Man on the flying trapeze, The

AKA The flying trapeze
The daring young man on the flying trapeze
Publication date 1866
Lyrics George Leybourne Music Alfred Lee Roud RN5286

Music Hall performers George Leybourne
Folk performances Source Singers
Franklin, Edward 1907 England : Buckinghamshire
Greendale, J.S. 1912 USA
Wilbur, Mrs. Marie 1920 USA : Missouri
Devlin, Jennie 1936/1938 USA : Massachusetts
Wood, Jane 1961 (14 May) USA : Arkansas 

 
Once I was happy but now I'm forlorn
Like an old coat that is tattered and torn
Left on this wide world to fret and to morn
Betrayed by a maid in her teens
The girl that I loved she was hand-some
I tried all I knew, her to please
But I could not please her one-quarter so well
Like that man upon the trapeze.

Whoa! He'd fly through the air with the greatest of ease
A daring young man on the flying trapeze
His movements were graceful, all girls he could please
And my love he's stolen away.

This young man by name was Signor Bona Slang
Tall, big, and handsome, as well made as Chang
Where e're he appeared the Hall loudly rang
With ovation from all people there
He'd smile from the bar on the people below
And one night he smiled on my love
She winked back at him and shouted "Bravo"
As he hung by his nose up above.

His father and Mother were both on my side
And very hard tried to make her my own bride
Her Father, he sighed and her Mother, she cried
To see her throw herself away
‘Twas all no avail she went there every night
And throw him bouquets on the stage
Which caused him to meet her, how he ran me down
To tell you would take a whole page.

One night as usual I went to her dear home
Found there her Father and Mother alone
I asked for my love and soon they made known
To my horror that she'd run away
She'd packed up her box and eloped in the night
With him, with the greatest of ease
From two stories high he had lowered her down
To the ground on his flying trapeze.

Some months after this I went to a Hall
Was greatly surprised to see on the wall
A bill in red letters that did my heart gall
That she was appearing with him
He taught her gymnastics and dressed her in tights
To help him to live at his ease
And made her assume a masculine name
And now she goes on the trapeze.

Whoa! She floats through the air with the greatest of ease
You'd think her a man on the flying trapeze
She does all the work while he takes his ease
And that's what's become of my love. [final time only]

George Leybourne wrote the words and performed this well-known song to music composed by his regular contributor Alfred Lee . The song originally just had the title The Flying Trapeze, which in modern times tends to be elongated to The daring young man on the flying trapeze. It seems to be based on the activities of the infamous French trapeze artist Leotard or one off his many imitators – Leotard shocked audiences by performing without a safety net in the thrillingly skimpy outfit which later took his name.

The Flying Trapeze seems to have been popular ever since it was written. It appears in a number of collections of American “old-time and traditional” songs and has been collected from many traditional singers. In the 19th century it was widely published as officially sanctioned sheet music and in pirated form on both sides of the Atlantic.

The Era – Sunday 25 November 1866

Sources:

Bruce sings it: