COSTER GIRL IN PARIS, THE
(Orlando Powell / Fred Leigh)

as recorded by Marie Lloyd
1912


See the twinkle in me eye?
Just come back from France, that's why!
Me and Bill went over there to spend our 'oneymoon.
First time me in foreign parts,
Did I like it?  Huh, bless yer hearts!
Can't say more about it than it ended up too soon!
But don't think I've done with good old England, the not likely!
Bred and born down 'Ackney Road, ah, and proud to own it too!
You like me makeup?  Ain't it great!
The latest thing from Paris straight,
Gives a girl a chance to show you what she can do!

And I'd like to go again
To Paris on the Seine,
For Paris is a proper pantomime!
An' if they'd only shift the 'Ackney Road and plant it over there,
I'd like to live in Paris all the time!

At the board school I went to,
They taught me to "parlez vous",
"donnez-moi un silver plate" an' "merci" an' "oui oui".
But in Paris, soon I found,
When I came to look around,
Why even little kids spoke French much betterer'n me!
We went to a music 'all, and a lady, she was singin',
An' all the men were laughin'!
Bill says, "Come on!",
I says "Shan't!
Wait a bit, I can't make out what they got ter laugh about!"
An' some bloke turns to me an' says,
"Well, it's a good job that you can't!"

Still I'd like to go again
To Paris on the Seine,
For Paris is a proper pantomime!
An' if they'd only shift the 'Ackney Road and plant it over there,
I'd like to live in Paris all the time!

Two French girls I heard one day
Having words, and oh, the way
Those young women talk,
It seemed a cert they'd 'ave a fight!
Bill says, "Some'ow I feel sure
I've heard talk like that before!
Course, it must 'ave been up Leicester Square way late at night!"
Since I've been 'ome, oh, I've 'ad some questions from mother,
All about me 'oneymoon she seems to want to 'ear!
But I ain't one to talk a lot,
And not much out o' me she got,
All I said to mother was, "Look 'ere, nan old dear"

Oh, I'd like to go again
To Paris on the Seine,
For Paris is a proper pantomime!
An' if they'd only shift the 'Ackney Road and plant it over there,
I'd like to live in Paris all the time,
That I really would!
Di-de-li-de-dy, diddy-i-de-dy-de-day,
Oh, there it is a proper pantomime!
An' if they'd only shift the 'Ackney Road and plant it over there,
I'd like to live in Paris all the time!
Honi soit!




(Transcribed by Peter Akers - September 2018)