The Songsheet & Sheet Music Page

'All together now.......'

Lyceum Queen of Hearts 1930's

Sinbad - Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

Victorian Cinderella - Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

The traditional ending to any Pantomime- the songsheet survives as one of the most traditional parts of a British Pantomime. It evolved to allow the stage management time to set up the Finale, or “Walkdown” as it is known- the “Who’s Best” parade at the end of the show where the entire company take their calls.

As Finales became grander, so the songsheet was essential in providing enough time for the set to be put up, the staircase placed centre stage, and for the cast to change into their most splendid costumes. Managers long ago realised that the last thing an audience sees, before it departs into the night, is the overwhelming and lasting impression they take home with them.

Just as important was the fact that the songsheet allowed full audience participation, often involving a number of children coming onto the stage with the principal comedian to take part in jolly banter. “How old are you? “- “I’m Six”. “Fancy! I was six when I was your age”. The joy of the old adage, “Out of the mouths of Babes..” comes to life when an innocent juvenile steals the show with an honest remark!

Originally songsheets really were sheets- a sheet of canvas would be flown in bearing the words. Traditionalists will say that is the only way you can have a songsheet, but more often than not nowadays, that sheet never appears. Songsheets today are often chosen from very well known songs, or current “hit” songs that make the words superfluous.

Some were specially written for a pantomime, others were popular music hall novelty songs, but to work well they have to have a good sing-a-long chorus, hopefully lots of actions the audience can join in with, and the element of competition.

“My side was louder than YOUR side!”… “Oh, YES we were!”…”Oh, NO you’re not!”

Peter Robbins and I have just returned from Birmingham Arts Fest where, in this year of 2002 we dared to have a “songsheet” competition in the main square involving 4,000 people- not many of them children, and entreated them to sing “It’s a long way to Tipperary” AND “Pack up your troubles in your old kit-bag” at one and the same time! 4,000 citizens of Brum knew virtually every word of those first world war songs, and belted them out with gusto! The songsheet tradition is as strong as ever.

In celebration of this, we at IBY would like to include the lyrics of some of the popular, and some of the forgotten songsheets of today and yesteryear. This is a growing site, and we welcome all additions to this section by e-mail at info@its-behind-you.com. There must be many fond memories of songsheets heard as children in the excitement of a first panto, and recent songs that have stirred grandchildren and great grandchildren into excitement pitch! Please feel free to contribute! In many cases the words may be not entirely accurate- memories fail and songs get corrupted year by year, and the tunes may be forgotten, but please send ‘em in! If anyone feels that their copyright is infringed in any way by the inclusion of lyrics, please contact us, and we will, of course, remove them at once.

THE SONGS

DUMPLING IN YOUR STEW

Oh I do like a dumpling in my stew-da-loo-da-loo

I do-da-loo-da-loo

Don't you-da-loo-da-loo?

If you don't like a dumpling in your stew-da-loo-da-loo

Then you know what you can do-da-loo-da-loo.

Submitted by John-Henry Barnes

DUMPLING IN YOUR STEW

Why does a cow go moo moo moo
When a pussy goes meow meow meow?
Sheep go baa from near and far
And cocks go cock-a-doodle-do tra-la,
Pigs go oink, and dogs go woof,
But what I'm asking now is
Why does a cow go moo moo moo
When a pussy goes meow meow meow?

Submitted by John-Henry Barnes

JELLY

Dickie Murdock, London Casino 1940’s

I do like a little bit of jelly

J E double L Y

If I can’t have a little bit of jelly

I cry and cry and cry

(Boo Hoo Hoo)

I feel it wobble when I gobble gobble gobble

It’s nicer than any pie

I do like a little bit of jelly

J E double L Y

LETTUCE

written by Howell Evans and Eddie Payne

Performed by Maudie Edwards & Ossie Morris. Swansea Grand Theatre - Mother Goose

Let us eat some lettuce like the bunny rabbits do,

Let us eat some lettuce it’s very good for you

You’ll grow so strong and healthy,

If lettuce you will chew-SO

Let us eat some lettuce

Like the bunny rabbits do!

LET’S SING A SONG ABOUT US

(Jewel & Warriss. 1950)

So let’s sing a song about us.

Let’s sing a song about us.

They’ve sung about a bird

They’ve sung about a bee

But never sung a single note to you and me

All that we need is a chorus,

So let’s start kicking up a fuss

We’ll never, never, never get the chance again,

So let’s sing a song about us!

