Johnny Bugger
Vocal and Banjo John Howarth; Guitar Gerry Kearns; Mandolin Larry Kearns
Johnny Bugger
Owd Johnny Bugger well he lived by himself,
As long as he had perfect health
He took unto himself a wife
To look after him for the rest of his life.
[chorus]
Singing I do believe, I will believe
Owd Johnny Bugger were a gay owd bugger
And a gay old bugger were he
Owd Mrs. Bugger she had a bad leg
And the doctor ordered her to bed
He called Johnny in and he said to him
Th’st have to rub thi wife's left leg with gin
[chorus)
Owd Johnny Bugger now he thought it were a sin
For to rub his wife's leg with gin
So he gotten hold of’th’ gin and he poured it down his throttle
Rubbed his wife's leg with th’ bottle
[chorus]
Owd Johnny Bugger went a walking one day
Down by th’ river well he chanced to stray
Johnny fell in an’ he started for to shout
There were no bugger there for to pull the bugger out
[chorus]
God made bees and the bees made honey
God made man and man made money
Man made the devil and the devil made sin
We’ll have to dig a hole for to put the bugger in.
[chorus]
Johnny Bugger
Owd Johnny Bugger well he lived by himself,
As long as he had perfect health
He took unto himself a wife
To look after him for the rest of his life.
[chorus]
Singing I do believe, I will believe
Owd Johnny Bugger were a gay owd bugger
And a gay old bugger were he
Owd Mrs. Bugger she had a bad leg
And the doctor ordered her to bed
He called Johnny in and he said to him
Th’st have to rub thi wife's left leg with gin
[chorus)
Owd Johnny Bugger now he thought it were a sin
For to rub his wife's leg with gin
So he gotten hold of’th’ gin and he poured it down his throttle
Rubbed his wife's leg with th’ bottle
[chorus]
Owd Johnny Bugger went a walking one day
Down by th’ river well he chanced to stray
Johnny fell in an’ he started for to shout
There were no bugger there for to pull the bugger out
[chorus]
God made bees and the bees made honey
God made man and man made money
Man made the devil and the devil made sin
We’ll have to dig a hole for to put the bugger in.
[chorus]
The Oldham Tinkers are aware that Johnny Bugger is rendered in other parts of England sometimes euphemistically as Johnny Bucker, often with variations like most songs which are passed on orally. They learned their version ten years ago, partly from Jimmy Rosser, who first introduced the Oldham Tinkers to A Mon Like Thee (TOPIC 12TS237), and partly from an old lady called Louise in the Oddfellows Call (an Oldham pub), who used to sing it every Tuesday night. The song is humorous but at the same time it carries an important message: greed and selfishness will have their just rewards.
Johnny Bugger
FOR OLD TIME’S SAKE L.P. 12TS276
First published by TOPIC 1975
Produced by Tony Engle
Recorded by Tony Engle, London, July 1975
Side 2 track 6, ‘For Old Time’s Sake’ recorded by Pete Johnson at Piccadilly Radio Studios, July 1975
Notes by The Oldham Tinkers and A.L. Lloyd
Sleeve désigne by Tony Engle
Sleeve picture ‘Children’s Games by Tom Dodson, courtesy of Bell Galleries Publications.
Released as a CD 2006
FOR OLD TIMES’S SAKE PIERCD 507
Pier Records is a Wooden Hill Recordings Ltd label
Released under license from Topic Records Ltd, England.