Lyrics & Knowledge Personal Pages Record Shop Auction Links Radio & Media Kids Membership Help
The Mudcat Cafesj

print   
BILLY BOY-4
(Malvina Reynolds)

Did they wash you down the stairs, Billy Boy, Billy Boy,
Did they wash you down the stairs, charming Billy?
Yes, they washed me down the stairs
And they re-arranged my hair
With a club in the City Hall rotunda.

Were they pigeons in the square, Billy Boy, Billy Boy,
Were they pigeons in the square, charming Billy?
There were pigeons in the square,
And stool pigeons in the air,
And they fouled up the City Hall rotunda.

Did they set for you a chair, Billy Boy, Billy Boy,
Did they set for you a chair, charming Boy?
No, the D.A.R. was there,
And there wasn't room to spare,
So we stood in the City Hall rotunda.

Was the House Committee there, Billy Boy, Billy Boy,
Was the House Committee there, charming Boy?
The Committee it was there,
Spreading slander everywhere,
While we sang in the City Hall rotunda.

Did the people think it fair, Billy Boy, Billy Boy,
Did the people think it fair, charming Boy?
No, they didn't think it fair,
And they notified the Mayor,
And he wept, and he wept, and he wept, and he wept,
While they mopped up the City Hall rotunda.


(Words by Malvina Reynolds, c 1963 by Schroder Music Co.; music traditional;
in LITTLE BOXES AND OTHER HOMEMADE SONGS. p. 20, Oak Publications 3002)
Notes by Malvina: "in may, 1960, the House UnAmerican Committee came to San Fran
cisco
and subpoenaed, amongst others, a university student."
I believe the demonstrators were "washed down the stairs" with a fire hose.

@political @parody
filename[ BILLBOY4
TUNE FILE: BILLYBOY
CLICK TO PLAY
CI
Feb07




8note Sheet
Lyrics & Knowledge Search
DT  Forum Child
DT Lyrics:






All original material is copyright © 2022 by the Mudcat Café Music Foundation. All photos, music, images, etc. are copyright © by their rightful owners. Every effort is taken to attribute appropriate copyright to images, content, music, etc. We are not a copyright resource.