Up from Somerset

AKAWe come up from Somerset
First Published1913

Writer/composerFred E Weatherly / Wilfrid SandersonRoudRN23511

Music Hall Performersnone but sung by Peter Dawson, Ivor Foster in Concert Halls
Folk performancesCollected from the singing of:
Phillips, Cyril; England: Sussex; 1966
Payne, Ernie; England: Avon; 1980
From Boosey Sheet Music (1913)

Oh, we came up from Somerset
To see the Great Review,
There was Mary drest in her Sunday best 
And our boy Billee too.
The drums were rolling rub-a-dub, 
The trumpets tootled too,
When right up rode His Majesty,
An' says 'An' who be you?"

"Oh we'm come up from Somerset, 
Where the cider apples grow,
We'm come to see your Majesty, 
An' how the world do go.
An' when you're wanting anyone, 
If you'll kindly let us know,
We'll all come up from Somerset, 
Because we loves you so?"

Then the Queen she looked at Mary, 
`An' what's your name?" she said, 
But Mary blushed like any rose,
An' hung her pretty head.
So I ups an' nudges Mary,
`Speak up an' tell her, do!"
So she said "If you please your Majesty, 
My name is Mary too!"

An' we'm come up from Somerset,
Where the cider apples grow,
Where the gals can.hem an' sew an' stitch, 
And also reap and hoe.
An' if you're wantin' any gals
An' will kindly it us know,
We'll all come up from Somerset, 
Because we loves you so!"

Then the King looked down at Billee-boy, 
Before they rode away;
`An' what is he going for to be?"
His Majesty did say.
So Billee pulled his forelock,
An' stood up trim and true,
Oh I'm going to be a soldier, Sir,
For I wants to fight for you !"

"For we'm come up from Somerset, 
Where the cider apples grow,
For we're all King's men in Somerset,
As they were long, long ago.
An' when you're wanting soger boys, 
An' there's fighting for to do,
You just send word to Somerset 
An' we'll all be up for you !"

This patriotic parlour ballad was extremely successful in the period leading up to World War One. As far as I can tell not it was not widely sung in the Music Halls. It was popularised by classical singers like Ivor Foster and Peter Dawson who mostly performed in the concert hall. Reading the lyrics you can imagine that it could be performed in a broadly comic style, but contemporary recordings like the one by Peter Dawson below don’t really play up the comic elements, but that may just reflect my expectations of what a comic song is …

Sources:

  • VWML entry
  • Kilgarrif Sing us
  • Lyrics and Sheet Music: personal collection
  • Turner & Miall, Edwardian Song Book (1982) pp.116-123
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