{"id":4074,"date":"2020-07-04T05:05:56","date_gmt":"2020-07-04T05:05:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=4074"},"modified":"2025-12-25T07:59:45","modified_gmt":"2025-12-25T07:59:45","slug":"seaweed","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/seaweed\/","title":{"rendered":"Seaweed"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>My little bit of seaweed
Bunch of seaweed, The
As soon as I touched my seaweed<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td> 1905<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Lyrics<\/strong><\/td>Fred Earle<\/td>Music<\/strong><\/td>Fred Earle<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>1742<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Fred Earle<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Source Singers<\/strong>
Arthur Lane, 1968, Shropshire England
Bill Chapel, 1970, Lincolnshire England
Fred list, 1972, Suffolk England
Archer Goode, 1974, Gloucestershire England
Bill Cooper, 1974, Gloucestershire England
Reg Hannis, 1975, Gloucestershire England
Emma Vickers, 1975, Lancashire England
George Spicer, 1975, Sussex England
Harry Upton, 1975 \u2013 77, Sussex England
Stan Seaman, 2000, Hampshire England
<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Last Summer time I went away to Dover by the sea\nAnd thought I'd like to bring a bunch of seaweed home with me\nIt tells you if it's going to rain or if it's going to snow\nAnd with it anyone can tell just what he wants to know\n\nWith my seaweed in my hand I got into the train\nAll the pubs were closed when I got out again\nI couldn't get a drink, with thirst I thought I'd die\nAnd as soon as I touched my seaweed, I knew it was going to be dry<\/em>\n\nTwo lovers walked one evening down a quiet country lane\nThe chap was Honest William and the girl was Mary Jane\nThey talked and walked and walked and talked about their future life\nI heard him say, 'I shall be glad when you're my darling wife'\n\nThen he kissed her ruby lips and looked at her with pride\nSaid, 'I shall be glad when, darling, you're my bride\nTomorrow we'll be wed and then you will be mine'\nAnd as soon as I touched my seaweed, I knew it was going to be fine<\/em>\n\nI had a fright some time ago right in the dead of night\nThe Missus said, 'Wake up you fool, the house is all alight.'\nI quickly tumbled out of bed, though I could hardly stand\nMy seaweed hung upon the wall, I grabbed it in my hand\n\nAnd rushed upon the roof, forgot to take my clothes\nThe fireman down below was squirting with his hose\nHe hit me where I stood, right on the parapet\nAs soon as I touched my seaweed, I knew it was going to be wet<\/em>\n\nOne night I felt so cold in bed, I woke my wife Maria\nAnd said, 'I'm going to jump out love, and light a little fire'\nThen in my nightie I jumped out, quite balmy on the thatch\nI found the wood, and found the coal, and then I struck a match\n\nAnd stood before the fire as happy as can be\nSoon I felt the warmth round my anatomy\nMy shirt was all-alight and I'll forget-me-not\nFor as soon as I touched my seaweed, I knew it was going to be hot<\/em>\n\nIn all my married life I'd never had a row\nTill someone put the poison in and things have altered now\nMy wife, when I got into bed the other Thursday night\nShe put her cold feet on my back and kicked with all her might\n\nAnd pushed me out of bed, I fell on to the floor\nShe said she wouldn't have me back there any more\nShe took the sheets and quilts, in which herself she rolled\nAnd as soon as I touched my seaweed, I knew it was going to be cold.<\/em><\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Another early 20th century Music Hall song well remembered by traditional singers in England at the end of the 20th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
John Rorke performed the song on the BBC Radio programme Palace of Varieties <\/em>broadcast from an imaginary Hall between 1937 and 1958 \u2013 its possible that later performers heard it first on this radio programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fred Earle<\/strong> (1877-1915) was the son of the prolific Music Hall songwriter Joseph Tabrar (his real name was also Joseph Tabrar). This was probably his best remembered song, though he did have a repertoire of slightly risqu\u00e9 songs, including Don’t stick it out like that<\/em>, Up went my little umbrella <\/em>and With me little wigger-wagger in me hand.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
A contemporary recording by Alf Gordon:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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