> Eliza Carthy > Songs > Good Morning, Mr Walker

Good Morning, Mr Walker

[ Roud - ; Slinger Francisco]

Slinger Francisco, also known as The Mighty Sparrow, wrote and recorded Good Morning, Mr Walker in 1968.

Joseph Spence sang it in 1972 as the title track of his album Good Morning Mr Walker; and Niles Hokkanen sang it in 1994 on the Hokey Pokey charity CD Out on the Rolling Sea: A tribute to the music of Joseph Spence & the Pinder Family.

Eliza Carthy and The Kings of Calicutt (Andi Wells, Barnaby Stradling, Saul Rose and Maclaine Colston) sang Good Morning, Mr Walker in 1997 on their eponymous album Eliza Carthy and The Kings of Calicutt. They also perform this song in Ken Russell’s film In Search of the English Folk Song. Their album’s notes commented:

From the album Mighty Sparrow, Kings of Carnival. Joseph Spence’s version is excellent, too.

Lyrics

Eliza Carthy and The Kings of Calicutt sing Good Morning, Mr Walker

She’s ugly, yes, but wearing that expensive dress.
The people say she’s ugly but her father’s full of money.
Oh, Lord, Mama, why, why?

Chorus (repeated after each verse):
Good morning Mr Walker
I’ve come to see your daughter,
Oh Mr Walker
I’ve come to see your daughter.
Sweet Rosemary, she promised she would marry me
And now I’m tired of waiting,
I’ve come to fix the wedding.

I fixed the wedding day. I don’t care what nobody say.
Every time I take a good look at her face, I see a bankbook.
Oh, Lord, Mama, why, why?

All I know’s I don’t intend to let her go,
For if she was a beauty, someone like me couldn’t get she.
Oh, Lord, Mama, why, why?

Apart from that, they say how she’s so big and fat.
When she dresses, they tantalise. She saying monkey wearing a mini.
Oh, Lord, Mama, why, why?