| AKA | |
| First Published | 1928 |
| Writer/composer | Harry Helmsley / Emmie Joyce | Roud | RNtbc |
| Music Hall Performers | Harry Helmsley |
| Folk performances | Collected from the singing of: Hannis, Reg ; England : Gloucestershire |
Jimmy poked his head one day inside the barber's shop
Saw his father in a chair, saw the barber’s strop.
Saw the barber with a mug mixing up the lather.
So he shouted out with glee: "Please make it strong for father"
Lather father, Mister Barber. Father lathered me.
Make it thick make it stick. It’s as easy as can be.
Lather father, Mister Barber, for you will agree:
If you lather father barber he can't lather me!
The barber did as he was told and lathered for an hour.
Soapsuds dropped around the place, just like a summer shower.
You couldn’t see an inch of face. Was Jimmy pleased? Why, rather! "Carry on", he cried with glee, "'cos that’s the stuff for father".
Jimmy watched him all the time and then exclaimed with glee.
"I’d rather lather father, sure, than father lather me.
For that’s the barber’s job, of course, and a jolly fine one, rather.
I wish I was a barber, gee, I’d save it up for father"
A song collected from the singing of Reg Hannis in Gloucestershire, see the excellent GlosTrad Site for more on this and a recording
Lather Father Mister Barber was written and recorded in the 1920s using a well known tongue twister as the basis for its chorus. It has understandably been confused with the earlier song I’d rather lather father than father lather me (1876). The two songs use similar versions of the same tongue twister but otherwise seem unrelated.
Harry Hemsley (1878 – 1951) was a comedian and mimic who started his professional life as a comic artist for Ally Slopers Half Holiday. He went on to perform in Music Hall and variety, film and radio, specialising in impressions of children – he wrote the Olvaltineys theme song, which may mean something to older readers!
Harry Helmsley sings it(1928):
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%3Atbc
- Baker (2011) Old Time Variety
- Comiclopedia entry for Harry Helmsley
- Kilgarrif Sing Us
- Lyrics: Transcribed from YouTube
- Sheet Music Cover: Abe Books
Last Updated on May 16, 2025 by John Baxter | Published: May 16, 2025
