AND HER GOLDEN HAIR WAS HANGING DOWN HER BACK
(Felix McGlennon)
Dan Quinn - 1894
Alice Leamer - 1894
Seymour Hicks (feat. in the show "The Shop Girl") - 1894
Banta's Orch. (Instr.) - 1895
Maud Foster - 1896
Dale Evans (feat. in the film "Song Of Nevada") - 1944
Elsa Lanchester -1961
There was once a country maid came to London for a trip,
And her golden hair was hanging down her back;
She was weary of the country so she gave her folks the slip,
And her golden hair was hanging down her back;
It was once a vivid auburn but her rivals called it red,
So she thought she could be happier with another shade instead.
And she stole the washing soda andand applied it to her head,
And some golden hair came streaming down her back.
But Oh! Flo!, such a change you know,
When she left the village she was shy;
But alas and alack!
She's gone back
With a naughty little twinkle in her eye!
She had a country accent and a captivating glance,
And her golden hair was hanging down her back;
She wore some little diamonds that came from sunny France,
And her golden hair was hanging down her back;
She wandered out in London for a breath of ev'ning air,
And strayed into a palace that was fine and large and fair -
It might be in a circus or it might be in a square,
But her golden hair was hanging down her back.
But Oh! Flo!, such a change you know,
When she left the village she was shy;
But alas and alack!
She's gone back
With a naughty little twinkle in her eye!
And London people were so nice to artless little Flo,
When her golden hair was hanging down her back;
That she had been persuaded to be appear in a tableau,
Where her golden hair was hanging down her back;
She posed beside a marble bath upon some marble stairs,
Just like a water nymph or an advertisement of Pears',
And if you ask me to describe the costume that she wears,
Well, her golden hairs were hanging down the back.
But Oh! Flo!, such a change you know,
When she left the village she was shy;
But alas and alack!
She's gone back
With a naughty little twinkle in her eye!
She met a young philanthropist, a friend of Missus Chant,
And her golden hair was hanging down her back;
He lived in Peckham Rye with an extremely maiden aunt,
Who had not a hair a-hanging down her back;
The lady looked upon him in her fascinating way,
And what the consequences were I really cannot say.
But when his worthy maiden aunt remarked his coat next day,
Well, some golden hairs were hanging down the back.
But Oh! Flo!, such a change you know,
When she left the village she was shy;
But alas and alack!
She's gone back
With a naughty little twinkle in her eye!
(Contributed by Peter Akers - January 2016)
********************
AMERICAN VERSION
with altered/additional lyrics by Monroe Rosenfeld:
There was once a simple maiden came to New York on a trip
And her golden half was hanging down her back
Her cheeks were like the roses; she'd a pout upon her lip
And her golden hair was hanging down her back
When she landed at the station here she took a little stroll
At everything she wondered, till she lost her self-control
Said she, "New York is quite a village, ain't it? Bless my soul!"
And her golden hair was hanging down her back
But, oh Jane! Doesn't look the same
When she left the village she was shy
But alas! And alack! She's gone back
With a naughty little twinkle in her eye!
She toddled down Broadway, a bashful smile upon her face
And her golden hair was hanging down her back
A bit of nice blue ribbon kept her ringlets in their place
For her golden hair was hanging down her back
Of course, she knew her manners, she'd been taught to be polite
So when a gent said "Hmm, good evening!" she said "Hmm, good night!"
Said she, "I am a stranger here, I hope you'll treat me right!"
And her golden hair was hanging down her back
But, oh Jane! Doesn't look the same
When she left the village she was shy
But alas! And alack! She's gone back
With a naughty little twinkle in her eye!
She took his arm in confidence, she liked his pleasant ways
And her golden hair was hanging down her back
At all the damsels passing by she stared in great amaze
And her golden hair was hanging down her back
She told him she was thirsty; "Oh, all right," said he, "good biz"
He took her to Delmonico's and treated her to fizz
Said she, "I think its nicer than a glass of milk, it is!"
And her golden hair was hanging down her back
But, oh Jane! Doesn't look the same
When she left the village she was shy
But alas! And alack! She's gone back
With a naughty little twinkle in her eye!
They drank until the artless man so very weary grew
And her golden hair was hanging down her back
She took his chain and ticker, and his diamond breastpin, too
And her golden hair was hanging down her back
Then silently she left him as he slumbered in a chair
Into the street she wandered with a very simple air
She would have carried off the stove if there had been one there!
And her golden hair was hanging down her back
But, oh Jane! Doesn't look the same
When she left the village she was shy
But alas! And alack! She's gone back
With a naughty little twinkle in her eye!
Now, gentle folks, I warn you all to shun the simple maid
When her golden hair is hanging down her back
If any such you run across, just don't you be afraid
When her golden hair is hanging down her back
Just skip the gutter, cross the street, or take another lane
Or dodge the corner, take a cab, or catch a railway train
And as you're flying up the street, just sing her this refrain
"Oh! your golden hair is hanging down your back!"
But, oh Jane! Doesn't look the same
When she left the village she was shy
But alas! And alack! She's gone back
With a naughty little twinkle in her eye!
********************
As performed by DALE EVANS in the 1944 film
"Song Of Nevada" (with the SONS OF THE PIONEERS):
SPOKEN:
It's very sweet of all of you to ask me to sing a song
I had an idea that perhaps you might, so I brought my family along
No, they're not here in person, in this album they remain
And just like every other family, we remember one with pain
Our black sheep lived many years too soon
We refer to her as Jane ........
There was a simple maiden came to New York on a trip
And her golden hair was hanging down her back
Her cheeks were like the roses, she'd a pout upon her lips
And her golden hair was hanging down her back
When she landed at the station here, she took a little stroll
At everything she wondered, till she lost her self control
("Well", said she) "New York is quite a village, ain't it, bless my soul"
And her golden hair was hanging down her back
But Jane, Jane, she doesn't seem the same
When she left the village, she was shy
But alas and alack, she's come back
With a naughty little twinkle in her eye
She strolled into a cabaret one evening quite by chance
And her golden hair was hanging down her back
She spied a handsome male quartet and cast a timid glance
(And her golden hair was hangin' down her back)
The tenor sang his highest note (Aaaahh), the basso went so low (So low)
Why, the manager was so impressed, he had her join the show (Aaahhh!)
And she was wooed by each and every gay lothario
And her golden hair was hanging down her back
(But Jane, Jane, she doesn't look the smae)
When I left the village, I was shy (So shy)
But alas and alack, well I've come back
With a naughty little twinkle in my eye
With a naughty little twinkle in her eye
(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - January 2016)
