Anne Boleyn

by R.L. Weston and Bert Lee

In the Tower of London, large as life, The ghost of Anne Boleyn walks, they declare. For Anne Boleyn was once King Henry's wife, Until he had the headsman bob her hair. Oh, yes, he did her wrong long years ago, And she comes back at night to tell him so.

Chorus: With her 'ead tucked underneath her arm, She walks the bloody Tower, With her head tucked underneath her arm, At the midnight hour.

She comes to haunt King Henry, she means giving him what-for Gadzooks, she's going to tell him off, for spilling of her gore. And just in case the headsman wants to give her encore, She has her head tucked underneath her arm.

Now sometimes gay King Henry gives a spread, For all his pals and gals, a ghastly crew, The 'eadsman carve the joint and cuts the bread, When in comes Anne Boleyn to queer the do. She holds her head up with a wild war whoop, And Henry cries, “don't drop it in the soup!”

She walks the endless corridors, for miles and miles she goes, She often catches cold, poor dear, it's drafty when it blows, And it's awfully, awfully awkward for the queen to blow her nose, With her head tucked underneath her arm.

The sentries think that it's a football that she carries in, And when they've had a few they shout, “Is Army going to win?” They think that it's Red Grange instead of poor old Anne Boleyn With her head tucked underneath her arm.

One night she caught King Henry, he was in the canteen bar, He said, “Are you Jane Seymour, Anne Boleyn, or Catherine Parr? Well, how are? With your head tucked underneath your arm?

Recorded in the early 30s by, of all people, Rudy Vallee; also (later, I think) by Stanley Holloway. RG Note: Henry VIII only beheaded two of his wives - Anne Boleyn and Kate Howard. Remember : divorced (Katherine of Aragon), beheaded(Anne B), died (Jane Seymour); divorced (Anne of Cleves), beheaded (Kate Howard), survived(Kate Parr). (SOF)

“The guards all think that it's a football that she carries in And when they've had a few, they shout “Is Arsenal going to win?” They think that it's Alec James instead of poor old Anne Boleyn etc.”

and “for how the sweet san fairy ann do I know who you are”

(a later addition) The sentries think that Anee is hauling 'round a rugby ball; When dinner's done they'll push the chairs and tables to the wall And then the'll choose up sides and kick the Queen around the hall! With 'er 'ead tucked underneath 'er arm!