Mr Gallagher and Mr Sheen

This song uses racist language and draws on stereotypes in a way that was commonplace at the time but is no longer acceptable today.

AKA
First Published 1922
Writer/composer Ed Galagher and Al Shean (Brian Foy?) Roud RN29732

Music Hall Performers Galagher and Shean in "Ziegfeld Follies of 1922", The Two Bobs
Folk performances Collected from the singing of:
Maguire, John; Northern Ireland: County Fermanagh; 1960s
Hodson, John; England: Aldeborough; 1972
Cornelius, Edward “Soldier”; England: Somerset; 1977

British version from Lawrence Wright's sheet music:

(BOTH) There are two funny men, the quaintest ever seen
(S) One is Mister Gallagher, 
(G) The other Mister Shean,
(S) When these two cronies meet, 
(G) It surely is a treat,
(BOTH) The things they say, and the things they do, and the funny way they greet,

(S) Oh! Mister Gallagher! Oh! Mister Gallagher!
(G) What’s on your mind this morning Mister Shean?
(S) Ev’rybody’s making fun
Of the way our country’s run
In a mess like this Great Britain's never been;
(G) Oh, Mister Shean! Oh, Mister Shean!
Such a Nat'nal debt before we've never seen,
(S) And the living is so high, that it’s cheaper now to die
(S) Positively Mister Gallagher, (G) Absolutely Mister Shean.

(S) Oh! Mister Gallagher! Oh! Mister Gallagher!
(G) Don't you think that women's rights are past a joke?
(S) Well I think they all should vote
(G) Yes but here's what gets my goat,
Now in public ladies want the right to smoke.
(G) Oh, Mister Shean! Oh, Mister Shean!
And I hear that on Roulette there very keen,
They indulge in games of chance, where a man would lose his pants
(S) I said "Ladies" Mister Gallagher, (G) Where's the diff'rence, Mr Shean.

(S) Oh! Mister Gallagher! Oh! Mister Gallagher!
What’s the name of that game they play on the links
(G) With a stick they knock the ball
Where you can’t find it at all
(S) Then the caddie walks around and thinks and thinks
(G) Oh, Mister Shean! Oh, Mister Shean!
Sure I've played it often I know what you mean
Its a very well-known game 
(S) Well then tell me whats its name
(S) Is It "croquette" Mister Gallagher? (G) No its ping-pong, Mr Shean.

(S) Oh! Mister Gallagher! Oh! Mister Gallagher!
Short skirts in town are causing quite a fuss!
(G) well I don't mind telling you, 
That I've noticed one or two 
When the darlings have been climbing on a bus 
(G) And, Mister Shean! Oh, Mister Shean!
I think more of women's beauty should be seen,
(S) well that's lucky 'pon my life
Yesterday I saw your wife
Rollerskating Mister Gallagher, (G) How dare you Mister Shean!

(S) Oh! Mister Gallagher! Oh! Mister Gallagher!
There was a tiny n***** baby born last night
It was just as black as ink
And it weighed a pound I think
How the devil was it dark and yet so light?
(G) Oh, Mister Shean! Oh, Mister Shean!
Its quite simple if you follow what I mean
A hen as black as night, can lay an egg that's white
(S) That's quite easy Mister Gallagher, (G) Can you do it, Mister Shean?

A comic song from 1920s America, adapted for British audiences. Fragments of what appears to be the adapted version were collected from British and Irish traditional singers. You can hear John Hodson sing it for Steve Gardham on the British library Sounds site

This was the theme song of an American vaudeville musical comedy double act, whose cross-talking style is demonstrated by question and answer format of the song. They had great success with it in the 1922 Broadway production of Ziegfeld Follies. Some sources credit the song to Eddie Foy, but as far as I can see all official published sources credit Ed Gallagher and Al Sheen.

The song was performed by various other stars both in America and on the British Music Hall stage where The Two Bobs sang this version adapted from the original by someone in the music publishers Lawrence Wright’s.

The startling racism and casual sexism apparent in the British variant also appear in this American version from the original duo:

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%3A29732
  • Kilgarrif Sing Us
  • Lyrics and Sheet Music:Lawrence Wright’s 4th Monster Album, p48