{"id":7458,"date":"2020-12-07T10:28:01","date_gmt":"2020-12-07T10:28:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=7458"},"modified":"2026-01-25T07:24:47","modified_gmt":"2026-01-25T07:24:47","slug":"tickle-me-timothy-do","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/tickle-me-timothy-do\/","title":{"rendered":"Tickle me Timothy, Do"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>Tickle me Timothy
Tickle me Timothy, Quick<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1908<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Writer\/composer<\/td>RP Weston \/ FJ Barnes<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN23498<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Billy Williams<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Source Singers<\/strong>
Elm, Don 1970 England : Lincolnshire
Sykes, Annie 1971 England : Yorkshire<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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My old girl's hysterical, and when the fits begin\nI have to make her grin - by tickling her under the chin\nShan't forget when courting her, I didn't know the wheeze\nAnd coming home from Brighton once, she shouted 'If you please.'\n\nTickle me Timothy, tickle me do, tickle me there's a dear\nMy last train is here' said Lou\nI feel like losing it straight I do\nI can't help myself; I'll do it in half a tick\nIf you don't make me laugh, I shall swallow the ticket\nSo tickle me, Timothy, quick!'<\/em>\n\nOn the day I married her, she felt bad all the while\nI had to make her smile; I tickled her all up the aisle\nBut as soon as we were one, she trembled like a leaf\nAnd shouted as she jumped about, just like a Zulu chief\n\nTickle me Timothy, tickle me do, tickle me there's a dear\nThe Parson here, he makes me cough,\nI feel like pulling his nightshirt off\nI can't help myself; I'll do it in half a tick\nAs he mightn't have anything under it, Timothy\nTickle me, Timothy, quick!'<\/em>\n\nFriday, when I laid in bed, a man came round our way\nWith paper flags so gay, shouting, 'Rags or old bottles today'\nMy old girl rushed in the room, and grabbed my pantaloons\nA-shouting 'If you don't want paper flags or air-balloons.'\n\nTickle me Timothy, tickle me do, tickle me there's a dear\nI feel I want to swap your bags\nFor some air-balloons or some paper flags\nI can't help myself; I'll do it in half a tick\nAnd you'll have with 'me a waggin' in front of you\nTickle me, Timothy, quick!'<\/em>\n\nOn an Easter Monday once I took her to the Zoo\nShe'd nothing much to do, so started a hul-la-ba-loo\nGot inside the monkey's cage, the hairy lah-di-dahs\nAll rubbed their chins against her face, shouted through the bars.\n\nTickle me Timothy, tickle me do, tickle me there's a dear\nI feel so gay this afternoon, I feel like kissing the big baboon\nI can't help myself; I'll do it in half a tick\nAnd he isn't like you; he wants shaving all over,\nSo tickle me, Timothy, quick!'<\/em>\n\nMartha's rich old uncle Bill, last night in company\nHe told a tale you see, we all had to giggle with glee\nMartha couldn't see the joke; her tears began to flow,\nSo she flopped down upon my knee, and softly murmured 'Oh\n\nTickle me Timothy, tickle me do, tickle me there's a dear\nI'll have to laugh at uncle Bill, or else get nothing out of his Will\nI can't help myself; I'll do it in half a tick\nIf you're after his money, oh, tickle my funny bone,\nTickle me, Timothy, quick!'<\/em>\n\nNow she's bought some powder and a box of safety pins\nAnd when the fit begins, she's bound to have somebodies twins\nToday she saw a bassinette, just outside our abode\nShe pounced on it and shouted, as the kids fell in the road\n\nTickle me Timothy, tickle me do, tickle me there's a dear\nThe babies are a lovely pair, I feel like grabbing 'em I declare\nI can't help myself; I'll do it in half a tick\nIf I'm not to have Mister McGillighan's babies,\nOh tickle me, Timothy, quick!'<\/em><\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Another turn of the century Music Hall song written by a team involving the prolific RP Weston<\/a>, this time with Fred Barnes<\/a> . The song was popularised by the extremely successful performer and recording artist Billy Williams<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
One of many hits of the early 1900s to be remembered by British traditional singers in the 1960s and 70s.  It also seems to have been remembered in Australia, australianfolkmusic.com has sheet music transcribed from the playing of Ted Vallance<\/a>. Annie Sykes sings a fragment of it for Steve Gardham, the recording can be found on the British library Sound archive site<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Billy Williams sings it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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