I’m Henery the Eighth

A 1910 British music hall song.
Words and music by Fred Murray and R. P. Weston.

It was a signature song of the music hall star Harry Champion.


Sheet music provided by Ross Boyle:


Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:


Lyrics

  1. You don’t know who you’re looking at, now have a look at me
    I’m a bit of a nob, I am, belong to royaltee
    I’ll tell you how it came about, I married Widow Burch
    And I was King of England when I toddled out of church
    Outside the people started shouting “Hip-hoo-ray!”
    Said I, “Get down upon your knees, it’s Coronation Day”

Chorus:
“I’m Henery the Eighth, I am!
Henery the Eighth I am! I am!
I got married to the widow next door
She’s been married seven times before
Ev’ry one was a Henery
She wouldn’t have a Willie or a Sam
I’m her Eighth old man named Henery
I’m Henery the Eighth, I am!”

  1. I left the ‘Duke of Cumberland’, a pub up in the town
    Soon with one or two moochers I was holding up the ‘Crown’
    I sat upon the bucket that the carmen think they own
    Surrounded by my subjects, I was sitting on the throne
    Out came the potman saying, “Go on home to bed!”
    Said I, “Now, say another word, and off’ll go your head!”
  2. Now at the Waxwork Exhibition not so long ago
    I was sitting among the kings, I made a lovely show
    To good old Queen Elizabeth I shouted, “Wotcher Liz!”
    While people poked my ribs and said, “I wonder who this is?”
    One said, “It’s Charlie Peace!” and then I got the spike
    I shouted “Show yer ignorance!” as waxy as you like
  3. The undertaker calzled and to the wife I heard him say
    “Have you got any orders, mum? We’re rather slack today
    I packed up all your other seven for the golden gates
    Let’s have a pound upon account for Henery the Eighth”
    But when he measured me with half a yard of string
    I dropp’d upon my marrow bones and sang “God Save the King!”

Sung here by Fred Feild: