Tooral-ooral-ooral Lee

AKA Turel Lurel Lurel Lee
First Published 1873
Writer/composer Arthur Lloyd Roud RN37131

Music Hall Performers Arthur Lloyd
Folk performances Collected from the singing of:
The Whiting Family, USA, Arizona, 2012

Oh, I'm a fool as you can see
And I've been fooled so you'll agree;
When I tell you what occurred to me,
And Tooral-ooral-ooral Lee;
When Tooral and me went out to tea,
With Sally McGee and she sat on my knee,
And we couldn'y agree, 'cos Tooral said he,
Loved Sally McGee and she loved he;
And so all three did disagree,
And Sally McGee upset the tea,
All over me and Tooral-ooral-ooral Lee,
And Tooral-ooral-i-doe and tooral-ooral-ooral Lee
And Tooral-ooral-i-doe.

A feeling of anger o'er me spread,
I threatened to punch young Tooral's head,
Then Sally's face got awfully red,
When I asked her which of the two she'd wed;
She up and said, I was misled,
And very ill-bred, on her heart to tread;
That she couldn't conceive why I thought she'd deceive,
That she'd very much grieve If I'd disbelieve
In her love, for she was certain that we
Would always agree and said that she
Would sooner have me than Tooral-ooral-ooral Lee,
Than Tooral-ooral-i-doe.

So as on marriage we were bent,
Why Sally and I to the altar went,
Tho' I'm sorry she ever did give her consent,
But the crime has carried the punishment;
For she's not content, that's evident,
And I often lament that I underwent
The experiment, for she's violent
To such a degree, 'cos I could see
That Tooral Lee was much too free,
And between you and me, I think that she
Is rather fond of Tooral-ooral-ooral Lee,
Of Tooral-ooral-i-doe.

And therefore as a last resource
I'm going to try and get a divorce,
I find that'll be the easiest course,
And I'll do it without the least remorse.
For ye know, of course, I can't be worse
I'd best be a horse or a bloated corse;
Than to allow she and Tooral Lee
To treat poor me as If I was a flea,
But I hope with glee, the day to see
When sorry she'll be she discarded me,
Because she wanted Tooral-ooral-ooral Lee,
For Tooral-ooral-i-doe.

A song written and performed by Arthur Lloyd in the 1870s, the earliest confirmed reference to the song I can find is in 1872 at the Oxford Music Hall, London:

 July 14, 1872; The Era

The song was printed officially as sheet music, but also appeared in street literature and songsters on both sides of the Atlantic, including Billy Andrews comic Songster (1873, New York), a Poets Box broadside (1876, Glasgow) Duprez & Benedict’s New Songster (c1877, Philadelphia), The Great Singing Clown Songster (c1887, New York). The fact that it remained in print for some time may suggest that the song remained popular for several decades and in the UK there are several reports of it being sung by amateur singers in the late 19th century.

The song was found in a private family collection of favorite folk songs [collected] over a period of many years, digitised and published as part of a family history project: The Whiting Homestead.

Sources:

RI unattrib B133451, B131293