AKA | |
First Published | 1904 |
Writer/composer | Harry von Tilzer, Andrew B Sterling, Russell Hunting, Percy Krone | Roud | RN23914 |
Music Hall Performers | Florrie Forde |
Folk performances | Collected from the singing of: Copper, Jim; England : Sussex; 1936 |
Come, come, come and make eyes at me
Down at The Old Bull and Bush
Come, come, have some port wine with me
Down at The Old Bull and Bush
Hear the little German band
Just let me hold your hand, dear
Do, do, come and have a drink or two
Down at The Old Bull and Bush
Talk about the shade of the sheltering palm
Praise the bamboo tree with its wide-spreading charm
There's a little nook down near old Hampstead town
You know the place, it has won great renown
Often with my sweetheart on a bright summer's day
To the little pub there my footsteps will stray
If she hesitates when she looks at the sign
Promptly I whisper "Now do not decline!"
But come...
In the little parlor on a cold winter's night
All is very cheerful, so snug and bright
Nell looks at me, but now not with a frown
She would not change with the Queen and her crown
It was there I first met the joy of my life
She gave her troth and is now my dear wife
Her eyes always glisten when she sees the old sign
So, all of you join in a glass of good wine
A British version of a hit American vaudeville song Under the Anheuser Bush. The American original was written by Andrew B Sterling (words) and Harry von Tilzer (music) with lyrics that promoted the Anheuser-Busch brewing company.
The British adaptation was an invitation to an assignation at The Old Bull and Bush, a public house in north Hampstead
Sources:
- Entries in the Roud Indexes at the Vaughn Williams Memorial Library: https://archives.vwml.org/search/all:single[folksong-broadside-books]/0_50/all/score_desc/extended-roudNo_tr%3A23914
- Kilgarrif Sing Us
Last Updated on January 3, 2025 by John Baxter | Published: January 3, 2025