{"id":27528,"date":"2025-06-20T05:57:52","date_gmt":"2025-06-20T05:57:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=27528"},"modified":"2025-06-22T06:06:17","modified_gmt":"2025-06-22T06:06:17","slug":"la-di-da-or-the-city-toff","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/la-di-da-or-the-city-toff\/","title":{"rendered":"La-Di-Da!, or, The City Toff"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>Crutch and toothpick
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First Published<\/td>1879<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Writer\/composer<\/td>EV Page \/ Vincent Davies<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RNV38931<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Nelly Power<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Not collected from any traditional singers listed in Roud Indexes. In the 1960s it was included in the “folk opera” The stirrings in Sheffield on a Saturday night.<\/em><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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From original sheet music in personal collection:


Let me introduce a fellah! lardy dah! lardy dah!
A fellah who's a swell, ah! lardy dah!
Though limited his screw, yet
The week, he struggles through it,
For he knows the way to do it, lardy dah! lardy dah!
For he knows the way to do the \"lardy dah!\"

He wears a penny flower in his coat, lardy dah!
And a penny paper collar round his throat, lardy dah!
In his hand, a penny stick, 
In his tooth, a penny pick, 
And a penny in his pocket, lardy dah! lardy dah!
And a penny in his pocket, lardy dah!<\/em>

He is something in an office, lardy dah! lardy dah! 
And he quite the city toff is, lardy dah!
He cuts a swell so fine, oh!
He quite forgets to dine, oh!
For he spends his cash with \"Kino:\" lardy dah! lardy dah!
For he \"blues\" his screw on \"Kino:\" lardy dah!

When he's been out over night, ah! lardy dah! lardy dah! 
His \"luncheon's\" very slight, ah! lardy dah!.
His Paris diamonds glitter,
But the little barmaids titter, .
At his sausage, and his bitter, lardy dah! lardy dab!
At his sausage, and his bitter, lardy dah!

His shirt is very \"tricky:\" lardy dah! lardy dah!
It's a pair of cuffs, and dickey, lardy dah!
His boots are patent leather,
But they never stand wet weather,
For they're paper, glued together, lardy dah! lardy dah! 
They are paper, glued together, lardy dah!


His chain is \u201cAbysinnian,\" lardy dah! lardy dah! 
His watch is a half a guinea 'un, lardy dah!
And, if hair oil were abolished,
This swell would be demolished,
For his hat would not be polished, lardy dah! lardy dah!
For his hat would not be polished, lardy dah!

Encore verses<\/strong>
\t
Oh! he often dines for four pence, lardy dah! lardy dah!
(When he hasn't any more pence,) lardy dah!
And then the artful fella!
Picks his teeth like any swell, ah! 
Just outside the Grand Hotel, ah! lardy dah! lardy dah!
Just outside the Grand Hotel, lardy dah!

When the rain comes down a \"pelter\" lardy dah! lardy dah!
In a doorway he takes shelter; lardy dah!
Though he carries a slim umbrella, 
It won't open! artful fella!
It's a ten-penny-make umbrella, lardy dah! lardy dah!
It's a ten-penny-make umbrella, lardy dah!

Oh! he smokes a penny pickwick, lardy dah! lardy dah!
Which makes him feel so sick, quick, lardy dah!
Amongst the Upper Ten, he
Cuts a dash as fine as any,
Till, all at once, he spends his penny! lardy dah!
He is fairly settled then, is lardy dah!


Attempted<\/strong> definitions of slang terms:
Abyssinian<\/strong> - describing a watch-chain detached from its correct button hole and hanging low from the abdomen (more usually \"Abyssinian Medal\")
\"blues\" his screw<\/strong> - spends all his money (blue=blew)?
Kino<\/strong> - Alfred F Kino, \"tailor to all the principal courts of Europe\"  based in central London
Paris diamonds<\/strong> - paste, imitation diamonds
penny stick<\/strong> - cheap walking stick ?
penny pick<\/strong> or penny Pickwick <\/strong>- cigar
Screw<\/strong> - money, sometimes more specifically earnings
Dickey<\/strong> - a cheap detachable shirt front
Upper ten<\/strong> - the richest ten thousand people
Spends his penny<\/strong> - (from context) vomits?
<\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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La-di-da!<\/em>, or The city Toff<\/em> was perhaps the last big hit for Nellie\/Nelly Power <\/a>who died aged 32 in 1887. The words were written by EV Page  – a former school teacher who became a song writer. The spelling of the title varies widely, even within the original 1880 sheet music gives the title as La-di-da!<\/em> and the refrain as lardy dah!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The newspaper cuttings below show that the song was first associated with the impressionist and singer William Wardroper. However, within a few months he had sold the performing rights to Nelly  Powers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The Era – 05 Oct 1879<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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London and Provincial Entr’acte – 15 May 1880<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The song featured in the mid-20th century Music Hall revival which centred on the trendy young things at The Players Theatre<\/em>, a snatch of it features in this Pathe news clip:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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