{"id":10744,"date":"2021-05-19T13:00:49","date_gmt":"2021-05-19T13:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=10744"},"modified":"2021-06-01T20:13:52","modified_gmt":"2021-06-01T20:13:52","slug":"little-bit-off-the-top-a","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/little-bit-off-the-top-a\/","title":{"rendered":"Little bit off the top, A"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>Brown’s a very old friend of mine<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1898<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Writer\/composer<\/td>FW Leigh and Murray<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RNV37944<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Harry Bedford<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Collected from the singing of:<\/strong>

Modern performances<\/strong>
Den Giddens<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Brown's a very old friend of mine\nOnce I went to his house to dine\nSome of the ar-is-to-cracy were there\nEvery one of 'em thought me 'great'\nAnd said, when they saw me lick my plate\nThat I must be an American millionaire\nThe waiter came into the room\nWith a beautiful lump of pork\nAnd although I'd 'wolfed' enough to feed a town\nI thought I'd like a sample of the crackling and the gravy\nSo I loosened out my vest and said to Brown,\n\nCarve a little bit off the top for me, for me\nJust a little bit off the top for me, for me\nSaw me off a yard or two, I'll tell you when to stop\nAll I want is a little bit off the top.'<\/em>\n\nOnce I made up my mind to roam\nAnd spend a week by the briny foam\nI'd never been far away from home before\nEvery one of the family\nWere sorry indeed to part with me\nThey all love Willy, especially ma-in law\nThey all came up and asked me\nFor a lock of my golden hair\nI clipped them from the back and from the side\nAt last I asked the missus which particular bit she fancied\nAnd she rubbed her nose and lovingly replied,\n\nTear a little bit off the top for me, for me\nJust a little bit off the top for me, for me\nI'll fix it on the copper-stick\nAnd use it for a mop\nAll I want is a little bit off the top.'<\/em>\n\n<\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
A classic music hall song from the late 1890s, this song was a great success for Harry Bedford<\/a>, a performer who had a reputation for innuendo. It was also performed in pantomime by the queen of innuendo Marie Lloyd.The lyrics were written by the prolific Fred W Leigh<\/a>.  The song was hugely successful on both sides of the Atlantic, so much so that the phrase “a little bit of the top” seems to have entered early 20th century slang with at least 3 meanings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n