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Lyr Req: What a Mouth (R P Weston)

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ANNE BOLEYN
GOODBYE
HEAVEN WILL PROTECT an HONEST GIRL
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I'VE GOT RINGS ON MY FINGERS
SISTER SUSIE'S SEWING SHIRTS FOR SOLDIERS
SWIMSAM
WHEN FATHER PAPERED THE PARLOUR


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GUEST,rafflesbear 06 Nov 05 - 05:46 AM
GUEST 06 Nov 05 - 07:11 AM
GUEST,rafflesbear 06 Nov 05 - 09:11 AM
GUEST 06 Nov 05 - 10:49 AM
Malcolm Douglas 06 Nov 05 - 11:51 AM
GUEST,rafflesbear 06 Nov 05 - 12:46 PM
GUEST,Jim Ward 06 Nov 05 - 09:06 PM
GUEST,rafflesbear 08 Nov 05 - 05:13 PM
GUEST,Hootenanny 09 Nov 05 - 07:24 AM
Malcolm Douglas 09 Nov 05 - 07:23 PM
Mr Happy 26 Jan 11 - 06:45 AM
GUEST,Eliza 26 Jan 11 - 07:10 AM
Mr Happy 26 Jan 11 - 08:07 AM
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Subject: Lyr Req: what a mouth
From: GUEST,rafflesbear
Date: 06 Nov 05 - 05:46 AM

maybe not folk but a strong regional song albeit the region is london!

does anyone know the lyrics of tommy steele's 'what a mouth' ?


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: what a mouth
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Nov 05 - 07:11 AM

Oh, Jimmy Bean was a funny looking fellow
If he had a bigger mouth, you'd've took him for the cellar
But his mouth--   Queered him- from winning a beauty show
Oh, it was like a steam boat funnel, or a railway arch, or the Blackwell tunnel,
And you can't- see Jim- when he opens his mouth, you know.
And as old Jimmer goes a-walkin' about-
You can 'ear the kids all 'ollerin' out-

Chorus:

What a mouth, What a mouth, What a North and South
Blimey, what a mouth he's got.
When he was a baby Low Cor Lummer
His poor old mother used to feed 'im with a shovel
What a gap-- poor chap-- He's never been known to laugh
For if he did, it's a penny to a quid that his face would fall in 'alf!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: what a mouth
From: GUEST,rafflesbear
Date: 06 Nov 05 - 09:11 AM

thanks for that

very small point - it would be the blackwall tunnel

cheers


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Subject: Lyr Add: WHAT A MOUTH (R P Weston)
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Nov 05 - 10:49 AM

This song goes back to 1906, written by R.P.Weston and sung by the great Harry Champion. The song was revived on record around 1950 by 'The Two Bills from Bermonsey', who I often heard singing in pubs around The Elephant and The Old Kent Road area in the fifties. Tommy Steele recorded a poor cover of the 'Two Bills' record and had a minor hit with it around 1957.

Here's the first verse from the original song sheet- havn't got time to put down the other four verses but may do it later if no one else does.

Jimmy Binks would a been an 'ansome fella
If he had another face and a different smeller,
But his mouth, queered him, from winning in a beauty show,
It looks just like a steam boat funnel, or a railway arch, or the Blackwall tunnel,
And you can't, see Jim, when he opens it wide, you know.
And as our Jimmie goes a-walkin' about,
You can 'ear the kids all 'ollerin' out,

Chorus:

What a mouth, What a mouth, What a North and South
Blimey, what a mouth he's got,
When he was a baby Oh Lord Lovell,
Why is poor old mother used to feed 'im with a shovel,
What a gap, poor chap, he's never been known to laugh
For if he did, it's a penny to a quid that his face would fall in 'alf!


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: what a mouth
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 06 Nov 05 - 11:51 AM

See also the earlier thread on the song, revived only a few days ago and still on the main page:

Jimmy Bean (What a Mouth!)

The original words would be good to have, as people do seem to have difficulty with parts of the song ("lummer"?!)


