| AKA | The Camera Boy Johnny and his camera |
| First Published | 1895 |
| Writer/composer | Albert Hall and Felix McGlennon / Orlando Powell | Roud | RN34939 |
| Music Hall Performers | Nellie Wilson, Violet Leslie |
| Folk performances | Collected from the singing of: Smith, Bill; England : Shropshire; 1980 Lynch, Jerry; Ireland : Kerry; 1980 |
Up Came Johnny with his Camera Words Albert Hall & Felix McGlennon, Music Orlando Powell Johnny Briggs was an artful youth, the pride of Ma and Pa So much a pet they lately bought for him a camera He took it out and rambled round when oh the artful dog He saw a lot of romping girls were playing at leapfrog Up came Johnny with his camera, and took the blessed lot Up came Johnny with his camera, and oh what a nice snapshot And now he’s got the photograph and the girls both near and far Have sworn that they will make away with Johnny and his camera Johnny rambled down a country lane and gave his hat a twist As he saw coming down the road a lady bicyclist But all at once there was a smash – the lady in the dust And just as she discovered her pneumatic tyre was bust Johnny went to the football match the ladies’ football team And for a while the game was smooth as any pleasant dream Until there was a scrimmage when the blue team fouled the brown And all the girls got mixed about – some of them upside down Johnny rambled by the seaside – t’was a quiet little spot Some ladies there were bathing for the weather it was so hot But when they came back on shore, Oh Lor how they did screech Some tramp had stolen all their clothes but left one towel each
A very popular song in the Halls of 1895/96 performed both by Nellie Wilson and Violet Leslie; it was later recorded by Will Denny. In the late 1890s there are multiple reports of the song being sung by amateur singers at social events, so it seems to have had a life after the Halls .
Remembered by traditional singers in both Ireland and England, it may also be the source of a session tune (a polka) sometimes called Johnny and his Camera. A snatch of the Irish song sung by Jerry Lynch is available at The Muckross House Library (I particularly enjoyed the way that in Lynch’s version “the pride of Ma and Pa” has become “the pride of Panama“). The English version as sung by Bill Smith is available at the VWML
As recorded for Edison by Will Denny:
Sources:
- VWML entry RN34939
- Kilgarrif Sing Us
- Lyrics: transcribed from original sheet music by Andrew Smith in letter to Rod Stradling, on mustrad site
- Sheet Music: held by British Library, not accessed
Last Updated on December 4, 2021 by John Baxter | Published: December 3, 2021
