Daddy wouldn’t buy me a bow wow

First Published 1892
Writer/composer Joseph Tabrar Roud RN13973

Music Hall Performers Vesta Victoria
Folk performances Collected from the singing of:
Jefferies, Mrs Maggie E.: USA : Virginia; 1940
Robertson, Jeannie; Scotland: Aberdeenshire; 1958		 

I love my little cat I do
Its coat is oh so warm
It comes each day with me to school
And sits upon the form
When teacher says, “Why do you bring
That little pet of yours?”
I tell her that I bring my cat
Along with me because.

Daddy wouldn't buy me a bow-wow (bow-wow)
Daddy wouldn't buy me a bow-wow (bow-wow)
I've got a little cat
I am very fond of that
But I'd rather have a bow-wow wow.

We used to have two tiny dogs
Such pretty little dears
But Daddy sold them ‘cos they used
To bite each other's ears
I cried all day, at eight at night
Papa sent me to bed
When ma came home and wiped my eyes
I cried again and said,

I'll be so glad when I get old
To do just as I please
I'll have a dozen bow-wows then
A parrot and some bees
Whenever I see a tiny pet
I'll kiss the little thing
‘Twill remind me of the time gone by
When I would cry and sing.

A big hit for Vesta Victoria  in 1892, written for her by the prolific Joseph Tabrar . She sang it to great acclaim in the British music halls but also had great success with it in New York where she had an eight-week run at Tony Pastor’s New York theatre. The chorus at least is widely remembered today and the song itself was revived several times in the 20th century, for example in the film Evergreen (1934) where it was sung by Jessie Matthews.

The song has been collected twice from traditional singers on both sides of the Atlantic.

Jessie Matthews sings it in the 1934 film Evergreen

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