| AKA | When father painted the parlour |
| Lyrics | Robert Weston | Music | Fred Barnes | Roud Index | 24529 |
| Music Hall performers | Billy Williams |
| Folk performances | Cosmotheka |
Our parlour wanted papering Pa said it was waste
To call a paperhanger in and so we made some paste
He bought some rolls of paper a ladder and a brush
And with my Mummy's nightgown on at it he made a rush.
When Father papered the parlour, you couldn't see pa for paste
Dabbing it here, dabbing it there, paste and paper everywhere
Mother was stuck to the ceiling; the kids were stuck to the floor
I never knew a blooming family so stuck up before.
The pattern was ‘blue roses' its leaves red white and brown
He'd stuck it wrong way up and now we all walk upside down
And when he trimmed the edging off the paper with the shears
The cat got underneath it and Dad cut off both its ears.
Soon Dad fell down the stairs and dropped his paperhanger's can
On little Henrietta sitting there with her young man
The paste stuck them together as we'd thought 'twould be for life
We had to fetch the parson in to make them man and wife.
We're never going to move away from that house any more
For Father's gone and stuck the chairs table to the floor
We can't find our piano though it's broad and rather tall
We think that its behind the paper Pa stuck on the wall.
Now, Father's sticking in the pub through treading in the paste
And all the family's so upset they've all gone pasty faced
While Pa says, now that Ma has spread the news from North to South
He wishes he had dropped a blob of paste in Mother's mouth.
Australian Billy Williams (1878-1915), son of a draper, became known as “the Man in the Velvet Suit” for reasons which are fairly obvious (it was usually blue). He was successful in London both on the Music Hall stage and as a very early recording artist. His other big hits included John, John, Go and put your trousers on and Why can’t we have the sea in London?
Fred Barnes was a successful performer in his own right, and for the times was relatively open about his homosexuality. More about Fred by following the link…
Billy sings it:
- Sources:
Lyrics: monologues.co.uk - Sheet Music: Personal Collection and Bumper Book of Music Hall Songs
- Baker British Music Hall
Last Updated on March 1, 2023 by John Baxter | Published: February 13, 2020
