The Ballad of Billy M'Caw

[Atraielees]

The Ballad of Billy M’Caw

GROWLTIGER:
Oh, how well I remember
The Old Bull and Bush
Where we used to go down
On a Saturday night,
Where, when any hap penned,
It come with a rush ,
For the boss, Mister Clark,
He was very polite
A very nice house, from basement to garret
A very nice house.
Ah, but it was the parrot
The parrot, the par ret named Billy M’Caw
That brought all those folk to the bar.
Ah, he was the life of the bar!
Of a Saturday night,
We were all feeling bright.
And Lily La Rose the barmaid that was
She’d sing “Billy, Billy M’Caw
Come give us, come give us a dance at the bar!”
And Billy would dance on the bar
And Billy would dance in the bar
And then we’d feel balmy, in each eye a tear.
And emotion would make us all order more beer.

Lily, she was a girl what had brains in her head.
She wouldn’t have nothing, no, not that much said.
If it come to an argument or a dispute.
She’d settle it offhand with the toe of her boot.
Or as likely as not put a fist through your eye
But when we was happy, and just a bit dry
Or when we was thirsty, and just a bit sad
She would rap on the bar with that corkscrew she had

GROWLTIGER AND GRIDDLEBONE:
And sing "Billy, Billy M’Caw!

GROWLTIGER:
Come give us a tune on pastoral flute!"
And Billy’s strike up on his pastoral flute.

GROWLTIGER AND GRIDDLEBONE:
And Billy’s strike up on his pastoral flute

GROWLTIGER:
And then we’d feel balmy, in each eye a tear
And emotion would make us all order more beer.

GROWLTIGER AND GRIDDLEBONE:
Billy, Billy M’Caw!
And Billy’s strike up on his motley guitar
And Billy’s strike up on his motley guitar
And Billy’s strike up on his motley guitar
And then we’d feel balmy in each eye a tear.
And emotion would make us all order more beer

CHORUS:
Billy, Billy M’Caw!
And Billy’s strike up on his motley guitar

GROWLTIGER:
Ah! He was the life of the bar.

I'm really excited to have found this!
Here's a video of a performance doing it: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaMCchEkr0I

[Pippin]

Wow, neat video! I hadn't heard this song before that. I have a recording of Growltiger's Last Stand that claims to include 'The Ballad of Billy McCaw', which I assumed to be the duet that he sang with Griddlebone (it wasn't in English, so I can't be sure). But after hearing that, apparently they lied to me, as this song was not at all included .