| AKA | The Bowl of Green Peas |
| Lyrics | Harry Clifton | Music | Harry Clifton | Roud | 7629 |
| Music Hall Performers | Harry Clifton |
| Folk performances | Source Singers Madge Patterson, 1930s, Michigan USA Mrs LE Purdy, 1934, Missouri, USA Sandy Stoddart, 1952, Nova Scotia |
I sing you a ditty of a damsel so pretty Who lived from the city some seventeen miles Her name is Maria, her worthy old Sire Was clerk and town cryer. His name was John Styles With lips like a cherry, a smile too so merry I thought her the very one suited to please And when I first met her and tried hard to get her For worse or for better, she was shelling green peas. Under the trees, a bowl on her knees Maria sat silently shelling green peas. I'd long loved her dearly, truly sincerely At length I thought really I'd settle for life Although aged fifty I'd been very thrifty And thought it was high time to be taking a wife With bosom on fire... in search of Maria Thro' lanes of wild briar o'er shadowed by trees I strolled to the spot where outside her cot She was sitting so patiently shelling green peas. I stepped up unto her, commencing to woo her I said, 'There's no truer heart could be found Than mine, if she'd take me, some morning and make me The happiest mortal for twenty miles round.' I said, 'Our life might be one round of delight Like the little birds singing upon the green trees.' To a whisper then dropping, my voice without stopping The question was popping, as she popped the peas. No answer she made, and I was much afraid That this beautiful maid had not heard all I said At her feet kneeling, I tried to be stealing A kiss when came reeling her hand on my head 'Do you think I'll engage' she cried out in a rage 'With a man twice my age, so clear out if you please' In a terrible passion, at me she sent crashing On my head smashing the bowl of green peas. By way of addenda, she said, 'Sir, remember That May and December can never unite Your leave, Sir, be taking.' My neck nearly breaking I made my escape in a terrible fright I never will marry, but single will tarry Tho' friends and acquaintances do nothing but tease Whenever they meet me, in this style they greet me 'Old boy what's the price now of lamb and green peas?' Yes, how they tease, whenever they please By shouting out after me, 'Lamb and green peas.'
This Harry Clifton song was published in England in 1866, and also sung in North America. It seems to have been well liked and remembered over there, as it appears in the repertoire of three different North American source singers.
The song appears widely in 19th-century (and some 20th century) broadsides and songbooks on both sides of the Atlantic. It was revived by Stanley Holloway for his 1954 LP, Champagne Charlie, later released in the USA and Canada as Tavern Songs of Old London. Given the dates of Holloway’s LPs it’s unlikely that his version influenced the singing of the source singers.
I have been unable to identify any modern folk performers who have included this song in their repertoire.
Sources:
- Lyrics: monologues.co.uk
- Sheet Music: Lib of Congress
- VWML entries
- World Cat entry
- Holloway, Stanley. Champagne Charlie (1954)
- Kilgarrif: Sing us
Last Updated on October 27, 2020 by John Baxter | Published: May 25, 2020
