Burlington Bertie
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"Burlington Bertie" was a music hall song composed by Harry B. Norris in 1900 and sung by Vesta Tilley. It concerned an aristocratic young idler who pursues a life of leisure in the West End of London.
This song was parodied in the now much better known "Burlington Bertie from Bow" (1915) credited to William Hargreaves and sung by his wife, Ella Shields, who performed the song whilst dressed in male attire. Julie Andrews, also dressed in male attire, gave another rendition of the song in the film Star! (1968). Unlike the original song, Bertie's pretensions to gentility are belied by his residence in Bow, in the poverty stricken East End of London, though his status as an idler ironically links him the aristocratic leisure class, who reside in the West End.
The two songs about Burlington Bertie are both predecessors of Irving Berlin's song "A Couple of Swells". In all three songs, a woman dressed in a ragged form of male finery brags about how well-connected in society "he" is, while clearly demonstrating an actual state of poverty.
[edit] The lyrics of Burlington Bertie from Bow
- I'm Bert
- P'raps you've heard of me
- Bert
- You've had word of me,
- Plodding along
- Happy and strong
- Living on plates of fresh air
- I dress up in fashion
- And when I am feeling depressed
- I shave from my cuff all the whiskers and fluff
- Stick my hat on and toddle up West
- I'm Burlington Bertie I rise at ten thirty
- Then saunter along like a toff
- I walk down the Strand with my gloves on my hand
- Then I walk down again with them off
- I'm all airs and graces, correct easy paces
- So long without food, I've forgot where my face is
- I'm Bert, Bert, I haven't a shirt
- But my people are well off you know.
- Nearly everyone knows me from Smith to Lord Rosebr'y,
- I'm Burlington Bertie from Bow.
- I stroll
- With Lord Hurlington,
- Roll
- In The Burlington
- Call for Champagne
- Walk out again
- Come back and borrow the ink
- I live most expensive
- Like Tom Lipton I'm in the swim
- He's got so much 'oof' he sleeps on the roof
- And I live in the room over him.
- I'm Burlington Bertie I rise at ten thirty
- And saunter along Temple Bar
- As round there I skip
- I keep shouting 'Pip Pip!'
- And the darn'd fools think I'm in my car
- At Rothchilds I swank it
- My body I plank it
- On his front door step with 'The Mail' for a blanket
- I'm Bert, Bert, and Rothchild was hurt
- He said ' You can't sleep there' I said 'Oh'
- He said 'I'm Rothchild sonny!' I said 'That's damn'd funny
- I'm Burlington Bertie from Bow'
- I smile
- Condescendingly
- While they're extending me
- Cheer upon cheer
- When I appear
- Captain with my polo team
- So strict are my people
- They're William the Conqueror's strain
- If they ever knew I'd been talking to you
- Why they'd never look at me again
- I'm Burlington Bertie I rise at ten thirty
- And reach Kempton park around three
- I stand by the rail, when a horse is for sale
- And you ought to see Wooton watch me
- I lean on some awning while Lord Derby's yawning
- Then he bids two thousand and I bid Good Morning
- I'm Bert, Bert, I'd buy one, a Cert
- But where would I keep it you know
- I can't let my man see me in bed with a gee-gee
- I'm Burlington Bertie from Bow!
- My pose,
- Tho' ironical
- Shows
- That my monocle
- Holds up my face, keeps it in place,
- Stops it from slipping away.
- Cigars, cigars,
- I smoke thousands,
- I usually deal in The Strand
- But you've got to take care when you're getting them there
- Or some idiot might step on your hand.
- I'm Burlington Bertie I rise at ten thirty
- And Buckingham Palace I view.
- I stand in the yard while they're changing the guard
- And the queen shouts across "Toodle oo"!
- The Prince of Wales' brother along with some other
- Slaps me on the back and says "Come and see Mother"
- But I'm Bert, Bert, and royalty's hurt,
- When they ask me to dine I say no.
- I've just had a banana with Lady Diana
- I'm Burlington Bertie from Bow.
[edit] Gambling terminology
'Burlington bertie' is rhyming slang for the fractional odds of 10/3, which is normally referred to as "one hundred to thirty".
