AKA | Punctuality |
First Published | 1869 |
Lyrics | Harry Clifton | Music | Harry Clifton | Roud | RN6083 |
Music Hall Performers | Harry Clifton |
Folk performances | Source Singers Miss Lizzie Crichton, no date, Scotland Modern performances Jimmy Gregory (Australia) |
From Hopwood and Crew Sheet Music Composed and sung with great success by Harry Clifton. Certain fidgety folks we have, all of us met Who are famous for being "too soon" For a two o'clock DEJEUNER A LA FOURCHETTE They are safe to turn up about noon. Punctuality is all very proper, I know But all hurry and worry I hate, For it always occurs that wherever I go I'm exactly ten minutes too late Punctuality is all very proper, I know But all hurry and worry I hate, For it always occurs that wherever I go I'm exactly ten minutes too late When I jump in a Hansom or climb on a Bus To be nicely in time for a train Well I'm half in a fever and quite in a fuss Tho' I feel that my efforts are vain. For when I find myself safe at the station at last And believe it five minutes to eight I observe with a sigh that it's five minutes PAST So I'm only ten minutes too late. I was once on a time very deeply in love And I courted in verse and in prose. I obtained a big lock of her hair- and a glove; So I made up my mind to propose. But a cab drove away as I knocked on her door And her answer decided my fate, For my rival had called their a little before, So that I was ten minutes too late. I should sing for a month if I told in a song The misfortunes I have to endure, For this habit that's haunted me all my life long And will haunt me till death, I am sure. When this fitful career is approaching its end And I lie in a critical state, Its no matter what physics my doctor may send I shall take them them TEN MINUTES TOO LATE! DEJUNER A LA FOURCHETTE = a light lunch (literally: lunch with a fork)
A song written , composed and performed by Harry Clifton. It was collected from the singing of Miss Lizzie Crichton, by Gavin Greg in the early 2oth century. It features in the repertoire of several revival folksingers in Ireland and Australia.
The sheet music cover has a series of images surrounding a sketch of Clifton. Some of the images are related to the stories in the stanzas published – eg being late for the train, for his own Sarah Ann. Other images: to save his clothes; for the Slocumbury Cup hint that Clifton may have performed other stanzas not included in the sheet music.
The earliest reference I can find suggests the song entered Clifton’s repertoire in mid 1869 and Hopwood and Crew started advertising the sheet music in November that year::
The song featured in the repertoire of Jimmy Gregory, a fondly-remembered traditional singer active in Australia in the 1980s and 90s, originally from Scotland. Not sure where he got it from…
The song was printed in several cheap songbooks. Its regularly found in the Irish traditional repertoire and turns up on Graham Wells CD Traditional music of Newfoundland.
Sources:
- VWML entry
- Kilgarrif Sing Us
- Sheet Music: The Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, (W) Mus. 5c c.30 (28) (Weston Stack)
- Lyrics also in: Henry de Marsan’s Singer’s Journal No 43 (published between December 1869 and April 1870)
- Lyrics of slightly different version: monologues.co.uk
- Mudcat thread
As sung by Mairtin de Cogain:
Last Updated on August 27, 2023 by John Baxter | Published: June 21, 2020