I’m a lady policeman

AKA
First Published unknown
Lyrics Raymond Wallace Music Raymond Wallace Roud V53406

Music Hall Performers Betty Bolton
Folk performances Modern performances
Hilary Spencer
Mal Waite		 

Up to Monday morning last I never learned a job.
In honest work I'd been afraid to stay.
As I went to draw my dole, that amazing bloke
Accosted me in such a charming way.
He said, "you're built to be a lady cop,"
And there and then the barber cut my mop.

I'm a lady policeman, ever so ladylike, ever so ladylike, ta-rah-rah.
When I draw my truncheon, nobody gets the spike, ever so ladylike, ta-rah-rah.
Every night at ten I go on my beat. All the naughty men say tweet, tweet, tweet.
I'm a lady policeman, ever so ladylike, ever so ladylike, ta-rah-rah.

I'm o'fay with every manly copper that I meet.
I tips the wink as long as it's OK.
I adore cat burglars 'cause they're light upon their feet.
I never give cat burglars away.
I love to stroke their lovely prickly fur.
I stroke and stroke and stroke until they purr.

I first heard this song being sung by Carol Lamb in an online session (thanks Carol!). It was at first tricky to find, the following post which suggested it was written by Raymond Wallace and sung by Betty Bolton was the important clue….

Mal Waite recorded this song on an album called “By Request” (1987) and it’s credited to a Raymond Wallace. In the notes she states that she heard the song on an old 78 by Betty Bolton

Paolo, Mudcat Thread, 2003

Raymond Wallace was a pseudonym of Huntley Trevor (1881-1943), who published several songs 1927-41 including Old Father Thames, and You can’t do that there here.

Betty Bolton (1906-2005) was a child star in the British theatre, who went on to perform as an adult actress and early television star, giving it all up in 1936 after getting married. In the 1920s and 30s she appeared on music hall stages and in reviews. She recorded this song and He’s dead but he won’t lie down yet.

It has been sung by folk singers since the revival of the 1950s and 60s including Mal Waite, mentioned above, and a nice version by Hilary Spencer available here

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%3AV53406
  • Kilgarrif Sing Us
  • Mudcat thread
  • World cat search for Raymond Wallace Sheet Music
  • Wikipedia entry for Betty Bolton

Betty Bolton sings it, probably in the early 1930s: