Lyr Req: Ballad of Bethnal Green (Paddy Roberts)

Subject: Ballad of Bethnal Green ^^
From: GUEST,Parthenon
Date: 13 Dec 00 - 02:14 PM

Can anyone out there help me complete the lyrics to what I believe was called "Ballad of Bethnal Green". I don't really know if it is really a folk song, but purist I am not. It started-

Let me tell you a tale of a jealous male And a girl of sweet sixteen She was blonde, she was dumb, and she lived with her mum In a place called Bethnal Green. She worked for a Greek for a few bob a week For her dad was on the dole And her delight was a Friday night When she did a spot of rock 'n roll

I believe its originator was an entertainer by the name of Paddy Roberts, probably late 50's or early 60's.

There one in a similar vein telling the tale of a young man whose girl was "stolen" by an Italian. The young man proceeded to kill the Italian and dispose of his body down a sewer. His great regret is shown in the last line of the song-

"For doing-in that greasy wop I got forty bloody years" ^^

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Bethnal Green
From: Bert
Date: 13 Dec 00 - 02:50 PM

Here

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Bethnal Green
From: Snuffy
Date: 13 Dec 00 - 07:15 PM

If the Italian was Portuguese and he got 13 years not 40, try here

Wassail! V

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Bethnal Green
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Jan 09 - 11:15 AM

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

It was one fine day in the month of May, when she found her big romance.
He was dark and sleek with a scar on his cheek and a pair 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.

It all went well, for he quickly fell for all her girlish charms;
But he had some doubt when he caught her out in someone else's arms;
And 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 a cha-cha-cha.

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

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Bethnal Green (Paddy Roberts)
From: GUEST, topsie
Date: 19 Jan 09 - 01:13 PM

I was watching 'A Voyage Around My Father' on BBC4 last night, depicting the life of the late John Mortimer, and his father was shown singing bits of what sounded like 'The Ballad of Bethnal Green', but it was supposed to be happening in the mid-1930s. Was Paddy Roberts's version adapted from an earlier song, maybe from Music Hall?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Bethnal Green (Paddy Roberts)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 04:49 AM

refresh...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Bethnal Green (Paddy Robert
From: Will Fly
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 04:52 AM

The original song was, I believe, "Pretty Little Polly Perkins of Paddington Green". That's what Olivier was singing in the TV play.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Bethnal Green (Paddy Roberts)
From: GUEST, topsie
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 06:27 AM

Thank you Will Fly.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Bethnal Green (Paddy Roberts)
From: GUEST, topsie
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 07:15 AM

And thank you Joe Offer for the 'refresh', without which I wouldn't have got the answer.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Bethnal Green (Paddy Roberts)
From: GUEST,DoubleGloucester
Date: 23 Feb 10 - 12:16 PM

Pretty Polly Perkins has a different tune from Paddy Roberts' Ballad of Bethnal Green, but I can't find the music for the latter anywhere.
DG

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Bethnal Green (Paddy Roberts)
From: Gurney
Date: 23 Feb 10 - 02:18 PM

I think BoBB is an original tune by Paddy. At least, I've never heard it elsewhere. I have it on his LP 'Paddy Roberts Tries Again' and I believe it is also on another of his LPs.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Bethnal Green (Paddy Roberts)
From: GUEST,ruairiobroin
Date: 24 Feb 10 - 04:58 AM

its on youtube

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballad of Bethnal Green (Paddy Roberts)
From: bubblyrat
Date: 24 Feb 10 - 08:45 AM

The tune for PLPPOPG is nothing like the BOBG !! It's more akin to "Cushy Butterfield" . And you missed out the BOBG chorus ,ie

   "To me right fol da (or Day)
    To me titty fol da
    To me titty titty fol dol da"

or words to that effect....some of us try to put in as many "Tittys" as possible. Naturally.