Billy Barlow

AKA	Mr. Billy Barlow
First Published	1836

Lyrics

Sam Cowell

Music

Trad?

Roud

RN24161

Billy Barlow as sung by Sam Cowell
Oh, young London gentlemen, how do you do!
I'm here before you with one boot and one shoe;
I don't know how it is, but somehow 'tis so-
Now isn't it hard upon Billy Barlow?
Oh, dear, Oh, raggedy, oh!
Now isn't it hard upon Billy Barlow?

As I was going down town t'other day,
The people all stared, and some of them did say –
"Why that 'ere young covey, now he he ain't so slow"
"I guess not" says a lady "that's William Barlow"
 Oh, dear, Oh, raggedy, oh! 
"I guess not" says a lady "that's Mister Barlow" 

There's a chap in this town, of his name I can't think-
He's a-trying to persuade people not for to drink;
When he showed me his medal, says I "It's no go;
You can't make a tee-totaller of Billy Barlow."
Oh, dear, Oh, raggedy, Oh!
The cold water cure don't suit Billy Barlow.

 As I went up Bond Street last Saturday night,
 I was very much tickled when I see’d a sight
 Of a crowd of young ladies at Mitchell’s window,
 Viewing a likeness of Billy Barlow.
 Oh, dear, Oh, raggedy, Oh!
 Not half so good-looking as Billy Barlow.
  
 They went in to buy it, and I saw them turn pale
 When Mitchell, he told them it wasn’t for sale,
 For Prince Albert axed for it, and to him it must go,
 When he’ll set German music to Billy Barlow
 Oh, dear, Oh, raggedy, Oh!
 The Prince would look well-dressed as Billy Barlow
  
 For a trip to Southampton I went t’other day,
 When a crowd gathered round and I heard a cove say- 
 “Why that’s Kossuth incog and I’d have yet to know, 
 They set the bells ringing for Billy Barlow
 Oh, dear, Oh, raggedy, Oh!
 Because a Hung’ry young hero was Billy Barlow
  
 I paid sixpence the other day, and odd it did seem
 To see lots of chickens a-hatching by steam,
 So I said to the man who conducted the show,
 Can you hatch me a chicken like Billy Barlow?
 Oh, dear, Oh, raggedy, Oh!
 He’s a rather rare bird is Billy Barlow
  
 Now young London gentlemen I wish you goodbye,
 I’ll get a new suit when clothes ain’t so high;
 My hats shocking bad, that all of you know,
 Oh, dear, Oh, raggedy, Oh!
 But it looks well on the head of Billy Barlow 

Billy Barlow is a comic figure who features in several songs originating in the early 19th century. The songs, which may all originate from a single source, have evolved quite differently in different parts of the English-speaking world.

A song called Billy Barlow was published in London in 1836, but I have not been able to access it. Its most likely to be the song, usually given Roud Number 7758, which starts:

Oh when I was born, says old other Goose
He is a fine boy but he’ll be of no use,
My father he said that to church we would go,
And there he had me christened Billy Barlow.
Oh dear, lackaday, O

At some point, probably before 1843 the song was modified into a form similar to the one I’ve given above by Sam Cowell, with verses which allowed the singer to make it particular for the audience they were singing to and allowed the singer to make up or improvise topical verses commenting on the big events of the day.

We can’t be certain about exact dates, but a version which seems to follow Sam Cowell’s format was published in Australia in 1843, called initially “Billy Barlow’s visit to Sydney“, arranged by the performer George Coppin, which started:

When I was at home I was down on my luck,
And I yearnt a poor living by drawing a truck;
But old aunt died and left me a thousand — ‘Oh, oh,
I’ll start on my travels,’ said Billy Barlow.
Oh dear, lackaday, oh;
So off to Australia came Billy Barlow.

Institute of Australian Culture

This Australian version seems to have passed down to traditional singers far more than the British version, in that part of the world the title “Billy Barlow” usually refers to this Australian strain.

In Britain the song took a different path. In the second half of the 19th century there were innumerable versions circulated in Britain. The song was constantly adapted to new circumstances. In the version attributed to Sam Cowell above, the reference to Kossuth is likely to mean that it was sung soon after the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 – when the lawyer Lajos Kossuth was President-Governor of Hungary. The references to young London gentlemen might imply this version was sung to a male only audience in a song and supper type room in London. Other versions exist aimed at mixed audiences and refer to other parts of Britain.

Cecil Sharp collected a version of the song in 1904, sung by Mrs Locke of Mucheley Ham, Somerset. The words are almost identical to the version here. But as this is the only version that I can find from a British source singer, I don’t think it’s reasonable to argue that it significantly impacted the folk tradition here – given its popularity this might be surprising. Perhaps the topicality of the various versions made it less attractive to later singers?

There are a number of broadside versions, found in Britain and North America, which play on comic stereotypes of the Irish, which appear under the title Paddy Goshlow.

Adaptions of Sam Cowell’s Billy Barlow crop up in North America, including the one related to the American Civil War given in the video below. However, in American traditional song the title Billy Barlow, more often refers to the song collected by John and Alan Lomax in 1935, and later sung by Peggy Seeger. This is a different song based on Hunting the Wren, Roud 236.

Sources:

Jerry Silverman sings a version from the American Civil War: