What are you going to do about Mary
| AKA | Mary on jollity farm |
| First Published | 1929 |
| Lyrics | Fred Holt | Music | Harry Castling/Raymond Wallace | Roud | 32673 |
| Music Hall Performers | Randolph Sutton Leslie Sarony Tommy Handley |
| Folk performances | Source Singers Showers, Charlie 1972 England: Somerset |
Farmer Giles had lots of ani-miles And sold them all ‘cos farming didn’t pay All his ducks and pigs started to disappear When suddenly someone cried out “Mr auctioneer!” What are you going to do about Mary The cow on comical farm Don’t want your ducks, don’t want your pigs Don’t want your fowls or your other thingamajig’s Don’t want your ox, don’t want your cocks Or the dog that goes bowwow What are you going to do about Mary The poor old cow Listen here, said Mr auctioneer I’ll be glad if you will explain the reason why Pardon me old chap, the other fellow cried I’ve milked her since she was a baby, I’m dissatisfied Chorus x2
A comic song from the tail end of Music Hall, very popular in the 1930s and recorded by a wide range of singers, including the great Leslie Sarony. It was collected from the singing of Charlie Showers in 1972, who remembered it as Mary on Jollity Farm, referring to another song popular in the 30s Jollity Farm.
Sources:
- Entries in the Roud Indexes at the Vaughn Williams Memorial Library: https://archives.vwml.org/search/all:single[folksong-broadside-books]/0_50/all/score_desc/extended-roudNo_tr%3A32673
- WorldCat entry
- Charlie Showers sings it: Bob & Jacqueline Patten Collection: British Library