May I come home once more

AKA Can I come home again
May I come home again
First Published 1904
Writer/composer Robert Donnelly Roud RN21988

Music Hall Performers Dolly Clayton
Folk performances Collected from the singing of:
Scarce, Bob; England : Suffolk; 1964/5
Wildman, Alf; England : Bedfordshire; 1967
Costello, Cecilia; England : Warwickshire; 1967
Wildman, Alf; England : Bedfordshire; 1967
List, Billy; England : Suffolk; 1977		 

MAY I COME HOME AGAIN
[From song cards printed by] BAMFORTH & CO
Words permission of the Lawrence Wright Music Co, 29 Conduit St, Leicester.

In a grand house sat a man old and grey,
Reading a letter from one far away.
It came from his son, the once pride of his life, 
Whose behaviour had broken the heart of his wife. 
The stepmother watching, her mind fill'd with dread, 
Wish'd, in her heart, the poor lad was dead;
She thought of her own son, her mind fill'd with fears; 
But these are the words that he read through his tears

May I come home once more?
Can I return again?
Oh! how I long to see you dad;
Will you forgive your unfortunate lad?
For the sake of my mother, your wife, 
I'm sorry I've caused you pain,
Send a reply, Dad, please, to say yes, 
May I come home again?

"How dare he send here," the stepmother said 
"Just burn that letter and treat him as dead.
He forged your name, you told me yourself;
It's not your forgiveness he wants, but your wealth.
If he enters this house I will leave the same day, 
You know what I am, and mean what I say."
The old man, upset, thought her very unkind,
His unfortunate boy's words were still in his mind.

The old man looked up and sadly he said:
"I can't burn this letter, or treat him as dead; 
My boy shall come home, now don't be unkind, 
He has learned a lesson for life you will find.
If you were his mother, and he were your son, 
Would you forgive the harm that he's done?
I'll send a reply at once over the main,
And tell my poor boy he may come home again."

A sentimental song from the Halls of the early 20th century, remembered by a number of traditional singers decades later. You can hear Cecilia Costello sing a fragment at the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library site here. A more complete version sung by Billy List is accessible at the British Library Sound Archive.

This song was written and composed by Robert Donnelly, a writer who specialised in sentimental songs. The sheet music indicates that it was sung by Dolly Clayton, a performer I know little about, except to say that her name first appears as a seriocomic performer in the Halls in 1889 and that she made regular appearances in London and the provinces until around 1918.

This was one of a number of songs marketed on Bamforth’s Song Cards. The Holmfirth printers Bamforth & Co later became famous for selling saucy postcards, but between 1900 and 1920 they sold mass produced postcards featuring live models and the lyrics of popular songs. You can see some more on Nigel French’s website here. The cards for this song are presented as slides below (navigate by clicking on the arrows).

Sources: