Words: S Taylor Harris
Music: S Taylor Harris/traditional arr. Simon Harnden

A fun little story of uncertain origin. Possibly based on a half-remembered fragment of a sea shanty and written in 1925; possibly much older.

Me mother kept a boarding house,
Hullabaloo belay,
Hullabaloo bela belay.
And all the boarders were out to sea,
Hullabaloo belay.

A fresh young fellow named Shallo Brown,
Would follow me mother all over the town,
Hullabaloo belay.

One day when father was on the town,
Me mother ran off with Shallo Brown.

Me father said to me: “Me boy,”
To which I quickly made reply.

Me father slowly pined away,
Because me mother came back the next day.