MAX BYGRAVES - 'Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be' - 45rpm 1960

"Oi...do me a favour!".
Contemporary Cockney social consiousness from Mr B

Singalonga Max:-
They changed our local Palais into a bowling alley
and fings ain't what they used t' be.
There's Teds wiv drainpipe trousers
and Debs in coffee houses
and fings ain't what they used t' be.
There used to be trams, not very quick
Gotcha from place to place
But now there's just jams 'alf a mile fick
Stay in the human race... I'm walking.
They stuck parking meters outside our doors to greet us
Now Fings ain't what they used t' be.
Cor! monkeys... flying round the moon
We'll be up there with 'em soon
Fings ain't what they used t' be.
Once our beer was frothy
but now its frothy coffee... well
Fings ain't what they used t'be.
It used to be fun Dad an' old Mum
paddling down Southend,
But now it ain't done, never mind chum
Paris is where we spend our outin's.
Grandma tries to shock us all
Doing knees up rock 'n' roll
Fings ain't wot they used t' be.
We used to have stars
Singers who sung a Dixie melody
They're buying guitars... plinkerty plonk
Backing their selves wiv three chords only.
Once we'd dance from 12 to 3,
I've got news for Elvis P
Fings ain't what they used taaa
There's a lot we used taaa
Fings ain't what they used taa beeeee

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Fings
• Ain't
• Wot
• They
• Used
• T'Be
• To
• Be
• Max
• Bygraves
• Lionel
• Bart
• 1960
• 45rpm

[prehistory42]

Takes me back to my youth. What clever lyrics from Lionel Bart.

[slickmicky54]

The title says it all. Bring back the good old days.

[diamond638]

I mean I wish I was what I what I used to be !!!!

[diamond638]

I wish I was I used to be !!!!!

[zionravescene]

Sausage Sandwich Game, anyone?

[123thepurplestar]

Thumbs up if Jacqueline Wilson's ''The Secret Diary'' brought u here! That's how i first heard of this song. : D

[1mcbieber]

Its amazing how you English slag of your own entertainers just because they did'nt make it in America as if thats the be all and everything. Is Cliff Richard,,Bruce Forsyth . Take That and Max Bygraves to blame for what the yanks are too thick to get. I predict that one day there will be a musical in the West end about Max Bygraves, It will be a big hit but not on Broadway They dont know what an knees up is

John McCormick

[JanboJay]

@TheDiddlysquat I loved Max Bygraves but don't doubt he suffered from a very common condition politely called " Up his own @rse syndrome ", most people actually forget where they come from and that they are not actually ANY better than anyone else just luckier cos they got the break !

[GOONERCHRIS53]

@Isleofskye Standards need to be kept no matter where we live; yes I am a Londoner who left the sinking ship, that doesn't make my comment any less valid does it? I left in 1974 a couple of years after Idi Amin chucked a load of Indians out of Uganda and most of them ended up in London - does that give you the reason you are looking for?

[Lowdenjim]

Understandable - we had a number of performers who copied US stars; Cliff Richard, for example, could never understand why he couldn't make any impression on US folks - he certainly never left one on me!

I'm surprised though that Max Bygraves may have been on their wavelength! 

[crowamonghens]

@Lowdenjim i see. have heard of adam faith, but he was never known here in the states. go figure.