Tickle me Timothy, Do
AKA | Tickle me Timothy Tickle me Timothy, Quick |
First Published | 1908 |
Writer/composer | RP Weston / FJ Barnes | Roud | RN23498 |
Music Hall Performers | Billy Williams |
Folk performances | Source Singers Elm, Don 1970 England : Lincolnshire Sykes, Annie 1971 England : Yorkshire |
My old girl's hysterical, and when the fits begin I have to make her grin - by tickling her under the chin Shan't forget when courting her, I didn't know the wheeze And coming home from Brighton once, she shouted 'If you please.' Tickle me Timothy, tickle me do, tickle me there's a dear My last train is here' said Lou I feel like losing it straight I do I can't help myself; I'll do it in half a tick If you don't make me laugh, I shall swallow the ticket So tickle me, Timothy, quick!' On the day I married her, she felt bad all the while I had to make her smile; I tickled her all up the aisle But as soon as we were one, she trembled like a leaf And shouted as she jumped about, just like a Zulu chief Tickle me Timothy, tickle me do, tickle me there's a dear The Parson here, he makes me cough, I feel like pulling his nightshirt off I can't help myself; I'll do it in half a tick As he mightn't have anything under it, Timothy Tickle me, Timothy, quick!' Friday, when I laid in bed, a man came round our way With paper flags so gay, shouting, 'Rags or old bottles today' My old girl rushed in the room, and grabbed my pantaloons A-shouting 'If you don't want paper flags or air-balloons.' Tickle me Timothy, tickle me do, tickle me there's a dear I feel I want to swap your bags For some air-balloons or some paper flags I can't help myself; I'll do it in half a tick And you'll have with 'me a waggin' in front of you Tickle me, Timothy, quick!' On an Easter Monday once I took her to the Zoo She'd nothing much to do, so started a hul-la-ba-loo Got inside the monkey's cage, the hairy lah-di-dahs All rubbed their chins against her face, shouted through the bars. Tickle me Timothy, tickle me do, tickle me there's a dear I feel so gay this afternoon, I feel like kissing the big baboon I can't help myself; I'll do it in half a tick And he isn't like you; he wants shaving all over, So tickle me, Timothy, quick!' Martha's rich old uncle Bill, last night in company He told a tale you see, we all had to giggle with glee Martha couldn't see the joke; her tears began to flow, So she flopped down upon my knee, and softly murmured 'Oh Tickle me Timothy, tickle me do, tickle me there's a dear I'll have to laugh at uncle Bill, or else get nothing out of his Will I can't help myself; I'll do it in half a tick If you're after his money, oh, tickle my funny bone, Tickle me, Timothy, quick!' Now she's bought some powder and a box of safety pins And when the fit begins, she's bound to have somebodies twins Today she saw a bassinette, just outside our abode She pounced on it and shouted, as the kids fell in the road Tickle me Timothy, tickle me do, tickle me there's a dear The babies are a lovely pair, I feel like grabbing 'em I declare I can't help myself; I'll do it in half a tick If I'm not to have Mister McGillighan's babies, Oh tickle me, Timothy, quick!'
Another turn of the century Music Hall song written by a team involving the prolific RP Weston, this time with Fred Barnes . The song was popularised by the extremely successful performer and recording artist Billy Williams
One of many hits of the early 1900s to be remembered by British traditional singers in the 1960s and 70s. It also seems to have been remembered in Australia, australianfolkmusic.com has sheet music transcribed from the playing of Ted Vallance. Annie Sykes sings a fragment of it for Steve Gardham, the recording can be found on the British library Sound archive site.
Billy Williams sings it:
Sources:
- VWML entry
- Kilgarrif Sing Us
- Lyrics: monologues.co.uk
- Sheet Music: Empire News & The Umpire, 22 Aug 1909, p7 from British Newspaper Archive
- Sheet Music: Trove (Australia)
- Transcribed Sheet Music: AustralianFolkMusic.au