Any old thing will do

AKA
First Published 1906
Writer/composer Fred Murray, George Everard Roud RN30187

Music Hall Performers Harry Champion
Folk performances Collected from the singing of:
unidentified male ; England ; 1959
Maughan, Pat ; Ireland : Co. Sligo ; 1975

I've been single all my life,
Thought at last I'd take a wife;
Dressed up in my in my best today,
No mistake, I looked all gay.
Went to a matrimonial agent
He was most polite;
He said, "What sort of a wife do you want?"
I said, "Oh, that's all right!"

"Any old thing will do! Any old thing will do - do - do!
As long as she's got money she'll suit me to a T;
Got no nose, got no legs, got no teeth to chew,
Got no hair, I don't car
e - Any old thing will do!"
[twice]

Tommy Thompson by the sea
Once took all his family,
Wife and kids and ma-in-law
Such a sight you never saw!
Walking along the beach one day
A boatman to him ran;
He said ,"What sort of a boat do you want?"
When Thompson said,"Old man ...

"Any old thing will do! Any old thing will do - do - do!
I don't care if it's leaking, it's good enough for me
Ma -in-law wants to row on the ocean blue
Some old boat too old to float — Any old thing will do!"


I went to a party once;
Hadn't had a "feed" for months.
On the table-just my luck!
Up they brought a big fat duck
Soon as they started on that bird
It filled us all with glee.
They said,"What part of the bird would you like?"
I said, "Don't study me!

"Any old thing will do! Any old thing will do -do - do !
Where it's plump and juicy will suit me to a T.
Lumps of lean, lumps of fat, lots of stuffing too,
Wings or toes, parson's nose — any old thing will do!"


One day I got such a shock,
Sitting near a great big rock;
Some old girl the other side
Spotted me, and then she cried,
"Young man, I'm in an awful state,
I am, I'm nearly froze!
Do go and get me something to wear,
'Cause I've lost all my clothes.

"Any old thing will do! Any old thing will do-do-do!
All that I was wearing has been washed out to sea.
Don't come near, there's a dear, I'm turning pink and blue;
Your old hat — throw me that — any old thing will do!"


Another early 20th century comic Cockney song performed by Harry Champion written and composed for him by Fred Murray and George Everard. Collected from the singing of two traditional singers in England and Ireland in the latter part of the 20th century.

Sources:

  • Entries in the Roud Indexes at the Vaughn Williams Memorial Library: https://archives.vwml.org/search/all:single[folksong-broadside-books]/0_50/all/score_desc/extended-roudNo_tr%3A30187
  • Kilgarrif Sing Us
  • Lyrics and Sheet Music: Murray, F., Everard, G., & Champion, H. (1906). Any old thing will do! Francis, Day and Hunter. [Bodleian Mediated Copying]