{"id":3054,"date":"2020-05-18T20:16:29","date_gmt":"2020-05-18T20:16:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=3054"},"modified":"2025-12-15T07:35:06","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T07:35:06","slug":"i-parted-my-hair-in-the-middle","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/i-parted-my-hair-in-the-middle\/","title":{"rendered":"I parted my hair in the middle"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Lyrics<\/strong><\/td>Morton David<\/td>Music<\/strong><\/td> CW Murphy<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN27917<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>George Formby Snr 1910s<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Source singers:<\/strong>
Freda Palmer, 1975, Oxfordshire, England<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I used to be backward and shy\nFor fast living I didn't care\nBut now I'm a bit of a dog, you can tell\nBy the way that I've parted my hair\nThey told me to lead a gay life\nA life that was dashing and free\nSo I made up my mind I'd do something rash\nTo show what a 'nut' I could be.\n\nSo I parted my hair in the middle\nIn the middle, in the middle\nNow when I leave my hotel\nEveryone follows me, dogs as well\nIf a girl gives to me the glad eye\nI smile and I say, 'Diddle diddle'\nAnd I've smoked some brown paper without being ill\nSince I parted my hair in the middle.<\/em>\n\nWhen I've got my fighting blood up\nI'd make a blancmange shake with fear\nOne evening two navvies I saw in a fight\nThere was murder about, it was clear\nOne jumped on the other one's chest\nThen somebody cried, 'Look at that\nThey're killing each other, do part them at once'\nSo I flung off my coat and my hat.\n\nAnd I parted my hair in the middle\nIn the middle, in the middle\nSome one cried, \u201cTo stop this fight\nYou are the fellow.\u201d I murmured \u201cRight.\u201d\nThen I went up to those burly brutes\nAnd cried, \u201cStop\u201d but they said, \u201cFiddle diddle.\u201d\nThen, as I stepped between them one picked up a brick\nAnd he parted my hair in the middle.<\/em>\n\nOur bedroom one night caught fire\nThe flames were all round me in bed\nI thought to myself, 'Here's the chance of my life'\nTo show them how I keep my head\nI got up and first had a wash\nThen shaved, and without any rush\nI put a clean collar on, then tied my tie\nThen picked up the comb and the brush.\n\nAnd I parted my hair in the middle\nIn the middle, in the middle\nThen quite calmly I strolled out\nPeople all cheered me and gave me a shout\nI murmured, 'There's presence of mind'\nBut my wife said, 'Oh fiddle de diddle\nWhy, you've still got your nightie on'\nI said, I know, but I've parted my hair in the middle.'<\/em>\n\nLast night with a girl in the Strand\nI had an appointment, and so\nAs I'm just a little bit spoony on her\nIn my Sunday best clothes I did go\nI got her a nice bunch of flowers\nFrom a dustbin just down a back street\nThen I stood in front of the looking glass there\nAnd to make my appearance complete.\n\nI parted my hair in the middle\nIn the middle, in the middle\nThen I noticed out tomcat\nWashing his face on the front door mat\nHe carefully curled his moustache\nAnd his left eye at me he did twiddle\nThen I knew he had got an appointment as well\n'Cos he parted his hair in the middle.<\/em>\n\nWhen I went out sailing abroad\nAs we passed the Cape of Good Hope\nSome real dirty weather we struck all at once\nI'd have washed it but I had no soap\nThe lightening it flashed overhead\nOn deck everybody did swarm\nThe thunder it rolled and the hurricanes blew\nIn fact, I've not seen such a storm.\n\nSince I parted my hair in the middle\nIn the middle, in the middle\nAll at once the captain cried\n'Ship's turning over upon one side'\nHe shouted, 'She's springing a leak'\nI said, 'Springing a leak fiddle diddle\nThe reason she's leaning on one side is this\nI've not parted my hair in the middle.<\/em><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Worton David<\/a> and CW Murphy wrote a huge number of songs popular in early 20th century Music Hall. This one (published in 1915) was a hit for George Formby Snr (father of the George Formby, who played the ukulele\u2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
George Formby Snr (1875-1921) had a difficult childhood. Born in Ashton-under-Lyne, his mother was an alcoholic sex worker, his father was unknown, and a good deal of his childhood was spent sleeping rough on the streets. For many years he suffered from “consumption” and he would amuse his audience with asides like: “Coughing better tonight, coughing summat champion!<\/em>“<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As far as I can see, the song only appears once in the repertoire of traditional singers, it was collected in 1975 by Alison McMorland from the singing of Freda Palmer<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Freda Palmer (1908-1991) lived most of her life within a few miles of Witney in Oxfordshire. She worked as a glover from age 11, working alongside her mother and Aunt. She learnt most of her songs from them, but this one may have been taught to her by her brother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A recording or download of this song can be purchased from Windyridge CDs.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n