You’d better come down at once

AKASandy was a Scotchman
First Published1899

Writer/composerAJ Mills and Frank CarterRoudRN29724

Music Hall PerformersFrank Coyne
Folk performancesCollected from the singing of:
Adams, Harry; England: Somerset; 1977
Now Sandy was a Scotchman, and
One day, upon my soul
He went into a local fair, 
To climb the greasy pole
He wore a lovely tartan kilt
His white wash brush as well
He'd nearly reached the top, but oh!
He heard a policeman yell:

You'd better come down at once, you'd better come down at once;
For all the people down below
Are waiting about for the wind to blow
Oh! I say, you are a bit of a dunce
There's something thats making the people laugh, you'd better come down at once
[twice]

I never shall forget the day
When our house caught on fire,
And there upon the windowsill
Stood our old Aunt Maria
She seemed a bit afraid to venture
Down the fire escape
Until a fireman came and yelled
"Now then, you giddy ape:

You'd better come down at once, you'd better come down at once;

Now don't get standing in the breeze
With nothing but flames all round your knees
Oh! I say, you are a bit of a dunce
You ought to know better, you saucy cat, you'd better come down at once
[twice]

I've got a little pussy cat,
She's gentle, kind and good,
She mashes all the gentleman
Around the neighbourhood;
Twas in our backyard late last night
She sat a-making love
I heard her miaow to one Tom Cat
Upon the tiles above:

You'd better come down at once, you'd better come down at once;
If you stick in the chimney pots
I'm not going to show my beauty spots
Oh! I say, you are a bit of a dunce
If you are in the business to chase me Tom, you'd better come down at once
[twice]

A song from the repertoire of Frank Coyne. It was written by the alarmingly prolific AJ Mills with FW Carter and was a hit in 1899 in the Halls and pantomimes.

The Era – 06 May 1899

The song was remembered by at least one traditional singer in the 1970s, when it was collected from the singing of Harry Adams by Bob and Jacqueline Patton. Their recording can be heard at the British Library here

Sources:

  • VWML entry
  • Kilgarrif Sing Us
  • Lyrics and Sheet Music: Feldman’s Second Budget of Copyright Songs p204 from archive.com
image_print