Ten Little Fingers, Ten Little Toes

AKA
First Published1912

Writer/composerJP LongRoudRN23304

Music Hall PerformersErnie Mayne
Folk performancesCollected from the singing of:
Smith, Bill; England : Shropshire; 1980
Butcher, Grace; Ireland : Co. Derry; 1966
I've been married just a year, you see
And last night when I got home to tea
I heard news that made me jump for joy
I was the father of a bouncing boy.
There were visitors about a score
I looked round the room and then I saw.

Ten little fingers, ten little toes
Two little eyes and one little nose
The visitors said, 'Ain't he like his Dad'
But his mother said he'll soon grow out of that, poor lad.

One fine day I had a rare old spree
I went bathing in the deep blue sea
How it happened only goodness knows
Some rude person came and pinched my clothes
I had nothing on to cover me
And everybody on the beach could see.

Ten little fingers, ten little toes
Two little eyes and one little nose
The cinematograph would have had some views
If I hadn't had a copy of the Evening News.

In the garden of Eden, so the wise folks tell
Eve met Adam in a flowery dell
Their existence must have been all gay
They had fruit for dinner every day
But with their clothes they were dissatisfied
For you can't expect a leaf to hide,

Ten little fingers, ten little toes
Two little eyes and one little nose
And they couldn't have had any clothes at all
In the Autumn winds the leaves began to fall.

Ten little fingers can earn a quid.
Do the washing and spank the kid
Ten little fingers can quickly trace
The ten commandments on father's face
Ten little fingers can help a pal, they can take him by the hand
And if he's down upon his luck, they can make him understand
But whether his luck is in or out, he's the same old pal to you
That's only a few of the wonderful things that ten little fingers can do


The Era, 22 February 1923

A comic song from the 1910s, made famous in the Halls by  Ernie Mayne, who more often sang songs which drew comedy from his large size.

Snatches of the song have been collected from traditional singers in England and Ireland

Bill Smith: Ten Little Fingers from VWML

Not to be confused with the later American song of the same title by Ira Schuster

Sources:

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