> Folk Music > Songs > Wheel the Perambulator
Wheel the Perambulator / Wheel Your Perambulator
[ Roud 1496 ; Mudcat 84918 ; trad.]
Percy Webb sang Wheel Your P’rambulators at The King’s Head, Upper St. Islington in 1968. This recording was included in 1974 on the Topic anthology Flash Company. Mike Yates noted:
Ask an elderly singer for an ‘old’ song and chances are that he will oblige with something akin to Wheel Your P’rambulator. The Victorian and Edwardian music halls produced songs like this by the hundreds, sung by popular and accomplished performers such as Gus Elen, Dan Leno and Marie Lloyd. Not folksongs of course, but often good songs, nevertheless.
Another recording of Percy Webb singing Wheel the P’rambulator on 1 April 1970 was included in 2010 on the Musical Traditions anthology of traditional performers at London’s King’s Head Folk Club. Rod Stradling noted:
From Roud’s 8 instances, this obviously music hall song would appear to be peculiar to Suffolk, one of many which seem to be unique to the area. The late Al Sealey told me of an informally organised ‘pub circuit’ of music hall gigs which used to operate in East Anglia right up to the early 1930s, where second-string semi-pro performers would put on shows of their own songs together with the popular hits of the day. This might help to explain the huge number of good, though not widely known, music hall type songs still to be found in the area.
Walter Pardon also sang this song (MTCD305-6). His tune and words are noticeably different from Percy’s, though they are clearly both versions of the same song. It was also in the repertoire of Bill Smith of Shropshire (MTCD351), and his words are even more different.
Given all the above information—how on earth does Sheila Stewart, nclude it in her book Queen Amang the Heather (2006) p.61?
Bob Davenport sang Wheel the Perambulator in 1973 on his Trailer album with The Rakes, Pal of My Cradle Days.
Walter Pardon of Knapton, Norfolk sang a one-verse fragment of Wheel Your P’rambulator to Minke Yates on 4 Jumy 1980. It was included in 2000 on his Musical Traditions anthology Put a Bit of Powder on It, Father. Rod Stradling and Mike Yates noted:
We don’t know if Wheel Your P’rambulator is the same song as The Perambulator Parade that Mark Sheridan recorded in November 1912 on Jumbo 958. Sheridan was best known for his song I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside.
Percy Webb of Tunstall, Suffolk, sang (on the Topic LP Flash Company, 12TS243) the only other example of P’rambulator found in Roud of this music hall song—ne of many which seem to be unique to East Anglia. The late Al Sealey told me of an informally organised ‘pub circuit’ of music hall gigs which used to operate in East Anglia right up to the early 1930s, where second-string semi-pro performers would put on shows of their own songs together with the popular hits of the day. This might help to explain the huge number of good, though not widely known, music hall type songs still to be found in the area.
Walter’s tune and words are noticeably different from Percy’s, though they are clearly both versions of the same song.
Bill Smith sang Wheel the P’rambulator, John in a January 1982 recording on his 2011 Musical Traditions anthology A Country Life. Rod Stradling noted:
There seem to be numerous instances of this song in the oral tradition: all have Bill’s chorus (verse 1), and almost all include the verse:
Last night I took the baby out, took it in the pram,
I turned the blooming thing upside down, I don’t know where I am.
I cracked the baby’s head and took a little bit off its nose
And now I daren’t go home again for fear of my life of Rose.
or: … for fear of my life I’ll lose.… but none of the other verses seem to have anything whatever to do with the chorus!
Original writer unknown. Bill sings a chorus and one verse, that verse is quite different from others we have found, many of which adopt an unacceptably misogynistic humour, which Bill wouldn’t have liked.
A song made ‘famous’ by Percy Webb in East Suffolk and elsewhere, and found on Topic’s 1968 Flash Company, LP (12TS243). Rather surprisingly, Sheila Stewart knew a verse of it, but the only available CD recording is a fragment from Walter Pardon (MTCD305-6).
