The Bold Fisherman
RA, Spanish, 2008
There was a bold fisherman who sailed out from Pimlico
To slew the bold codfish and the brave mackerel.
When he got to Pimlico, the stormy winds began to blow
His little boat went wibble, wobble, and over board sprang he.
Singing: Twinka doodle um, twinka doodle um,
'twas a highly interesting song he sung.
Twinka doodle um, twinka doodle um
sang the bold fisherman.
He wriggled and scriggled in the water, so briny-O.
He yellowed and bellowed for help but in vain.
So swiftly he did gently glide to the bottom of the silvery tide;
But previous to this he cried: "Fare thee well Mary Jane."
Singing: . . .
His ghost walked at midnight to the bedside of his Mary Jane
When he said how dead he was; said she: "I'll go mad."
"With you so dead, my love," said she, "No joy on earth could ever be."
"I never more will happy be.", she went stark raving mad.
Singing: . . .
From Dave
About
Pimlico is (of course) a peaceful part of the Thames, near Vauxhall Bridge.
This was one of the ones that I played for my pupils, believe it or not.
Not a folk song obviously - in fact it is Music Hall, making fun of heroic tales, antiquated vocabularies and nonsensical choruses.
It is mainly known (if at all) because Humphrey Bogart sings it (dead-pan, how else) in African Queen (1951). You might think someone wrote it for the film, but it was written by G W Hunt (1839-1904), performed by George Leybourne (1842-1884).