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02 Sep 05 - 06:52 AM (#1554593) Subject: Lyr Req: when there isn't a girl about From: GUEST,Gadaffi Can anyone help with the words of this Music Hall song, which I've only heard once at the Sidmouth Volunteer last year from somebody in John Howson's East Anglia crowd? Verses are parodies of nursery rhymes. Chorus goes, something like: When there isn't a girl about you do feel lonely, When there isn't a girl about you're on your only, Left completely on the shelf, Nothing to do but play (?) with yourself, When there isn't a girl about. And while we're about it, could someone also state its provenance. |
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02 Sep 05 - 08:20 AM (#1554644) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: when there isn't a girl about From: Brakn Nothing to do but play (?) with yourself, I think should be "Don't know what to do with yourself". |
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02 Sep 05 - 09:32 AM (#1554711) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: when there isn't a girl about From: GUEST,Richard I learnt this as a tune, while playing in a dance band in the late '70s. My Dad sang me the words more or less as written - definitely "Nothing to do but play with yourself" - which he had learnt in the Navy during WW2. He only knew that one verse, though. |
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02 Sep 05 - 04:17 PM (#1554975) Subject: Lyr Add: WHEN THERE ISN'T A GIRL ABOUT From: Tradsinger WHEN THERE ISN'T A GIRL ABOUT Old King Cole was a merry old soul A merry old soul was he, a merry old soul was he. He called for his wife in the middle of the night And he whipped his old bazooka out and this is what he said Get hold of this, get hold of that. When there isn't a girl about, you do feel lonely When there isn't a girl about, you're on your own All alone and on the shelf Nothing to do but play with yourself When there isn't a girl about. Robinson Carusoe, dirty old man Carusoe There wasn't a girl about, there wasn't a girl about Along came Friday and sat down beside him And he whipped his old bazooka out ...etc Little Miss Muffett sat on a tuffet Eating her curds and whey, eating her curds and whey Along came a spider and sat down beside her And he whipped his old bazooka out... etc Marianne Faithful, she tried to be faithful There wasn't a girl about, there wasn't a girl about Along came Jagger and tried to **** her And he whipped his old bazooka out, etc Gwilym |
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03 Sep 05 - 03:42 AM (#1555274) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: when there isn't a girl about From: wilbyhillbilly Well done Tradsinger, thats exactly the words that a certain "lady" sings at sessions down our local, especially when there are visitors. It normally brings the house down, mainly because she has a few (wrist type) actions that go with it. whb |
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04 Sep 05 - 04:50 PM (#1556079) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: when there isn't a girl about From: Jim Dixon The various-artists album "Stepping Up," Topic CD #752, 2004, contains a medley of WHEN THERE ISN'T A GIRL ABOUT/PEGGY WOOD/LOOKING FOR A PARTNER performed by The Leeds Band. The album seems to be all English country dance tunes without lyrics. It's also performed by Reg Hall on "English Country Music," Topic LP #296, 1965. I wasn't able to find out whether that version has lyrics. Authorship is credited to C Collins and H Castling. Billy Williams made an early recording of WHEN THERE ISN'T A GIRL ABOUT, between 1906 and 1914; and so did Harry Fay. More recently, there was a recording by Chas & Dave on "Christmas Jamboree Rag." It's in a songbook called "Feldman's Album of Song Memories, No. 1" where the date given is 1906. Somehow I doubt that the original words correspond to those posted above, but I could be wrong, of course. |
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05 Sep 05 - 07:33 AM (#1556447) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: when there isn't a girl about From: GUEST Thanks, Gwilym and Jim. I'm certain there was a song about Old Mother Hubbard. I'm sure the Volly mob sang 'get hold of this, get hold of this' but the memory plays tricks. Looks like I'll have to go through my various books on Army and Navy parodies - or even Rugby songs! |
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05 Sep 05 - 05:35 PM (#1556927) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: when there isn't a girl about From: wilbyhillbilly Guest, one of the verses is about Old Mother Hubbard. Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard To get her dog a bone, to get her dog a bone When she got there the cupboard was bare, So he whipped his old bazooka out and this is what he said, Get hold a this, get hold a that etc. whb |
