Rolling on the Grass

To those who live in cities where but bricks and mortar’s seen,
There’s nothing so refreshing as a little bit of green;
So often on a summer’s day an idle hour to pass
Oft to the fields I'd get away and roll upon the grass.

Rolling on the grass amongst the buttercups and daisies,
That’s the way, that’s the way, an idle hour to pass.
Rolling on the grass amongst the buttercups and daisies,
Fancying you’re a child again whilst rolling on the grass.

The prettiest of carpets ’tis, that ever could be found,
With daisies sprinkled here and there and May bushes around,
A bright blue roof above, o’er which the silver clouds sail by,
And sky larks think it such a lark to sing up in the sky.
 
One day when I reclining was, and half inclined to dream
I suddenly was startled by a female’s piercing scream;
Towards me rushed a pretty girl, in a fearful state of mind
And followed by a frantic Cow unpleasantly behind.

Spoken
Of course to spring to my feet and catch the fainting maiden in my arms was but the work of a quarter of a second, and the Cow seeing my defiant attitude came to a full stop and stared! I said, waving my cap commandingly: ‘Go away, Cow! Go away directly!’ And so she did, and sent us both  .....
 
I often met her after that and this was my excuse
That should a frantic Cow turn up I might perhaps be of use.
She’s going to change her name for mine, when a few short weeks shall pass,
And so I bless that blessed cow, and rolling on the grass!

This song was first published in USA in 1871, with a cover suggesting it was one of six sings written by Frank Dumont. Behind the front cover, on the 1st page of notated music, Rolling in the Grass is clearly credited to GW Hunt (1839-1904). If the date of publication is right, Hunt may have sold the song for use in America before its success in Britain, or perhaps more likely, had published it in Britain before it was pirated in the US.

According to The Era the song received its London debut, sung by Henri Clark, at The Metropolis Music Hall in 1875. Adverts in the Era throughout 1875 and 1876 publicise Henry Clarke (a spelling he also used) as singing GW Hunt’s Rolling in the grass – one of the “songs of the season”. Perhaps in response to its success, song was republished in London in 1876.

Henri Clark (1840-1905) doesn’t feature very much in the standard histories of the Halls, but a rough idea of his career can be traced in the pages of The Era newspaper. He starts appearing in those pages in the mid-1860s, appearing in provincial and London halls, often featuring the song The Mad Butcher, another of GW Hunt’s songs. He appears to have been a successful stage comedian for around 25 years. He retired from touring in around 1890, and was appointed chair at The Metropolitan in London in 1893. This didn’t seem to go particularly well, and he won a court case against his former employer after being sacked in 1895. He very quickly moved on to manage another Hall, The Eastern Empire in Bow, but that didn’t last very long either. He left in 1896, apparently because that particular Hall was taking up the modern idea of doing away with a chairman to introduce the acts, instead indicating the next turn using numbers on either side of the stage. Clark briefly opened and managed a public house, but by the end of the century was once again touring the provinces as a comedian.

I first heard this being sung by Ray Padgett in Sheffield, you can hear Ray singing it on the Yorkshire Garland website, who say the song:

comes directly from the singing of the late Arthur Howard who lived at Savile House Farm, Hazelhead, Penistone. He was one of the most influential singers in the Pennine farming district to the west of Sheffield. … Arthur learnt songs from his mother who in turn got them from her father, a regular soldier who had lived at Tintwistle … in the Peak District

Yorkshire Garland site

Sources:

• VWML entry
• Kilgarrif Sing Us
• Lyrics and 1871 Sheet Music: Levy collection
• THE LONDON MUSIC HALLS, The Era, Sunday, Oct. 17, 1875
• Entry in Yorkshire Garland
• The Era, London, various dates.

Last Updated on October 26, 2020 by John Baxter | Published: August 6, 2020