Robert Stewart                                                                          SA1971.270.7

Here Robbie sings a comic music-hall song made by the English song-writer Harry Wincott  (1867–1947).  The Bradley referred to in the lyrics would have been Bradley Kincaid an American folk-singer and radio entertainer who sang in the Grand Ole Oprey and is thought to have recorded the song in 1933.    Roud no. 10437.

I can’t forget the day that I was born;
It was on a cold and frosty winter’s morn.
The doctor said I was a chubby chap
And then the nurse she took me on her lap;
Oh she beat me all over, I remember,
And after powder-puffin’ me, you see,
She put me in the cradle near the window,
In The Little Shirt My Mother Made For Me.

And at the school they said that I must go,
I never liked my teacher you must know,
And when I played the truant, Oh’s  too dear’
The teacher said’  “Now Bradley, you come here.”
With a big stick she beat around upon me;
There’s no mistake about my pedigree;
I had the map of Scotland printed on me,
Neath The Little Shirt My Mother Made For Me.

The first day I wore my knickerbocks,
I felt so funny after wearin’ frocks;
I looked a little picture, they did say,
But when they let me out to run and play –
Oh, I didn’t like the pants that I was wearin’
And in the street I took ’em off, you see;
I started walkin’ home so bold and darin’
In The Little Shirt My Mother Made For Me.

Last year when I was on my holidays
Upon the briny ocean I did gaze:
The waters looked so fine I thought I’d go
To have a swim, but, in a minute, oh –
All the girls upon the beach at me were starin’
And some were takin’ pictures, I could see.
It was very good  for me that I was wearin’
The Little Shirt My Mother Made For Me.