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From: Martin Dix
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: Daisy Daisy - complete and unexpurgated
The magazine "Australian Cyclist" has a column with articles from
"The Australian Cyclist" of 100 years ago. Last month's was about
Daisy.
Daisy Bell
There is a flower within my heart,
Daisy Daisy!
Planted one day by a glancing dart,
Planted by Daisy Bell!
Whether she loves me or loves me not,
Sometimes it's hard to tell;
Yet I am longing to share the lot
of beautiful Daisy Bell!
(Refrain)
Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do!
I'm half crazy all for the love of you!
It won't be a stylish marriage,
I can't afford a carriage.
But you'll look sweet upoon the seat
of a bicycle built for two!
We will go tandem as man and wife,
Daisy Daisy!
Ped'ling a-way down the road of life,
Me and my Daisy Bell!
When the road's dark we can both despise
Policeman and lamps as well;
There are bright lights in the dazzling eyes
Of beautiful Daisy Bell!
I will stand by you in "wheel" or woe,
Daisy Daisy!
You'll be the belle which I'll ring, you know!
Sweet little Daisy Bell!
You'll take the lead in each trip we take,
Then if I don't do well,
I will permit you to use the brake,
My beautiful Daisy Bell.
More trivia (as if this wasn't trivial enough already).
This was written by Harry Dacre in London in 1892 and was very popular
in Australia in 1894. Mr Dacre seems to have been very fond of bad
puns and exclamation marks.
The bicycle was a "lady front" tandem. I remember reading somewhere that
it was thought improper for a lady to be staring at a man's backside. The
magazine reproduces an advertisement for one made by Humber. It's billed
as "For lady and gentleman or two gentleman" and "Double or single
steering at pleasure". The one pictured has the front wheel steered by
both sets of handlebars (makes the "would you trust your stoker with a
brake" argument seem pretty minor). The picture doesn't show any brakes
so I don't whether the lady was entrusted with one (though the song
seems to imply that she was).
There is also a photo of a large mug with a picture of a tandem
couple embossed on it. The lady (front) appears to be wearing
bloomers, gloves to the elbow and a flat straw hat. The gentleman is
wearing a dark suit with bowler hat and bow tie. The mug has the words
to the song around the bottom and contains a music box that played the
tune.
The song was so popular that a parody appeared in "The Australian
Cyclist"
"Written after an hour of vain endevour to work in close range of
half-a-dozen ambitious young things who try to sing Daisy Bell,
because it's popular and not because they can sing a note of it
correctly."
Daisy Daisy
For Heaven's sake drop dead, do.
I've gone crazy
Listening to songs of you.
If you'll only skip the marriage
I'll furnish a handsome carriage
For you and your beau
Laid two in a row,
A coffin that's built for two.
Martin Dix
mrd@dar.csiro.au
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