{"id":22632,"date":"2023-11-26T10:42:18","date_gmt":"2023-11-26T10:42:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=22632"},"modified":"2023-12-19T07:11:19","modified_gmt":"2023-12-19T07:11:19","slug":"she-stood-behind-the-parlour-door","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/she-stood-behind-the-parlour-door\/","title":{"rendered":"She stood behind the parlour door"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This song reflects racist, misogynist and\/or colonial ideas that were commonplace at the time it was first written and performed but are no longer acceptable today<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

AKA<\/strong><\/td>She stood behind the parlor door<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1888<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Writer\/composer<\/td>Sam Potter and Walter Hastings<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN22882<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Harry Freeman<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Collected from the singing of:<\/strong>
Beeforth, Jack; England : Yorkshire : 1974
Springhall, Mr.. England : Oxfordshire : 1967<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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A certain girl once courted me called Mary Ann Maloney\nWho simply talked of nothing else but love and matrimony\nAnd tho' I often told her that to marry would not suit me\nShe swore unless I named the day, she'd have revenge and shoot me.\n\nShe stood behind the parlour door, then began to lock it\nGlared at me. looked at the key, and placed it in her pocket\nHeld a pistol near my nose, gave a tiny snigger\nAnd swore unless I married her that she would pull the trigger.<\/em>*<\/strong>\n\nWhile she stood there arms in hand, I pictured my poor mother\nAnd thought with grief the many times I'd whacked my little brother\nI closed my eyes, sank on my knees, Oh, how I craved for pardon\nExpecting every moment to be blown into the garden.\n\n'Marry me,' said she, 'Or else this weapon I will use it.'\nI said, 'My dear, if that's your love, I really must refuse it\nFire away whene'er you like,' but lor, how I did shiver\nSaid she, 'Consent or in a trice, I'll pop it through your liver!'\n\nI rushed and seized her tiny hand, but all my strength was needed\nI tried to grasp the weapon, and at last I just succeeded\nAnd oh, the joy I felt to think, the thing had not exploded\nBut when I came to look, I found the darn'd thing wasn't loaded.\n\n* Coles Funniest Song Book in the world<\/em> (c1890) has:\nHeld a pistol near my nose, and jumped just like a nigger\nAnd swore unless I married her that she would pull the trigger.<\/em>\n<\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
A song first performed by the comedian Harry Freeman (whose brief biography appears below) in 1888 in London:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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London and Provincial Entr’acte – Saturday 17 March 1888<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
In versions of the song published in the late 19th century the chorus featured a word which we now would consider racist (see note above in the lyrics).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The song has been collected from two traditional singers based in Yorkshire and Oxfordshire: Jack Beeforth (collected by David Hillery) and Mr Springhall (collected by Bill Crumley).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Harry Freeman (1858-1922) was a highly successful comedian and songwriter, first performing in Walsall in  the English Midlands in 1877, debuting  in London in 1881. He regularly appeared in the Birmingham Halls and often appeared in pantomime there. His hit songs, like Can’t Stop<\/em> and They’re After Me<\/em> were extremely popular at the time, but are no longer well-known today. He was still performing at the time of his death in 1922.  Freeman was a founding member of The Grand Order of Water Rats <\/a> and the first \u201cKing Rat\u201d. The Order was founded by a group of friends from the Halls who gambled on horses, using their winnings to support fellow artistes suffering hard times. The Order evolved into a formal charitable organisation which still exists today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As yet I have been unable to source any available recordings of the song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n