I fancy I can see her now

AKA I fancy I can see him now
First Published 1869
Writer/composer Arthur Lloyd Roud RN21274

Music Hall Performers Arthur Lloyd
Folk performances Collected from the singing of:
A fragment (the chorus)seems to have been collected by Alfred Williams from an unknown singer		 

Taken from sheet music on ArthurLloyd.co.uk

I'm all the way frae Lancashire 
In search o' Betsy Gray; 
Who left her native country just 
A twelve month yesterday. 
Since she's been gone I've had no rest, 
Either night or day: 
And I feel so bewildered now 
I don't know what I say

I fancy I can see her now, 
Down at Farmer Fen's, 
Pickin' up the new laid eggs frae the cow, 
And milking the cocks and hens.

I've had one fight since I've been here, 
I knocked a fellow flat; 
Because he roared right in my ear, 
"I say, I'll have your hat"
This hat my Betsy gave to me, 
And said in voice so sweet; 
You wear this for my sake dear Joe, 
As she placed it on my feet.

[Spoken] My head I mean, I'm thinking so much of her I don't know what I say… Chorus

The lovely bread she used to bake, 
The scones and pancakes too; 
And Everton toffy she could make 
As sticky and thick as glue. 
I'd back her too agin the world 
Liver and bacon to fry, 
When I think of the watery taters too
The steam comes from my eye.

[Spoken] I mean when I think of the steaming taters the water comes from my eye! Darned if I know what I'm sayin', thinking o' that lass ...Chorus

I bought her once a splendid dress, 
That cost me many a groat; 
To show you that she loved me, now, 
I'll tell a nanny goat [anecdote] 
She saved a great lump of her dress, 
This is a truth I vow: 
And made me this fine waistcoat 
That you see me wearing now.

[spoken] Look at that! – There's a fit! – the Prince of Wales' tailor couldn't make it better nor that – no fear o' it splittin' plenty of room to grow! Ah! She wor a good lass she'd anythin' I'd tell without me kickin' her. She wor daily maid wi' Farmer Fen, I used to work at plough - Then we used to romp when work wor done I used to pinch her arm as hard as I could until she cried. And then she used to hit me on the head with a spade – what fun we had… Chorus

It's no use me a-standin' here, 
I'm wastin' all my time; 
But to meet my Bet again, 
The highest mountains I would climb, 
if I can't see nowt on her here, 
Frae Lunnon I'll retire; 
And weeping for my Betsy Gray, 
Go back tae Lancashire

A song written, composed and sung by Arthur Lloyd in the 1870s. Lloyd is perhaps best remembered for his caricatures of upper class “swells”, but he also performed in blackface and had a number of songs which mocked so-called country-bumpkins. He regularly performed dressed as The Lancashire Booby, and this was a song performed in that character. Passing references to violence against women are fairly common in Music Hall songs reflecting attitudes and reality at the time …

The earliest reference to the song in 19th-century newspapers comes in 1869:

Jan. 5, 1869 The Daily Telegraph (London, England)

A fragment (the chorus) was published by folksong collector Alfred Williams in his book Round About the Upper Thames – he described it simply as “an old song”.

Sources: