Folk and Traditional Song Lyrics:
Single Bolinder

The Single Bolinder

The Single Bolinder

I had a single bolinder
and she was a fine machine
She used to run like hell in the night
when all her parts were clean
I lit her up one morning
at the bottom of Ichington Ten
She pulled around the Basket Bound
before she fired again

And then she burned a gallon a stroke
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay
You could see sod-all for smoke
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay
The motor went so fast
I wound her up full blast
She pulled out the butties mast
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay

Tra, lah, la-la-la-lah
Smackin' it into the cut.

Oh do you ken Old Streeters Men,
the ones with heads of teak
They take a load, of D.S. down
the jam-hole once a week
I was standing on the inside
along the Langley wide
When I sees a pair of boats a-come
with half-an-inch a side

I said "Good God! just look at that boat
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay
It just can't be afloat
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay
The captain must be drunk
His butty looks like it's sunk
But it's only Jacky Monk
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay

Tra, lah, la-la-la-lah
Smackin' it into the cut.

I knew a Brauston lassie once
her age was thiry-four
She'd never had a man and so
her heart was very sore
One night when she was going to bed
she thought she heard a sound
And looking underneath her bed
a burgular she found

But she didn't shout nor scream
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay
She didn't scream nor faint
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay
She made quite sure 'twas a man
Then she cried hurrah!
She locked the bloody door
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay

Tra, lah, la-la-la-lah
Smackin' it into the cut.

Myself, the wife, the mother-in-law
went down to the Limehouse Quay
The Mother-in-law got out in a boat
for a sailor she would be
She hadn't been gone a quarter-an-hour
before we hears a shout
My Mother-in-Law's in the water
and there she's splashing about

She shouts "Help! I cannot swim"
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay
I said "Now's your time to learn!"
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay
My wife she says "You hound,
You'll never watch her drowned ?"
I said "I'll shut me bloody eyes!"
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay

Tra, lah, la-la-la-lah
Smackin' it into the cut.

I knew a man on Willow Wren
whose language did embarrass
The fellows on the pleasure boats.
They called him Georgie Harris
So they go up the Shroppie Cut
from Helston to Llangollen
To get away from Georgie's road
and mighty shouts of, "Collin -

- Get up that F---in' boat !"
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay
"I'll punch you up the throat"
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay
You can travel north and south
You can travel near and far
But look out at Worcester Bar
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay

Tra, lah, la-la-la-lah
Smackin' it into the cut.

As I was walking by the cut
down at Common Moor
I spied a boaties daughter
in the butty hatches door
She asked me in for a cup of tea
with all her might and main
And after the brew she served
to me I'm going there again

I slipped me hand along her calves
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay
She said "Don't do things by halves"
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay
I stayed to keep her company
Now she's very fond of me
And I'm a bugger for tea!
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay

Tra, lah, la-la-la-lah
Smackin' it into the cut.

SKW
oct99