I kissed her under the parlour stairs

Lyrics

Hunter

Music

Day

Roud Index

RN24509

Oh! the happiest time that ever I spent
 Was under the parlour stairs,
 In the nights when I a courting went,
 Under the parlour stairs.
 Oh! a barrel of beer in the corner stood
 Beside some ha'penny bundles of wood,
 And I vowed I'd marry the cook, I would,
 Under the parlour stairs.

 Oh! I kissed her under the lilac tree,
 I kissed her under the rose,
 I kissed her under the balcony,
 I kissed her under the nose.
 I kissed her over the garden wall,
 I kissed her unawares,
 But oh! the sweetest kiss of all,
 Was under the parlour stairs.
 
Oh! I heard the bobby say once to Sue,
 I was under the parlour stairs.
 'Shall I come in for a minute or two,
 Under the parlour stairs?'
 But Susan replied so that I could hear,
 'I should like for to ask you in, my dear,
 But a man is here, looking after the beer,
 Under the parlour stairs.

 One night the confounded dog would bark,
 Under the parlour stairs.
 And the master caught me in the dark,
 Under the parlour stairs.
 But Sue said, 'It's all through the missis, sir,
 For she wouldn't allow no follower,
 But I would have one in spite of her,
 Under the parlour stairs.

 And now we're married but we sometimes meet,
 Under the parlour stairs.
 For my wife will say, 'Come along, my sweet,
 Under the parlour stairs.
 Now we'll have a cosy cup of tea,
 And I'll sit again upon your knee,
 And think of the time you courted me,
 Under the parlour stairs.
 
  
              

Another one that is just here because I like it… It’s probably a bit sentimental for most tastes. I originally a blackface minstrel song , but most famously sung in the Halls by Herbert Campbell who was part of a double act with Dan Leno, who together enjoyed great success in pantomime. George Bernard Shaw did not like Campbell at all, reviewing one of his performances with Leno as follows: “I hope I may never have to endure anything more dismally futile than the efforts of Mr Leno and Mr Herbert Campbell to start a passible joke in the course of their stumblings and wanderings through barren acres of gag on Boxing night” 

Sources:

• Sheet music: Irish sheet music archives
• Music Hall, an illustrated history.
• I have created a noteflight page for the melody.

Last Updated on October 22, 2020 by John Baxter | Published: December 7, 2019