Bram Taylor sang Wheel the Perambulator John in 1986 on his Fellside album Dreams and Songs to Sing. He noted:
Songs like this are not folk songs as such but come from the Victorian Music Halls. Folk song collectors found them firmly established in the repertoires of traditional singers—and why not! The ‘folk’ have always had a good ear for a good singable song.
Alvar Smith sang Wheel Your Perambulator, John at Sheffield’s New Musical Traditions Club on 9 November 2025. This concert’s recording was released in May 2026 on his Veteran album of traditional singing from the Blaxhall Ship, A Sailor and His True Love. The album’s booklet noted:
This song bears all the hall marks of a music hall song from the mid to late 19th century, however, its origins are difficult to confirm. John Baxter has found dozens of reports in late 19th century newspapers giving the names of amateurs who sang a song called Wheel the Perambulator, John. The earliest was in February 1884 at the weekly entertainment organised by the Wigan Total Abstinence Society. The performance of the song, by Mr T Unsworth, was “evidently much appreciated”. There don’t appear to be any reports before 1884 so it’s likely the song was first sung in approximately 1883. One thing we can be sure of is its popularity with traditional performers across England, and particularly in Suffolk. The humour in the final verse is in bad taste by the standards of today.
Lyrics
Percy Webb sings Wheel the P’rambulator
Chorus:
Now wheel the p’rambulator, John,
be careful how you go;
Don’t get riled, mind the child,
wheel it nice and slow.
When you turn the corner, John,
or when you cross the road,
You cock your front wheels up a bit
or over goes your load.
Last time I took the baby out
I took it in the pram,
I turned the blooming thing upside down
I don’t know where I am;
I cracked the baby’s head
and I took a bit off his nose,
And now I daren’t go home again
forfraid of my life I’ll rue (lose?)
Now if you have the toothache
and suffering with pain,
Never go to the dentist
for that’s a silly game.
Just fill your mouth with water
that’s been mixed with castor oil,
And sit upon the fire a while
until it begins to boil.
Now, if you’ve got a jawing wife
get her in a boat,
Take her out, throw her in,
see if she can float.
If she go down and up three times,
then you sit and think;
You take your oars and row away
and leave the old devil to sink.
Bob Davenport sings Wheel the Perambulator
First time I took the baby out I took it in the pram
I was going down the High Street I don’t know where I am.
I tippled the baby over, took a little bit off its nose
And now I daren’t go home to me wide for fear me life I’ll lose.
Chorus:
Wheel the perambulator, John, wheel it nice and slow,
Don’t get riled, mind the child, careful how ye go.
When ye turn the corner, John, or when ye cross the road
Cock your front wheel up a bit or over goes your load.
Now if ye’ve got the toothache, it’s giving you terrible pain,
Don’t go to the dentist, for that’s a silly game.
Save yourself some money, take a swig of castor oil,
Go and sit upon the stove until it begins to boil.
Well, if you’ve got a nagging wife, take her in a boat,
Place her gently into the sea to see if she can float.
Then you sit and watch her and then you begin to think
You take the oars, you row away, you leave the old bugger to sink.
Walter Pardon sings Wheel Your P’rambulator
Wheel your p’rambulator, Fred, wheel your p’rambulator
Just be careful how you go—wheel it a little bit straighter
That’s the way we carry on, when ever we go out
So wheel your p’rambulator, Fred, and mind what you’re about.
Bill Smith sings Wheel the P’rambulator, John
Wheel the p’rambulator John be careful how you go
Don’t get wild and mind the child and wheel it very slow
If you turn the corner John or if you cross the road
Lift the front wheels up and mind you don’t upset the load.
Me and my wife we went one day out for a country walk
She chanced to meet a soldier and with him she had a talk
Now if I should ask or grumble I should only get a clout
And told to go behind the tree and hold the baby out.
It’s look you here and look you there and look you over yonder
And there you’ll see the old goose go a beggaring after the gonder.
Me mother she brought the donkey and me sister brought the cart
Me father bought the gingerbreads which made the donkey start.