BROWN COW (Novelty song)

Why does a brown cow give white milk

When it only eats green grass?

That’s the burning question,

Burns like indigestion

I don’t know, you don’t know

Isn’t life a farce?

Why does a brown cow give white milk

When it only eats green grass?

WHY HAS THE COW..

Why has the cow got four legs

I must find out some how

I don’t know

And you don’t know

And neither does the cow

MOOOOOO!

Submitted by Bob Etherington

EVER SO QUIET

We must be ever-so ever-so quiet

Hush Hush Hush

Don’t make a noise it may lead to a riot

Hush Hush Hush

Can’t you hear the tick of the clock

HICKORY DICKORY DICKORY DOCK

We must be ever-so ever-so quiet

Hush, Hush, HUUUUSHHHH!

Submitted by Bob Etherington

COFFEE

All I want is a proper cup of coffee

Made in a proper copper coffee pot

I may be off my jot

But I’d rather have a coffee from a proper coffee pot.

Tin coffee pots, Iron coffee pots

They’re no good to me

If I can’t have a proper cup of coffee

From a proper copper coffee pot

I’ll have a cup of tea!

CLEAN YOUR TEETH

Bury St. Edmunds Sleeping Beauty. 2001

Author Kate Edgar.

Clean your teeth, brush your hair,

Change your dirty underwear

Wash your feet between your toes

Blow the bogey’s down your nose

All the things you haven’t done for years

(Have a Banana)

And don’t forget to wash behind your ears!

Submitted by Jay Worthy

SOME LIKE A CUDDLE

Clarkson Rose. Palace Westcliff 1960’s

Some like a cuddle in the moonlight

Some like a cuddle in the dark

Some like a cuddle in an old armchair

Some like a cuddle in the park

Some like a cuddle in the cowshed

Some like a cuddle in a flat

But give me a cuddle with a nice young man

On Ilkley Moor Bah Tat!

Submitted by Chris

PARLIAMO GLASGOW

Stanley Baxter, as Mother Goose 1971

Geeza punna burra furra murra,

Geez baura choclit furra wean,

Seeza tenna fags, huv yezonni tottie bags,

Tae pit ratotties in till agit hame

Pirrit oanaslate, ahl pye ye zeftar

Azzawa tae seera panti mime,

Anif yuzkin say ramorra

Orrabest an itznae borra

Yezkin parliamo Glasgow orratime!

TRANSLATED FOR SASSENACHS:

Give us a pound of butter for the mother,

Give us a bar of chocolate for the infant,

Provide a ten of fags, have you any potato bags,

To put the potatoes in till I get home,

I am off to see the pantomime,

And if you can say tomorrow

All the best and it’s no bother,

You can parliamo Glasgow all the time!

ICE CREAM!

from John Crocker’s pantomimes mid 1950’s

I scream for-

ICE CREAM

Ice cream- I scream!

Pink and white

They’re just right

And chocolate ones

Are my delight!

A tooty-frooty-lolly can be most

Awf’ly jolly-BUT-

I scream for-

Ice Cream

Nice Ice Cream!

FISH AND CHIPS!

from Coventry Hippodrome

Performed Early 1960's - Jimmy Edwards and Beryl Reid

Fish and Chips

Covered in golden batter.

On a luvverly summer's day

You can smell 'em a mile away.

Oh, to think of it!

Oh, to dream of it!

Makes you smack your lips.

When you're bunging your hand

In a big greasy bag full of

Fish and Chips!

Submitted by Chris Emmett

FIRST YOU CLAP YOUR HANDS

Performed by Johhny Dallas, Rhyl Mid '70's

First you clap your hands (clap, clap)

Then you stamp your feet (stamp, stamp)

Sing "Hi diddle diddle" (Hi Diddle Diddle)

Right in the middle (right in the middle)

Then you go "Tweet Tweet!" (Tweet, Tweet)

Then you say "Hello" With a nod, nod ,nod of your head,

Sing Hale and hearty,

Let's have a party,

You're a long time dead!

TIDDLY WINKEY

Tiddly winkey, winkey winkeyTiddly winkey woo

I love you

Tiddly winkey, winkey winkey

Tiddly winkey woo

I love you

I love you in the morning when the sun is shining bright

I love you in the evening when the stars come out at night

Tiddly winkey, winkey winkey

Tiddly winkey woo

I love yoooou!

