Origins: The Railway Porter (aka Willie Wee/Mee)

Subject: Origins: The Railway Porter (aka Willie Wee/Mee)
From: Muttley
Date: 18 Apr 05 - 08:40 PM

This was a song I rerquested the chords for a few days back - thanks HUGELY to Scotus for those.

However, in discussing this 'oldish' (early 20thCentury) song we got around to wondering about its origins.

Does anyone out there have an idea where this song came from or what inspired it (if anything)

Take it away 'catters - Scotus and I have every faith in you.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Railway Porter (aka Willie Wee/Mee)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Apr 05 - 09:08 PM

Some of the pieces of the story in thread 51799: Redpath Railway Porter

An old English song "Scottished" for the music hall??

The "Muddle-Puddle Porter" sheet music at Levy is a little better than the copy at American Memory, linked in the thread mentioned above. No date but later Victorian. But is this antecedent, or a different song?

Subject: RE: Origins: The Railway Porter (aka Willie Wee/Mee)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Apr 05 - 09:17 PM

Forgot- Link to song "Willie Lee" in thread 80235, given by Malcolm Douglas.
Perhaps these threads should be united, or at least this song. 3 songs

Subject: RE: Origins: The Railway Porter (aka Willie Wee/Mee)
From: Scotus
Date: 18 Apr 05 - 10:10 PM

picking up from the other thread -

I think Killie is Kilmarnock. And my full words are:

Oh I am a railway porter and ma name is Willie Wee,
I'm the maist important fella ye could ever hope tae see,
When the train draws in the station ye can hear me loud and clear,
For ma duty is tae tell ye ye've tae change here.

(chorus)
Ye change fur - Auchtermuchter, Killie or Tuchter, Crieff or Cullercoats, Fife or John-O-Groats, Beecham's Pills or Quaker Oats, Change for Ecclefechan, Aiberdeen an' a' the stations in atween,
Unless ye want tae gang tae Tobermory.

Ye should see me sweep the station, ye should see me sweep the stairs,
If there's no a tip forthcomin' ye should hear me curse an' swear,
When the train draws in the station ye can hear me loud an' clear,
It's ma duty for tae tell ye ye've tae change hear.

Well yin dae the royal train drew in, ma hairt wis fu' o' pride,
For I looked intae the windae, an' wha dae ye think I spied.
Twas Queen Elizabeth hersel', an' Phil was sittin' by her side,
So I yelled wi' a' ma micht - "ye've got tae change here.

I think I first heard this from Tony Harris in Dunfermline Howff in the early 1960s. Tony was singing at that time with John Watt (of Kelty Clippie fame) in a group called 'The Tregullion'and is most famous for having written all but the first verse of 'Three Men frae Carntyne' (which was a massive hit for Billie Connolly).

Hope all this is of interest to other sad buggers.

Jack Beck

Subject: RE: Origins: The Railway Porter (aka Willie Wee/Mee)
From: Muttley
Date: 19 Apr 05 - 08:14 PM

Well done Jack - but Jimmy was singing this when he came over on the boat in the early fifties - around the time "Lizzie" was crowned and the song was quite well established by then - in fact in his version it was George the Fifth sittin in the Royal Sallon and "the Queen (no name) was by HIS side!

Have to check up that Sassenach version

Subject: RE: Origins: The Railway Porter (aka Willie Wee/Mee)
From: Scotus
Date: 19 Apr 05 - 10:11 PM

Whoops - second verse should begin - 'You should see me hurl ma barra' not 'sweep the station'

apologies!

Jack beck

Subject: RE: Origins: The Railway Porter (aka Willie Wee/Mee)
From: Scotus
Date: 19 Apr 05 - 10:14 PM

Oh, and I'm sure you're right Muttley - the song has gone through many updates. I just thought I'd post the words as they came to me in the 1960s.

jack