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: what a mouth
From: GUEST,rafflesbear
Date: 06 Nov 05 - 12:46 PM

sorry to split the thread but I did check the db before I posted and it's not there - I also searched the forum but not knowing the words in the first place I did't recognise jimmy bean and by the time you've looked through a few postings like this

'By God, it's Murray Fowler from Iowa U, in DRAG!! Dang, Murray, how's the llama trade??? Sir Spaw, your complexity is deeper than your very bowel tonight; mayhap you are using a spoare, a sort of semiotic colon?' (returned by a search on 'what a mouth')

you give up


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: what a mouth
From: GUEST,Jim Ward
Date: 06 Nov 05 - 09:06 PM

Here are the other four verses as promised earlier

2-
Now Jimmy Bink's mouth it ain't all honey
He can whisper in his own ear ain't that funny
But to lay, the dust, he has to drink a lot oh my
He got so tight one foggy morning he laid in the road and started yawning
and a poor, old man, was delivering coal near by
He saw Jim's mouth out in the road
and into it he shot his load

Ch- What a mouth what a mouth what a north and south
Blimey what a mouth he's got
Now the coalman he was a short sighted fella
When he saw Jim's mouth he thought it was a cellar
And he shot, the lot, right into Jim's mouth no joke
Now Jim poor soul's got a belly full of coal
And he's coughing up lumps of coke

3-
In the tap room of the Rose and Thistle
Jimmy went one night for to whet his whistle
And to do, it well, he has to drink a dozen pots
First a dozen pots of beer he'll swallow
And then as his teeth at the back are hollow
He has still, got room, for twelve or more rum tots
A new barmaid came there one night
She saw Jim's mouth and yelled with fright

Ch- What a mouth what a mouth what a north and south
Blimey what a mouth he's got
It made Jim jump when the barmaid hollered
And his pewter pot he accidently swallowed
It was hot, that pot, it melted and now he sits
Down by the fire wiv a little bit o' wire
'Hooking up two-bob bits

4-
Now Jimmy Binks wife had such a luv'ly baby
Wiv a mouth as big as Jim's or larger maybe
An I shan't, forget, the day he's cut one tooth
Now when his mum heard baby blubber for a
Nice hard teat that was made of rubber
She at once, took him, down the chemist and that's the truth
They could not get inside the door
Till they shut that baby's mouth- Oh lor

Ch- What a mouth what a mouth what a north and south
Blimey what a mouth he's got
As baby's teething said his mummmy
Oh please sir give me a penny rubber dummy
Said the cove, by jove, as he sucked on a big ju-jube
Thre's no rubber tit for a penny that'll fit
He wants the tuppeny tube

5-
Now one night Jimmy Binks lay snoring
All the neighbours round about thought a lion was roaring
And the old, Dutch clock, that was hanging on the bedroom wall
Fell into Jim's mouth with a crash bang wallop
Jimmy woke up, cried out, call Doctor Jollop
But his wife, said no, it's only the clock that's all
And now the neighbours, ain't it prime
Looks down Jim's throat to tell the time

Ch- What a mouth what a mouth what a north and south
Blimey what a mouth he's got
Now the works of the old Dutch clock keep whizzin
Round his rum-tum-tummy like a lot of sherbet fizzin'
An his wife, what strife, can't sleep at night you know
'Cos the pen-du-lum keeps banging on his tum
As it's swinging to and fro


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What a Mouth (R P Weston)
From: GUEST,rafflesbear
Date: 08 Nov 05 - 05:13 PM

brilliant !!

thanks for this - very much appreciated


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What a Mouth (R P Weston)
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 09 Nov 05 - 07:24 AM

"Cor Lummer" it seems to me should be "Cor lummee" (God Love Me) as in "Cor Blimey" = God Blind me (pronounced Gawd Blind me). Both common expressions at the time around the East End.
Hoot.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What a Mouth (R P Weston)
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 09 Nov 05 - 07:23 PM

Yes, that was hinted at in the earlier thread (see link above). The fact remains that neither "lummer" which, so far as I know, isn't a real word at all, and "lumme" (which is) fit the rhyme scheme. Jim Ward has already told us what the original song said; this isn't a traditional song as such, so I don't see any need to speculate further.

Probably the confusion arose via Tommy Steele's slightly garbled arrangement of 'The Two Bills' shortened take on it. I'm just old enough to remember the earlier record from "Children's Favourites" before it was replaced in the playlist by the Steele arrangement; and (given the time lapse) am fairly sure that they sang the original "Lord Lovell", which would have made perfect sense to Harry Champion's early 20th century music hall audience, but was probably quite lost on Tommy in the late 1950s.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What a Mouth (R P Weston)
From: Mr Happy
Date: 26 Jan 11 - 06:45 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMF2paM-aCw


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What a Mouth (R P Weston)
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 26 Jan 11 - 07:10 AM

According to Tommy Steele on Youtube, it seems to be "When 'e woz a baby, Gawd, Lord luvver, 'iz pore old muvver used ter feed 'im wiv a shovel" Lord luvver meaning 'Lord love her' (ie his mother) Also, 'luvver' and 'muvver' rhyme.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What a Mouth (R P Weston)
From: Mr Happy
Date: 26 Jan 11 - 08:07 AM

.............hmmnnn.........the folk process!


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