I don't know what started me on liking British Music Hall, unless it was in my genes, but I really love it.

I got exposed to British Music Hall by listening to records of modern singers of the music hall songs. They included Derek Lamb ( "She Was Poor but She Was Honest: Nice, Naughty and Nourishing Songs of the London Music Hall and Pubs" Folkways Records - FW08707 1962 http://www.folkways.si.edu/search/AlbumDetails.aspx?ID=1469), Oscar Brand (also known for his Bawdy Folksongs (some of which I suspect were the original versions of Music Hall songs), Elsa Lanchester ( 2 albums of Cockney and Music Hall Songs) and John Roberts and Tony Barrand (who produced a Music Hall Show featuring themselves and Lou Killen). They recorded the show and I was unaware of the recitation tradition in the Music Hall until I heard Tony do "Albert and the Lion," on the music hall record.

I had started playing English Concertina and that also set me off to research the music halls, as did hearing George Formby records on the jukebox in "Himself," the pub that Malachy McCourt had in NYC.

I was a huge fan of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. Tom Clancy used to sing a song from the music halls entitled "They're Moving Father's Grave to Build A Sewer." At the end of the song, they all chimed in to sing the chorus of this song with the last variation "You can't trust the specials like the old-time coppers
When you can't find your way home."

Much to my delight, while researching British Music Hall on Youtube, I found a video of the original song by a really wonderful Music Hall performer. Her name was Lilly Morris and I was able to find more videos of her, which you can find at the bottom of the post.


DON'T DILLY DALLY (MY OLD MAN SAID FOLLOW THE VAN)
(Charles Collins and Fred W. Leigh)

We had to move away, 'cos the rent we couldn't pay,
The moving van came round just after dark;
There was me and my old man, shoving things inside the van,
Which we'd often done before let me remark.
We packed all that could be packed in the van and that's a fact;
And we got inside all we could get inside,
Then we packed all we could pack on the tailboard at the back,
Till there wasn't any room for me to ride.

cho: My old man said, "Follow the van, don't dilly dally on the way!"
Off went the cart with the home packed in it,
I walked behind with me old cock linnet.
But I dillied and dallied, dallied and dillied,
Lost the van and don't know where to roam.
Variation: I stopped on the way to have the old half-quartern,
And I can't find my way home.

I gave a helping hand with the marble wash-handstand,
And straight, we wasn't getting on so bad;
All at once the carman bloke had an accident and broke,
Well, the nicest bit of china that we had.
You'll understand of course, I was cross about the loss,
Same as any other human woman would;
But I soon got over that, what with 'two-out' and a chat,
'Cos it's little things like that what does you good.

Chorus:
Variation: Now who's going to put up the old iron bedstead
If I can't find my way home?

Oh! I'm in such a mess - I don't know the new address -
Don't even know the blessed neighbourhood,
And I feel as if I might have to stay out all the night,
And that ain't going to do me any good.
I don't make no complaint, but I'm coming over faint,
What I want now is a good substantial feed,
And I sort o' kind o' feel, if I don't soon have a meal,
I shall have to rob the linnet of his seed.

Chorus:
Variation: You can't trust the specials like the old-time coppers
When you can't find your way home.

Lyrics found at The Mudcat Cafe, a great searchable site to find lyrics to thousands of songs: http://www.mudcat.org/

All of Lily's songs are humerous and singable, besides "My Old Man," I really love "Don't Have Any More, Mrs. Moore," and her signature piece "Why Am I Always The Bridesmaid?" "Mrs. Moore" could have been the inspiration for the population explosion segment in Monty Python's "Meaning of Life."

Watch and listen closely for all of the nuances and characterizations Lily puts into her songs. Some of them are so subtle, I had to watch and listen to them a number of times before I could get them all.

I have to say that even though the modern interpreters of the songs did fine jobs, hearing the original artists perform them add a certain authenticity and depth of characterization to the songs that most modern singers lack (John and Tony and Lou Killen are exceptions).

The Lily Morris website: http://www.lilymorris.co.uk/
Lots of pictures, playbills, information.

Lily Morris Biography at Wilipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lily_Morris

Here is the entry for the song from Wikipedia: "The song My Old Man is an old music hall song written by Fred W. Leigh and Charles Collins, made popular by Marie Lloyd.

It is a humorous song, but it also reflects some of the hard aspects of working class life in Britain at the beginning of the twentieth century. The couple, in the song, are obliged to move house quickly in the middle of the night, because they can't pay the rent. They fill up the van with their possessions, but there is not room for the two of them also, so the husband instructs his wife to follow behind the van, which she does, carrying the pet bird.

The chorus of the song is well-known.

My old man said "Follow the van,
And don't dilly dally[1] on the way".
Off went the van wiv me 'ome packed in it,
I walked behind wiv me old cock linnet[2].
But I dillied and dallied, dallied and I dillied
Lost me way and don't know where to roam.
Well you can't trust a special like the old time coppers
When you can't find your way 'ome[3]

An alternative to the fourth line is: "I followed on wiv me old cock linnet"

An alternative to the last two lines is

I stopped on the way to have me old half quarten, now I can't find my way home

"Half quarten" was a slang expression for a measure of spirits (usually Gin) and was equal to 2½ Imperial ounces.

The chorus is the basis of a terrace chant popular among English football fans. The lyrics were originally changed to My old man said "Be a City fan", by Manchester United fans (about Manchester City) then copied by Aston Villa fans (about Birmingham City) among others.

The first verse and the chorus were featured in episode 211 of The Muppet Show, performed by Miss Piggy. In the Muppet fan community the song is better known as "Don't Dilly Dally On the Way".

The song also appeared in the Sega Master System version of Lemmings, making its first appearance in the 17th level rated "Fun".

In The Catherine Tate Show, during the Life at Ma's sketch (a spoof of Life on Mars), the last four lines are sung by Catherine Tate and a variety of other characters."

Here are the videos of Lily Morris, put your cursor over the bottom of the player and you will see the list of videos. Click on any of them to choose a video or just click on the arrow in the center of the player and they will automatically play one after another.