
Ray

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Bethnal Green (Paddy Robert
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 10 Apr 08 - 02:05 PM

The Belle of Barking Creek was a good one -- don't know the rest.....except of course Ballad of Bethnal Green which was hugely popular...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Bethnal Green (Paddy Roberts)
From: GUEST,Moriarty the dentist
Date: 16 May 09 - 08:24 PM

For the princely sum of 79p you can download the track ( or £7.99 for the entire album) from the itunes store.
Just search 'Paddy Roberts'.

My memories of Douglas Hastie singing the song around a BB campfire are re-kindled.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Bethnal Green (Paddy Roberts)
From: GUEST,Tom Lewis
Date: 02 Apr 10 - 02:05 PM

It went quite well because she fell for all his boyish charm
but she had some doubts when she found him out in someone else arms
Then she said look here you know my dear this is going a bit too far
then she turned quite white and he sloshed her right in the middle of her cha cha cha.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Bethnal Green (Paddy Roberts)
From: GUEST,Tom L
Date: 02 Apr 10 - 02:10 PM

THE BALLAD OF BETHNAL GREEN.
(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 Pa was on the Dole.
And her one delight was a Friday night when she had a little rock and roll.
CHORUS: With my rit fal dal to my titty fal dal to my itty bitty fal dal day.
Then one fine day in the month of may she found her big romance.
He was tall and sleek with a scar on his cheek and a pair of Drainpipe pants.
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 went quite well because he fell for all his girlish charms
but he had some doubts when he found her out in someone else arms.
Then he said, look here you know my dear this is going a bit too far,
then he turned quite white and sloshed her right in the middle of her cha cha cha. CHORUS.
He was brought before a man of the law who said this will not do.
I have had enough of the kind of stuff I gets from the likes of you.
And was he peeved when he received a longish time in clink.
In a fit of pique she married the Greek and now she's dressed in mink. CHORUS.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Bethnal Green (Paddy Roberts)
From: GUEST,jim bainbridge
Date: 24 Feb 13 - 12:34 PM

For me, another of Paddy Roberts' little gems was in French, and to the unlikely !! tune of 'A wee Deoch and Doris-

'Bonsoir ma cherie, comment allez-vous?'
'Je suis tres bien, merci beaucoup'
'Etes-vous fiancee?' 'Ca fait rien'
'Voulez-vous promenade avec moi ce soir?'
'Oui oui'
'Combien?'


sorry about the lack of accents- don't know how to do that but you can see that all those daytrips to Boulogne have paid off...

Subject: Lyr Add: WHY DID IT ALL BEGIN? (Paddy Roberts)
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 04 Mar 13 - 05:24 PM

WHY DID IT ALL BEGIN
Paddy Roberts

Why did it all begin?
Why did I get in this mess I'm in?
I guess I'm in the stew.
You're awful snooty with me, my beauty,
And I'm awful tired of you.
Look what is on my plate.
Why must I suffer this dreadful fate,
This awful state I'm in?
Lumbered with you dear, my whole life through, dear,
Oh why did it all begin?

We'd done a little drinking,
And the pair of us were stinking.
And our first embrace was underneath the table.
It was really rather thrilling,
You were ready, you were willing,
And I very soon discovered you were able.
But now that I'm on the spot,
'Spose I deserve ev'ry thing I've got.
This sotted clot was I,
But I'll bet a nicker I'm through with liquor,
From now 'til the day I die.

Why did I have to fall?
Guess I intended to have a ball,
But now it's all in vain.
Oh what a night, had the ball alright, yes,
Got me a ball and chain.
You'll find you're not so choosy
When you get a little woozy,
And on top of that the lights were pretty shaded.
It wasn't 'til the morning,
When the sun came up at dawning,
That I found my little rose was rather faded.
Then, without any doubt,
You pulled a fast one and caught me out,
You poured me out a gin.
And I had to sign on the dotted line.
Oh, why did it all begin?
Tell me, Why did it all begin?


Transcribed from "Paddy Roberts tries again"
NP