ADD: ...to be a barrow boy / Barrer Boy

Subject: lyrics reqd
From: GUEST,BJ
Date: 23 Mar 02 - 07:44 AM

does anybody know lyrics for Cockney tune "All me life i wanted to be a barrow boy" etc.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE WHARFIE'S SONG
From: MMario
Date: 23 Mar 02 - 09:03 AM

Click here for a song based on it.

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The Wharfie's Song

All my life I've wanted to be a wharfie,
A wharfie that's all I've wanted to be.
I wheels me barrow, I wheels it with pride,
Paddy Murphy, Jimmy Woodster staggering by me side.
I thumbs me nose at all the pannos,
Down where the Cairns Inlet flows,
They'll sell you for a shilling
That's how they get their living,
They should have been in the police force years ago,
Gord Blimey! they should have been in the police force years ago.

Notes

Looking for material about wharfies I found this song on the web (May 2000).

The song was originally published in Ron Edwards "Big Book of Australian Folk Songs" and Ron writes: "The Wharfies Song was once popular with waterside workers up and down the east coast of Australia, and is based on the old music hall ditty about the barrow boy. This version was collected from Cairns identity 'Tiger' O'Shane, who learnt it while working on the wharf.

1. The names, and the locations would be changed by each singer to suit his companions and the area in which he was working.
2. A panno is a pannikin boss, or more correctly a foreman stevedore"

union songs..........a selection by mark gregory

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Lyrics copy-pasted from the link cited above.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BJ- Lyr Req: ...to be a barrow boy
From: Bugsy
Date: 30 Sep 02 - 08:20 PM

All my life I wanted to be a barra boy,
A barrow boy I always wanted to be,
When I wheels me barra, it fills me up with pride,
I'm a coster, coster, from over the other side,
I'll turn my back on all the high society,
Take me where the ripe bananas grow,
Well, I sell 'em a dozen a shillin',
That's how I makes my livin',
I should have been a barra boy years ago.
Get off me barra! I should have been a barra boy years ago.

Cheers



Bugsy

Subject: Lyr Add: BARROW BOY (3 versions)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 02 Oct 02 - 12:56 PM

Information from AMG/All Music Guide:

Albums with a song "Barrow Boy":
"London" [?]
"City Trips: London" [1999]
"English Pub Sing-A-Long" [1995]
"English Pub Songs" [1999]

(All the above are "various artists" and the artists aren't even named, at least not in AMG.)

I transcribed the following from a sound sample at CDNOW from "English Pub Sing-A-Long"

BARROW BOY
(Burley/Burley/Noel/Walsh)

[All me life I wanted to be] a barra boy.
A barra boy I've always wanted to be.
I gets me livin' by stickin' to it wif pride.
I'm a coster, a coster, from over the [other?] side.
I turns me back upon society.
Take me where the ripe bananas grow.
They're only a dozen a shillin'.
That's how I gets me livin'.
I ought to have been a barra boy years ago.

Copied from http://www.dreamwater.org/trasksdad/MusicHall/songs_2.html

ALL ME LIFE I WANTED TO BE A BARRER-BOY.
(Made famous by Flanagan and Allen during and after World War II.)

All me life I wanted to be a barrer-boy.
A barrer-boy I've always wanted to be.
I've got me papers. I carry them with pride.
I'm a coster, a coster, from over the other side.
I turned me back upon the whole society,
And gone to where the ripe bananas grow.
They're only a dozen a shilling.
That's how I earns me living.
I oughter been a barrer-boy years ago,
Gerroff me barrer!
Oh, I oughter been a barrer-boy years ago.

Copied from http://www.londonbobby.ca/lblyric.htm#barrer

THE BARRER BOY SONG

All me life I wanted to be a barrer boy.
A barrer boy I've always wanted to be.
I wheels me barrer. I pushes it with pride.
I'm a coster, a coster, from over the other side.
I turns me back on all the old society.
I'm going where the ripe bananas grow.
I sells 'em a dozen a shilling.
That's 'ow I makes me living.
I ought to 'ave been a barrer boy years ago.
(Get off me barrer!)
I ought to 'ave been a barrer boy years ago.

I've also found references to the following songs:
"I'm 'n' 'Ardworkin' Barrow Boy" by the Dakotas, 1967.
"The Liverpool Barrow Boy," by The Spinners, 1962.

Subject: RE: BJ- Lyr Req: ...to be a barrow boy
From: Snuffy
Date: 02 Oct 02 - 05:14 PM

The Liverpool Barrow Boy by the Spinners is a different song, to the Irish tune "Rakes of Mallow". Chorus goes:

Pushin' and shovin' all the day
Soon as I find a place to stay
Up comes a scuffer, I'm on my way
Move yer bleedin' barrer

[Scuffer = policeman]

WassaiL! V

Subject: Lyr Req: barrer boy - flanigan & alan
From: mississippi john
Date: 20 Nov 04 - 07:47 AM

HELP !!!!!!!!

is there any body out there who can help with the words & tab to the barrer boy - Flanigan & Alan.

I've been given the task to sort out the above before monday of next week for a funeral of a guy who's died,
it was a favorite of his and his kin folk would like to play it at the funeral.

Subject: to be a barrow boy / Barrer Boy
From: GUEST,hyde
Date: 19 Jan 10 - 09:20 PM

All me life I wanted to be a barrow boy. A barrow boy I've always wanted to be. Waiting for my Shister over the other side A shister a shister over the other side.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ...to be a barrow boy / Barrer Boy
From: GUEST,999
Date: 20 Jan 10 - 07:40 PM

Barrow Boy

Up the Apple and Pears
Cross the Rory O'more
Up to see the dear old trouble and Strife
(That's the Wife) On the Cain and Able
You will always see
A pair of Jack the Rippers
And a cup of Rosy Lee
What could be better than this a
Nice old cuddle and kiss
Underneath the pale moon light
A little Tommy Tucker and up to Uncle Ned
Oh what a lovely night tonight.

All my life I've Wanted to be a barrow boy
A barrow boy I've always wanted to be
I push me Barrow I sticks to it with pride
I'm a Coster a Coster from over the other side
I turns me back upon the old society
Take me where the ripe bananas grow
They are only a dozen a shilling
that is how I earn my living
I ought to have been a barrow boy years ago
Get off me barrow, I ought to have been a barrow boy years ago.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ...to be a barrow boy / Barrer Boy
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Sep 18 - 06:51 PM

It's 'over the Lambeth side', not 'over the other side', Lambeth being a district in the East End of London.
Thank you.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ...to be a barrow boy / Barrer Boy
From: GUEST
Date: 01 May 22 - 01:34 PM

Lambeth is not a district in the east end. It is a local authority borough in south east London.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ...to be a barrow boy / Barrer Boy
From: GUEST,Jim Pinnells
Date: 15 Mar 24 - 06:54 AM

This is what we sang as a campfire song in the Boy Scouts 70 years ago:

"All me life I wanted to be a barrer boy
A barrer boy I always wanted to be.
I pushes me barrer I pushes it with pride I'm a coster, a coster,
From over the other side.
I turned me back against society down where the ripe tomatoes grow.
I sells em for a shilling
That's ow I earn me living
I oughtera been a barrer boy years ago
--Git off me barrer --
I oughtera been a barrer boy years ago"

The toff accent and cockey accent don't quite mix, but...