| The Boy I Love Is Up in the Gallery | |
| Artist: | Nelly Power |
| Written: | 1885 |
| Genre: | Music hall |
| Misc: | Song made famous by Marie Lloyd |
"The Boy I Love Is Up in the Gallery" (correctly The Boy in the Gallery) is a music hall song written in 1885 by George Ware for music hall star Nelly Power, and made famous by Marie Lloyd. It was also sung by Jenny Hill.[1]
The song is unusual in that it places the singer in the actual location of the theatre, with the words traditionally directed to an imaginary beau in the cheapest seats.[2]
These are the lyrics in the sheet music published by EMI Music Publishing, London, 1977:[1]
I'm a young girl, and have just come over,
Over from the country where they do things big,
And amongst the boys I've got a lover,
And since I've got a lover, why I don't care a fig.The boy I love is up in the gallery,
The boy I love is looking now at me,
There he is, can't you see, waving his handkerchief,
As merry as a robin that sings on a tree.
The boy that I love, they call him a cobbler,
But he's not a cobbler, allow me to state.
For Johnny is a tradesman and he works in the Boro'
Where they sole and heel them, whilst you wait.The boy I love is up in the gallery,
The boy I love is looking now at me,
There he is, can't you see, waving his handkerchief,
As merry as a robin that sings on a tree.
Now, If I were a Duchess and had a lot of money,
I'd give it to the boy who's going to marry me.
But I haven't got a penny, so we'll live on love and kisses,
And be just as happy as the birds on the tree.The boy I love is up in the gallery,
The boy I love is looking now at me,
There he is, can't you see, waving his handkerchief,
As merry as a robin that sings on a tree.
1940 film Gaslight features the song in a music hall scene. The lyrics prompt Anton Walbrook's character Paul Mallen to abort his date and return home to see his wife.[3]
The 1960 film version of John Osborne's 1957 play The Entertainer features the song. It is sung by Brenda de Banzie as Phoebe Rice, wife of main character Archie Rice.[4]
1968 film A Little Of What You Fancy has Helen Shapiro singing the song.[5]
In 1969, Barbara Windsor sang the song in the original cast of Sing a Rude Song, a musical biography of Marie Lloyd written by Caryl Brahms and Ned Sherrin.[6] In 1978, she performed the song as part of a Marie Lloyd medley in an episode of BBC light entertainment programme The Good Old Days.[7]
1972 British mini-series The Edwardians features the song. Georgia Brown plays Marie Lloyd, singing the song in an episode titled "The Reluctant Juggler".[8]
1975 British drama-series Edward the Seventh features the song. Adrienne Posta plays Marie Lloyd, singing the song in an episode titled "The Years of Waiting".[9]
In 1977, Miss Piggy sings the song - accompanied by Rowlf on piano, and with the audience joining in - in the UK spot of the Rich Little episode of The Muppet Show.[10]
In 1980, the song was included in the television detective series Cribb, in an episode titled "Abracadaver".[11]
In 1990, the song was included in the television series "Oh, Mr. Toad", in an episode titled "Toad in Love".[12]
1996 British/French film Different for Girls has Rupert Graves singing a version of the song using the word "girl" and female pronouns.
A 1999 episode of British sitcom Goodnight Sweetheart featured the song. Emma Amos played Marie Lloyd, singing the song in an episode titled "The 'Ouses in Between."[13]
The BBC's 2007 biographical drama Miss Marie Lloyd has Jessie Wallace singing the song in the title role.[14]
2013 British drama-series Ripper Street has Charlene McKenna singing the song in the instalment titled "Our Betrayal: Part 2".[15]
The song was featured in Season 1, Episode 1 of the BBC Two series Peaky Blinders. Original air date was September, 12, 2013 but it was filmed in 2012. Annabelle Wallis's character Grace Burgess sang it; vocal credit was Dara MacMahon.[16]
2018 film The Happy Prince has Rupert Everett singing the song in the role of Oscar Wilde.[17]
The song featured in a 2018 episode of CBBC TV series Hetty Feather, based on the novel by Jacqueline Wilson. Polly Allen's character Sheila Ormsby briefly sings it in the eighth episode of Series 4 in order to win the title of Festival Queen.[18]