{"id":4005,"date":"2020-07-02T13:24:32","date_gmt":"2020-07-02T13:24:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=4005"},"modified":"2025-12-10T07:03:02","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T07:03:02","slug":"four-and-nine","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/four-and-nine\/","title":{"rendered":"Four-and-Nine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>Four and Nine<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td> 1915<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Lyrics<\/strong><\/td>Worton David<\/td>Music<\/strong><\/td>Bert Lee\/ Two Bobs<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN8106<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>The Two Bobs<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Source Singers<\/strong>
Thomas Walsh, 1955, Perthshire, Scotland
Modern performances<\/strong>
The Bridies <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Original version (transcribed)<\/strong>\n\nI met a girl up West one night.\nShe had wonderful appetite.\nShe said \"Take me out to dine\".\nI counted my money, I had four and nine.\nI looked at her and she looked at me\n\"Where shall we go dear\" murmured she\nI felt a shiver go down my spine,\nAnd I said good evening to my four and nine.\n\nFour and nine! I took her to the Cecil<\/em>\nFour and nine! Didn't go inside\nTook her to Lockharts, then ordered some wine\nBang went thruppence of my four and nine.\n<\/em>\nShe started off with oxtail soup,\nThen stewed eels that looped the loop.\nShe said \"Oysters, here are fine\",\nBut I ordered mussels with my four and nine.\nShe'd mayonnaise and haricots stewed\nDon't know what it was, but it sounded rude\nShe started rattling for some more wine\nAnd I started wrestling my 4 and 9\n\nFour and Nine! Still she kept on eating\nFour and Nine! I thought she'd never stop\nI said \"Gee this dinner's fine, \nBut it's raising the devil with my four and nine!\"<\/em>\n\nShe ordered steak and a fillet of plaice,\nThen she put a chicken inside her face.\nAnd as that chicken went down the mine,\nI said, \"Lord help me and my four and nine.\" \nA large entr\u00e9e she put away\nWell she looked at me and her face turned grey\nShe got a pain from the food and wine\nAnd I got a pain in my four and nine!\n\nFour and Nine! The waiter brought bill in\nFour and Nine! Twenty seven Bob!\nI got a shock and dropped my wine\nShe dropped the custard on my four and nine!<\/em>\n\nThe waiter stood and he looked at me.\n\"What about paying this bill,\" said he.\nHe kept his right eye fixed on mine.\nAnd I kept my hand on my four and nine. \nIn came the boss and he gave a glare.\nAnd he placed his foot, well I won't say where.\nRight through the window I went flying,\nAnd I lit on the pavement on me four and nine. \n\nFour and Nine! Listen to my moral\nFour and Nine! Take a tip from me<\/em>\nNever take a lady out to dine\nWhen all you've got is four and nine.<\/em>\n\n\nTraditional Irish<\/em> version<\/strong> as sung by The Bridies\n\nI took a lady out west one night.\nShe had a very large appetite.\nShe asked me to take her out to dine.\nI counted out me money. I had four and nine.\n\nFour and nine! I still have yet.\nFour and nine! I'll never forget.\nDon't ever take a lady out to dine\nIf you have in your pocket only four and nine.<\/em>\n\nShe started off with the oxtail soup,\nThen stewed eels to loop the loop.\nOysters, too, she said are fine,\nBut I kept muscles on me four and nine. \n\nNext thing she ordered was the fillet of plaice,\nAnd passed the chicken across her face.\nAs I watched it go down her spine,\nI said, \"Lord have mercy on me four and nine.\" \n\nIn came the waiter and he looked at me.\n\"How about paying that bill,\" said he.\nHe kept his right eye fixed on mine.\nI kept muscles on me four and nine. \n\nIn came the boss and he gave a stare.\nHe placed his foot, but I won't say where.\nOut of the window I went flying,\nDancing on the pavement with me four and nine. <\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Another song from the pen of Worton David<\/a>, written for The Two Bobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bob Adams (1874-1948) and Bob Alden (1882-1932), performed as The Two Bobs 1905-27 singing songs and playing the piano in the ragtime style that was  popular in the early 20th century. As far as I ascertain they were American artistes that played on the British Music Hall stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The VWML only lists one source singer, but the song is well-known amongst traditional Irish singers. Versions I’ve heard are all slightly stripped down from the original, with an unchanging chorus, easier to remember if nothing else!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A recording or download of this song can be purchased from Windyridge CDs.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n