Submitted by Steve Clark

WIDOW TWANKEY'S GOING TO THE WEDDING

Aladdin, Queen's Theatre, Barnstaple 2000/1

Widow Twankey's going to the wedding,

Think of all the things she has to do!

First she has to do her hair -

Brush and comb, brush and comb.

Next she has to do her face -

Eyes and lips, eyes and lips.

Last she has to dress herself -

Pull her knickers up!

Widow Twankey's going to the wedding,

Don't you wish that you were going too?

Submitted by Ian Liston

CHOO CHOO SONG

I like riding on a Choo Choo Choo

I like listening to the Shoo Shoo Shoo

When the steam goes psst

And the Whistle goes woo

I like riding on a Choo Choo Choo

Like to hear the pistons, clang, clang, clang

Like to hear the doors go bang, bang, bang

I like riding on a Choo choo choo

I like listeneing to the shoo shoo shoo

When the steam goes psst

and the whistle goes woo

I like riding on a choo choo choo

CORNISH PASTIE SONG

Cinderella, Halls for Cornwall, Truro 2002/3

I run Fast-ee

For my Past-ee

I don't hang about.

If I'm not Fast-ee

I won't get a Past-ee

'Cos the shop will be sold out!

Submitted by Ian Liston

MY SON ALADDIN

to the tune of Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer

By Johnny Beattie (?) Ayr Theatre, Gaeity

My son Aladdin (audience repeats each time)

Is a handsome Prince

But he says he's sick

Of eating mince

So we went Chinese

'Twas the takeaway for me, not

MINCE N' TATTIES

LUMPY GRAVY

PIECE O' BREAD & BUTTER

CUP O TEA-EE-EE-EE-EE

I had a number one

And a forty-two

And a sixty three

And a fourteen too

But to my surprise

When they brought it out to me, it was

MINCE N' TATTIES

LUMPY GRAVY

PIECE O' BREAD & BUTTER

CUP O TEA-EE-EE-EE-EE

Submitted by Sam Cotton

I DREAM OF ICE CREAM, SAUSAGES AND CAKE

from Christmas Show - 'Give a Dog a Bone'

ran at the Westminster Theatre in London for about 12 years

I Dream of Ice Cream, Sausages and Cake

Things that you buy

Things that you bake

It's such nice dream, I'm afraid to wake

When I Dream of Ice Cream, Sausages and Cake

Submitted by Stephen Holroyd

WE LOVE CINDERELLA

We love Cinderella oh we do we do,

the prince is lovely too,

may all there dreams come true,

would you like to see her in her wedding dress,

yes, yes, yes, yes, yes !

Submitted by J Thompson

Funny, Very Funny

from Sinbad - Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Date Unknown

Jack and the Beanstalk (1984)

Hello Daisymoo, lovely cuddly cow

If you ask her nicely she will dance & take a bow

Everybody loves the little tricks that she can do

Hello Daisymoo. Moo ! Moo ! Moo !

Submitted by Sue Flower

The Legend of Cinderella

from Cinderella (to the tune of Hokey Cokey)

You cross your fingers

And you cross your eyes

Wish upon a star

And you'll get a big surprise

Kiss your pal

And don't apologise

And that's the Cinderella Jive!

Oh, Cinder-inder-ella!

If you want a bird or fella

Do it just like Cinderella

And that's the Cinderella Jive!

Submitted by Ally Ferguson www.aapantos.co.uk

I Must Say I Really Like Rhubarb

from Palace Theatre, Westcliff on Sea - 1973/74

I must say I really like rhubarb - R U B U B

Why sing about starry skies there not as lovely as rhubarby pies

Everyone knows the best love that grows won't fill you with ecstasy

So lets have a song about R U B U B with C U S T A RD

(Capital letters sung)

Submitted by Caroline Elsey

The Demon King

(to the tune of Macnamara's Band)

Oh, the Demon King is a nasty thing,

And he doesn't wash his feet!

He picks his nose and other things,

We wouldn't dare repeat!

He's horrible, terrible, nasty too,

And his breath would make you faint....

The Demon King of Pantomime,

Is really rather quaint!

Submitted by Ally Ferguson www.aapantos.co.uk

Tommy Tucker

Tommy Tucker took a tin of tasty tinned tomatoes

Tommy Tucker took the tin then Tommy took his hook

That night poor Tommy’s Mummy had to rub his little tummy

through the tin of tasty tinned tomatoes Tommy Tucker took

Submitted by Billy Sheerin

This page was last updated 30th November 2015

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