Digital Tradition Mirror

Anne Boleyn

Anne Boleyn
(R.L. Weston and Bert Lee.)

   In the Tower of London, large as life,
   The ghost of Anne Boleyn walks, they declare.
   For Anne Boleyn was once King Henry's wife,
   Until he had the headsman bob her hair.
   Oh, yes, he did her wrong long years ago,
   And she comes back at night to tell him so.

   Chorus:
   With her 'ead tucked underneath her arm,
   She walks the bloody Tower,
   With her head tucked underneath her arm,
   At the midnight hour.

   She comes to haunt King Henry, she means giving him what-for
   Gadzooks, she's going to tell him off, for spilling of her gore.
   And just in case the headsman wants to give her encore,
   She has her head tucked underneath her arm.

   Now sometimes gay King Henry gives a spread,
   For all his pals and gals, a ghastly crew,
   The 'eadsman carve the joint and cuts the bread,
   When in comes Anne Boleyn to queer the do.
   She holds her head up with a wild war whoop,
   And Henry cries, "don't drop it in the soup!"

   She walks the endless corridors, for miles and miles she goes,
   She often catches cold, poor dear, it's drafty when it blows,
   And it's awfully, awfully awkward for the queen to blow her nose,
   With her head tucked underneath her arm.

   The sentries think that it's a football that she carries in,
   And when they've had a few they shout, "Is Army going to win?"
   They  think  that  it's Red Grange instead of poor old Anne Boleyn
   With her head tucked underneath her arm.

   One night she caught King Henry, he was in the canteen bar,
   He said, "Are you Jane Seymour, Anne Boleyn, or Catherine Parr?
   Well, how <do you expect me to know who in Hell you> are?
   With your head tucked underneath your arm?

Recorded in the early 30s by, of all people, Rudy Vallee; also
(later, I think) by Stanley Holloway. RG
   Note: Henry VIII only beheaded two of his wives -
Anne Boleyn and Kate Howard.  Remember : divorced
(Katherine of Aragon), beheaded(Anne B), died (Jane
Seymour); divorced (Anne of Cleves), beheaded (Kate
Howard), survived(Kate Parr).   (SOF)

<There seems to be some disagreement on exact wording here. Any authorities?>

 "The guards all think that it's a football that she carries in
 And when they've had a few, they shout "Is Arsenal going to win?"
 They think that it's Alec James instead of poor old Anne Boleyn etc."

and
"for how the sweet san fairy ann do I know who you are"

(a later addition)
The sentries think that Anee is hauling 'round a rugby ball;
When dinner's done they'll push the chairs and tables to the wall
And then the'll choose up sides and kick the Queen around the hall!
With 'er 'ead tucked underneath 'er arm!

DC

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!