Dedicated to Alfred Lord Tennyson

WHEN in the gloaming Tilly dear
            I sweetly sleep, be rough
Fight like a spunky chanticleer
            Don't let my sleep be tough.
Stand me upon my shaky legs,
            Don't let me flop my knee.
Carry me to the whiskey kegs,
            There will I howl with glee.
Willy nilly let's be silly,
            Skipping the nifty fling
I'm to be King of the spring, Tilly,
            I'm to be King of the spring.

I had a toothache yestereve
            No Doctor could be found
Therefore I called on faithful Steve,
            The keeper of the pound.
The pain was fierce. Oh, how I swore
            When first I felt the wrench
That monkey wrench tight on my jaw.
            Oh hell, excuse my French.
Willy nilly, let's be silly
            Skipping the nifty fling.
I'm to be King of the spring Tilly
            I'm to be King of the Spring.

Another spring has had its fling
            My brain is all afloat,
Scraped by a wheel I hear a squeal
            The bleating of a goat.
I'll grin through all this mental itch
            Polishing up my snout.
Effie that darling little witch
            Inspires me to shout.
Willy nilly let's be silly
            Skipping the nifty fling
I'm to be King of the spring Tilly
            I'm to be King of the spring.

Another year has gone to hell
            And yet alive I be
Here in this jail locked in a cell
            I'm bitten by a flea.
That nasty bug severe and smug
            Is crawling up my spine
Making me itch, in spite of which
            I sing to thee and thine.
Willy nilly let's be silly
            Skipping the nifty fling
I'm to be King of the spring,
            Tilly I'm to be King of the Spring.

Today they bolstered up my chin
            And then I had a shock
Tilly arrived with heaps of tin,
            She got me out of hock.
Effie brought roses by the peck,
            Also one daffodil.
They strung the flowers round my neck.
            We all began to trill.
Willy nilly let's be silly
            Skipping the nifty fling
I'm to be King of the spring, Tilly
            I'm to be King of the spring.

They tell me I'm a bigamist
            Ain't that an awful slam
Enough to make a nigger twist.
            This Guy don't give a damn.
None of my teeth are aching,
            My nettle rash has left,
Effie does all the baking,
            Tilly's accused of theft.
Willy nilly let's be silly
            Skipping the nifty fling
I'm to be King of the spring Tilly
            I'm to be King of the spring.

I think I'll plant a whipping post
            Under the linden tree.
I've never made one idle boast
            With me you must agree.
Better to shame, yes, spank each dame
            Than let them sin too much.
I'll have my spree at the linden tree
            In the shade of the rabbit hutch.
Willy nilly let's be silly
            Skipping the nifty fling.
I'm to be King of the spring, Tilly,
            I'm to be King of the spring.

Last night whilst eating venison
            Feeling quite debonair
I thought of Alfred Tennyson
            Also his maiden fair,
That dear sweet child whose memory
            Is ever in my mind.
And no rough scraping emery
            Can scratch away nor grind
Out of the gears of my two ears
            That lovely roundelay.
"I'm to be Queen of the May, mother
I'm to be Queen of the May."

By RICHARD GRIFFIN.

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