Little by little and bit by bit

AKA Little by Little
First Published 1907
Lyrics Worton David and Will Hargreaves Music Worton David and Will Hargreaves Roud RN10674

Music Hall Performers Sam Mayo
Folk performances Source Singers
Mills, Bob, 1979/80, England: Hampshire
Bridger, Charlie, 1983, England: Kent		 

As sung by: Charlie Bridger, Stone-in-Oxney, Kent.1984.
For fish I went fishing one summer's day,
When a man came along and to me did say:
'Can't you see that notice, it's plain and clear.
These waters are private, you can't fish here.'
Little by little and bit by bit,
I said, 'I'm not fishing, though here I sit.
I'm only just drowning my worm in it.'
Little by little and bit by bit.

When I was a policeman, some years ago,
I tackled some burglars, my pluck to show.
They pinched me, they punched me,
They pinched my change,
They then sat me down on the kitchen range.
Little by little and bit by bit,
Those bars got red hot just where I did sit.
But I got three big stripes on my…arm for it.
Little by little and bit by bit.


My wife doesn't sleep very well, and so
I sing her to sleep with the lights turned low.
There's only one song that brings her repose,
So I sing it to her till to sleep she goes.
Little by little and bit by bit,
I came home one night and I had a great fit.
For I found she was teaching the lodger it.
Little by little and bit by bit.

My wife through my pockets goes every night,
So I thought I would stop her little game alright.
I took my money to bed with me,
And in my shirt sewed my LSD.
Little by little and bit by bit,
In the morning I woke and what do you think?
For in the wife's nightgown I'd fastened it,
Little by little and bit by bit.

Another early 2oth century song remembered by English traditional singers in the late part of the century. One or a number of songs by Worton David and William Hargreaves to pass into the tradition. First published in London in 1907, and sung in British music halls by  Sam Mayo, the song was later adapted for American audiences as part of an unsuccessful 1916 Broadway Musical called “Go to it!”.

At the moment I haven’t been able to put my hands on the original lyrics, only the version adapted for American audiences. I suspect the version remembered by Charlie Bridger in 1984 is closer to the version sung in the British Halls, so that’s the version I’ve used here, for now at least. Bridger’s version appears on the CD The birds upon the tree, definitely worth checking out.

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