Hi Johnny! Who’s your Tailor?
AKA | With my long tail coat |
First Published | 1906 |
Writer/composer | Harry Wincott | Roud | RN29860 |
Music Hall Performers | Joe Archer |
Folk performances | Source Singers Bentall, Brenda 1970 England |
Transcribed from Burt Shepherd and Joe Archer recordings by John Baxter I'm a funny old chap, it's so - I was born in Borneo But there's one thing and I know, when out in the street I go Everybody they look at me, [strike?] me off on the strict QT It ain't my face no, certainly - there's something wrong you see With my bob-tail coat and my old top hat And my little short trousers I know that I'd like to be a soldier or a sailor For when I go out all the people shout Hi Johnny! Who's your tailor? When I married Miss Mary Brown at a church in Camden Town I felt just like a clown, or a king without his crown I shall never forget that day, before I took my wife away Seven and six I had to pay, and there I stood so gay .. With my bob-tail coat and my old top hat And my little short trousers I know that I'd like to be a soldier or a sailor For the parson said as he scratched his head Hi Johnny! Who's your tailor? Now it isn't so long ago, I became a father, oh And I felt so proud you know, that I wanted quick to show Our first kid to me pals, you see, that's why I took it on my knee But he woke up very suddenly, and when he gazed at me ... With my bob-tail coat and my old top hat And my little short trousers I know that I'd like to be a soldier or a sailor For my kid, Great Scott! Shouted on the spot, Hi Daddy! Who's your tailor? I was once walking in the zoo, just to pass an hour or two And I thought I'd like to view, all the monkeys there it's true So I went straight where the monkeys were, took a bag full of nuts to share Amongst those monkeys, I declare, but when they saw me there With my bob-tail coat and my old top hat And my little short trousers I know that I'd like to be a soldier or a sailor For those monkeys cried when my [crepe?] they spied Hi Johnny! Who's your tailor?
A turn-of-the-century music Hall song remembered by one traditional singer in 1970. It was written by Harry Wincott and performed by the Joe Archer.
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%3A29860
- Kilgarrif Sing Us
- Joe Archer recording available from Windyridge (1906)
- Burt Shephard recordings (1907)