| AKA | Going to the Derby in a donkey cart |
| First Published | 1872 |
| Writer/composer | Arthur Lloyd | Roud | RN3371 |
| Music Hall Performers | Arthur Lloyd, JW Rowley |
| Folk performances | Collected from the singing of: Clissold, Charlie; England : Gloucestershire; 1977 Last, Roy; England : Suffolk; 1983 |
From monologues.co.uk I'm Billy Bell, a costermonger as you sees A-dealing in carrots, turnips, leeks, and cabbages Cauliflower and broccoli, really may I say I deals in heverything wot's in the vegetable way And though I work so 'ard I likes me pleasure too And once a year like other folks the nobby thing can do For every Derby Day I dresses up so smart And drives meself to Hepsom in me little donkey cart Yus, I'm up wiv th' lark that mornin' And up to all sorts of larks all day It ain't no 'ardship for me t' get up early I'm as wide awake then as at any other time With the first of the vehicles you'll see me on the road. Goin' to the Derby Lookin' very smart Doin' all the journey in me donkey cart Passin' all the vehicles Like a bloomin' dart Goin' to the Derby in me little donkey cart. And when I gets to Hepsom amongst the bustle there I puts away me donkey what 'asn't turned a hair Then I gets me luncheon, a chunk of bread and cheese With a gallon jar of fourpenny, oh, at which you wouldn't sneeze And while I sits enjoyin' me very 'umble fare I sees the swells their shammy and their nobby things prepare But they doesn't eat an' drink with a better 'eart Than me wot goes to Hepsom in me little donkey cart Ah then when I gets 'ome I give Billy 'is supper (That's me) And Tommy a rub dahn (That's me donkey) Tumbles into me virtuous couch Up in the mornin' to work a-sellin' vegetables And go there like a good 'un till the time comes round again And every year if you look out for me you'll see me Goin' to the Derby Lookin' very smart Doin' all the journey in me donkey cart Passin' all the vehicles Like a bloomin' dart Goin' to the Derby in me little donkey cart.
A song written by Arthur Lloyd, first published in 1872:
In the Halls of the 1870s and 80s it was most often associated with our old favourite JW “Over” Rowley. Here’s a contemporary description of a performance:
In the traditional world, it was collected in the 1980s from the singing of Roy Last by John Howson and Mike Yates and can be heard on the Veteran CD Who owns the game – follow the link to purchase a copy. If you belong to an appropriate Higher Education Institution you may be able to access it at the British Library Sound Archive. In his book Songs Sung in Suffolk, John Howson explained how the singer Roy Last came to learn the song:
The song came from his uncle Walter who had moved up to London to work on the railway… he used to sing in different clubs [there]
Songs Sung in Suffolk, p72
Sources:
- VWML entry
- Kilgarrif Sing Us
- Lyrics: monologues.co.uk
- Sheet Music: not found
- John Howson Songs Sung in Suffolk (1992)
Last Updated on April 1, 2023 by John Baxter | Published: March 14, 2021
