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Enoch Brown

[ Roud 10724 ; Charles Brighton (1867-96)]

When Enoch He Knocked, She Knocked Enoch is a music hall song written and performed by Charles Brighton and first published in 1894.

Fred Whiting of Kenton, Suffolk, sang Enoch Brown in 1985 to John Howson. This track was first released on the Veteran Tapes collection of comic songs, Songs Sung in Suffolk 1, and was included in 1993 on the Veteran anthology CD of traditional folk music, songs and dances from England, Stepping It Out!. John Howson noted in his book Songs Sung in Suffolk:

Fred told me of this song: “Now take Enoch Brown, I’ve never seen that in a song book. Now Sam Gyford’s Uncle Walter used to sing that. It was his pet song, you might almost say he held the copyright. He’s the only fellow I ever heard sing that, except Harkie Nesling. I first heard Walter sing it when I was 14 or 15 at a social evening at Monk Soham school.” It was actually written and performed by Charles Brighton and was published in 1894 by Charles Sheard & Co Ltd., under the title of When Enoch, He Knocked, She Knocked Enoch.

MichaelAnnJillo sang Enoch Brown in a probably 1990s home recording in Mike and Ann Waterson’s kitchen. It was included in 2023 on their CD I’ll Give You One More As You Go.

Lyrics

Fred Whiting sings Enoch Brown

I was strolling round the town with Enoch Brown,
With a lady by my side.
Just a little late at night and a little over-tight:
“I’ll go home now,” Enoch cried.
“Will you come with me and safely see
Me right home to my door?”
“If you’d be so kind and the lady doesn’t mind,
I’d be grateful to be sure.”
“‘But your wife,” she cried, “might be inside.”
“We’ll let her do her worst.”
“‘Will you knock?” said she, when she turned to me,
But I said, “Ladies first.”

Chorus (after each verse):
So she knocked, I knocked, Enoch he knocked,
Knocked with a rap, tap, tap,
And upon my life, old Enoch’s wife
Was a-waiting on the mat.
She came to the door with a chopper and a saw,
Gave Enoch such a clout.
That she knocked Enoch, when I knocked for Enoch,
And knocked poor Enoch out.

He gave a horrid yell and down he fell
And he shouted out, “I’m dead!”
With his dislocated jaw he lay upon the floor
And a big hole in his head.
He couldn’t get inside, no matter how he tried,
For his wife had barred the door.
“Let me in,” said he. “No fear,” said she,
“You can sleep outside I’m sure.”
No more for me, whereever it be,
When home is out of sight,
Let a pal go staggering by when he’s feeling high,
But I shan’t forget that night.

MichaelAnnJillo sing Enoch Brown

I was strolling ’round the town with Enoch Brown
And a lady by my side.
Just a little late at night, and a little over-tight,
“I’ll go home now,” Enoch cried,
“Will you come with me and safely see
Me right home to my door?”
“If you’d be so kind and the lady doesn’t mind
I’d be grateful to be sure.”
“But your wife,” she cried, “might be inside.”
“Well let her do her worst!”
“Will you knock?” Said she, when she turned to me,
But I said, “Ladies first”, so

Chorus (after each verse):
She knocked, I knocked, Enoch he knocked,
He knocked with a rat-tat-tat
And upon my life, old Enoch’s wife
Was a-waiting on the mat.
She came to the door with a chopper and a saw,
Gave Enoch such a clout
That she knocked Enoch, when I knocked for Enoch,
And knocked poor Enoch out.

He’d give a horrid yell and down he fell;
And he shouted out, “I’m dead!”
With a dislocated jaw he lay upon the floor,
With a big hole in his head.
He couldn’t get inside, no matter how he tried
For his wife had barred the door.
“Let me in,” said he, “No fear,” said she,
“You can sleep outside I’m sure.”
No more for me wherever I’ll be
When home is out of sight.
Let a pal go staggerin by when he’s feeling high
That I shan’t forget that night when

Chorus