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16 Feb 14 - 04:34 AM (#3601877) Subject: Lyr Add: WHEN THERE ISN'T A GIRL ABOUT From: Long Firm Freddie The lyrics are now available on When There Isn't a Girl About As Jim Dixon rightly surmised, the printed lyrics are rather less risque than those given above! LFF WHEN THERE ISN'T A GIRL ABOUT Poor old Robinson Crusoe, he led a life of miseree There on the Island he knew not what to do No girls there with loving eyes To talk to him and sympathise There on his lonesome things felt awfully blue One night, whilst he was making up the bed He turned to poor old Mister Friday, and he said, Chorus: 'When there isn't a girl about you do feel lonely When there isn't a girl that you can call your 'only' You're abolutely on the shelf Don't know what to do with yourself When there isn't a girl about.' Mister Brown was a bachelor and living in apartments grand One Christmas evening he sat there all alone Just above his head you know There hung a kind of mistletoe He stood beneath it than he gave a groan No sweet maid was near at hand alas Then to himself he whispered in the looking glass, Chorus: Green aboard of a P. and O. meant to see the world, you know And for a fortnight he quite enjoyed the trip; He'd everything that he required Everything that he desired Still there was something missing on the ship One day he found what was missing, so He murmured to the Captain, when he went below, Chorus: Binks the Bobby was on his beat, looking for a snug retreat But all the servants were snug between the sheets All the clocks were striking four And barred was every airy door Binks seemed deserted, so did all the streets Feeling chilly, he crouched against a wall Then shouted to the man that kept the coffee stall, Chorus: Written and composed by Harry Castling & Charles Collins - 1906 Performed by Arthur Reece (1870-1964) Performed by Billy Williams (1877-1915) |
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16 Feb 14 - 07:55 PM (#3602078) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When There Isn't a Girl About From: McGrath of Harlow I think the original less nudge-nudge version is funnier. You can still take it how you, but it's left up to you. Not "look at me, aren't I awful!!" |
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17 Feb 14 - 01:27 PM (#3602295) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When There Isn't a Girl About From: Nigel Parsons Takes me back to the late 60s / early 70s. This 'party piece' was used as one of the numbers in the Llandaff RFC Christmas pantomime. |
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31 Mar 17 - 12:49 PM (#3847845) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When There Isn't a Girl About From: GUEST,Jem Ricketts There are two songs mixed up, above. Old King Cole had nothing to do with there not being a girl about/around. That one went: Ole King Cole was a Merry old soul/ bugger for a hole And a bugger for a hole was he! He called for his wife in the middle of the night And he called for his fiddlers three.. Fiddle diddle dee diddle dee cried the fiddlers Very Merry Men are we There's none so fair as can compare With the Boys of the Company/Ministry/ UCT/RAC Further verses included 'He called for his wife in the middle of the night And he called for his Jugglers three. Throw your balls in the air cried the jugglers Very Merry etc ..... 'And he called for his Tailors three Thread it in and out in and out cried the Tailors Very Merry Men etc.... I am sure one can concoct further verses of similar ilk. Oh Yes! I forgot... After 'There's none so fair as can compare etc' comes another bit which goes "Oompah Doompah stick it up your Joompah How's yer father? All Right! How's yer mother? Half tight! How's yer sister? She might! When was the last time? Last night! Old King Cole... continues.... Reverting to 'When there isn't a girl about (I prefer 'around', you can draw it out better) there were several other verses which we used to sing. In short: Little Red Riding Hood Went for a walk in the wood Oh, what big eyes you got! What big eyes you got! The wolf said Red, you aint seen anything yet, he whipped his old bazooka out and gave her a helluva shot Get hold of this, get hold of that, Etc Little Jack Horner sat in the corner Looking at all the dirty pictures hanging on the wall He stuck in his thumb And couldn't find a plum So he whipped his old Bazooka out.... Afraid that's all I can remember.. From 55 years ago.... |
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01 Apr 17 - 11:37 AM (#3848011) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When There Isn't a Girl About From: GUEST Yes, it was on Reg Hall's trailblazing 'English Country Music' LP about 1965 (99 copies only issued) and played in a selection by the Leeds band on Bob Davenport's 'Down the Long Road' LP about 1972, this later on the 'Steppin' Out' CD more recently. No words though & can see why really |
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09 Sep 18 - 04:04 PM (#3949308) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When There Isn't a Girl About From: GUEST Another verse as passed to me by my old dad. died 1978. Down in the valley where nobody goes there lies mary without any clothes up comes Dick with his top hat and stick whips his old bazooka out and this is what he says get hold etc.... he did sing the other verses quoted here with slight variations. |