Auntie Maggie’s Remedy
| AKA | Auntie Maggie’s Home-made Remedy |
| First Published | 1941 |
| Writer/composer | George Formby / Eddie Latta | Roud | RN15135 |
| Music Hall Performers | George Formby |
| Folk performances | Collected from the singing of: Smith, Wiggy ; Gloucestershire , Cheltenhgam |
Now there's all sorts of medicines that you can buy
No matter what ailment you've got
But I know a special one you ought to try
You'll find it's the best of the lot
Its my Auntie Maggie's home made remedy,
It's guaranteed never to fail
That's the stuff that will do the trick
Its sold at every chemist for "one and a kick".
Now if youve got lumbago, rheumatics or gout,
Or a pain in your Robert E. Lee
Don't kick up a shindy, you'll never get windy
With Auntie Maggie's Remedy!
If you set your alarm clock for eight in the morning
You're bound to wake up I'll agree
But I'll bet you by heaven, you'll wake up at seven
With my Auntie Maggie's Remedy!
In a young lady's bedroom I went by mistake
My intentions were honest you see
She shouted with laughter, "I know what you're after
Its my Auntie Maggies Remedy."
Oh my Auntie Maggies home made remedy,
it's guaranteed never to fail
That's the stuff that will do the trick
Its sold at every chemist for "one and a kick".
Now when the baby starts crying, there's always a reason
And if you inspect him you'll see,
The poor little chappy has covered his nappy
With Auntie Maggie's Remedy!
Now I went to a doctor, I wasn't too well
And he made me lie on a settee
He said "there's trouble brewing, youve been overdoing
Your Auntie Maggie's Remedy."
Now I know a girl who was putting on weight,
In a spot where it just shouldn't be
So I said to Nellie, "Now you rub your [ankle],
With Auntie Maggie Remedy!"
Now one day at the races, the horse I that lay backed
Could have won it was easy to see
But the trainer said after, it would have run faster
With Auntie Maggie's Remedy - inside its nose bag
With Auntie Maggie's Remedy!
A song which is probably not best described as Music Hall- it was written for George Formby who had started his life in the Halls but by the 1940s he was a recording, film and radio star. The song was written by Eddie Latta, a Liverpool Undertaker who wrote comic songs in his spare time. It was a radio and film hit for George Formby in the early 1940s and was also recorded by Lonnie Dunnegan in 1966.
Traditional singer Wiggy Smith from Cheltenham was recorded singing by several collectors between 1970 and 1993.
A recording or download of this song can be purchased from Windyridge CDs
George sings it in the film “Turned Out Nice Again” (1941):
Lonnie sings it:
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%3A15135
- Lyrics: George Formby Ukulele Songs, Chords and Lyrics, Traditionalmusic.co.uk