{"id":12327,"date":"2021-08-24T14:30:51","date_gmt":"2021-08-24T14:30:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=12327"},"modified":"2025-12-15T07:25:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T07:25:14","slug":"im-shy-mary-ellen-im-shy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/im-shy-mary-ellen-im-shy\/","title":{"rendered":"I’m shy Mary Ellen I’m shy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>I’m shy Mary Ellen<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1910<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Writer\/composer<\/td>George A. Stevens & Charles Ridgewell <\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN25940<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Jack Pleasants<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Collected from the singing of:<\/strong>
Hall, Gordon; England : Sussex; 1989
Modern performances<\/strong>
Frankie Vaughan, Stanley Holloway, Bob Wallis and his Storyville Jazzmen, David Kossoff<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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I courted Mary Ellen for fourteen solid years,\nBut she made me blush when she, one night boldly said to me,\n\u201dYou've never kissed me once, John, though I'd like you to.\u201d she sighed,\n\u201dWhy don't you call me pretty names?\u201d I hung my head & cried...\n\n \nI'm shy, Mary Ellen, I'm shy,\nIt does seem so naughty, oh my!\nKissing is nicey, I've often heard say,\nBut still how to do it, I don't know the way,\nSo you put your arm round my waist,\nI promise I won't scream or cry,\nSo you do the kissing & cuddling instead,\n'Cause I'm shy Mary Ellen I'm shy.<\/em>\n\nLast year with Mary Ellen to Lowestoft I went,\nMary Ellen said to me, 'I'm going bathing in the sea'\nSo while I go & have a splash, where all the ladies go,\nYou go & have a bathe amongst the men', I said, \u201cNo, no!\u201d\n\nI'm shy, Mary Ellen, I'm shy,\nIt does seem so naughty, oh my!\nMen are so rough & I'm sure they will stare\nThey'd splash me & duck me if I go in there.\nThe girls ain't so rough as the men,\nAnd they wouldn't duck me or try\nSo I'd rather bathe here along with the girls\nCause I'm shy, Mary Ellen, I'm shy'.<\/em>\n\nWhile out with Mary Ellen we met a 6 foot man,\n'That's the saucy scamp' said she, 'Who last week insulted me,\nNot just you thrash the massive brute I looked at his six feet,\nthen she said,'Take your coat off,' but I said 'What, in the street?\n\nI'm shy, Mary Ellen, I'm shy,\nIt would look so naughty, oh my,\nI said as I looked at the great hulking chap,\nIf I wasn't for one thing, I'd give him a slap,\nBut look at the ladies about\nThey'd all stop to look, and, oh my!\nIf I take my coat off they'll see all my shirt\nand I'm shy, Mary Ellen, I'm shy'.<\/em>\n\nTo marry Mary Ellen I went to church one morn,\nWhile the party with the bride went to church, I stood aside,\nFor quite an hour I stood there, while she waited to be wed,\nThen she came out & said, ' Come on!' 'I don't like to.' I said...\n\n'I'm shy Mary Ellen I'm shy,\nIt would look so naughty, oh my!\nBut still we got married & got home alright,\nAnd kept up the fun with our friends until night,\nThen they wished Mary Ellen good-bye,\nAnd they started to go, so did I,\nThen she said, 'You're not going', I said, 'Yes I am,\n'Cause I'm shy, Mary Ellen, I'm shy!'<\/em><\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
An early 20th century hit for Bradford comedian Jack Pleasants<\/a> who made comedy out of his shy stage persona. The song was revived several times in the 1950s and 1960s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Roy Palmer collected it from the singing of Gordon Hall and it can be heard at  British Library Sounds<\/a>, still often performed at singarounds today..<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Jack Pleasants singing it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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