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The Rigs of London Town / Up to the Rigs

[ Roud 868 / Song Subject MAS982 ; Master title: The Rigs of London Town ; G/D 2:299 ; Ballad Index K192 ; Bodleian Roud 868 ; GlosTrad Roud 868 ; Wiltshire 698 ; DT UPTORIGS ; Mudcat 63568 ; trad.]

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This broadside song is a song from the repertoire of Harry Cox. E.J. Moeran collected it from him in 1924, and Peter Kennedy recorded him singing Up to the Rigs of London Town in his home in Catfield in October 1953. This recording was released in 1964 on Cox’s Folk-Legacy album Traditional English Love Songs and in 2000 on his CD What Will Become of England?. The 1964 album’s booklet noted:

Another song which is typical of Southern English bawdy verse is this one in which the rakes get the better of the London whores. There is double meaning in Harry Cox’s ending remark, “That’s ‘London Town’!”

Jim Wilson sang Rigs of London Town on 18 May 1960 at The Cherry Tree, Copthorne, Sussex. This recording made by Brian Matthews was included in 2001 on the Musical Traditions anthology of songs from Sussex country pubs, Just Another Saturday Night and was printed in 1970 in Ken Stubbs’ book of English folk songs from the Home Counties, The Life of a Man. Rod Stradling noted in the MT album’s booklet:

In contrast to the previous song, [The Wind Across the Wild Moor] this one has always seemed to be well-known, yet there are only 33 entries in Roud. Almost all are from southern England, with only two from Ireland and six from Scotland in the total. Peter Gander and Bill Hawks sang it to Mervyn Plunkett in Cuckfield, Sussex, at around this period—the only other entry for the southeast corner of the country at all.

It’s also a relief to find that the extremely unpleasant line in the last verse, “If you meet with a girl, you use her free”, is not present in Jim’s version.

Peter Bellamy sang The Rigs of London Town in 1969 on his Topic LP, The Fox Jumps Over the Parson’s Gate. A.L. Lloyd noted:

Country singers have special relish for that large family of songs concerning the seemingly simple fellow—usually a sailor—who turns the tables on the tricksters of the big city. This nineteenth century broadside song has been more favoured by singers than collectors, for it has been often heard but seldom printed. It was one of the masterpieces of the late Charlie Wills of Bridport, and his version [recorded ca. 1952] may be heard on Songs of Seduction (The Folk Songs of Britain Vol. 2, Caedmon 1961, Topic 1968).

E.J. Moeran noted the version from Harry Cox in 1924.

Charlie Wills also sang Up to the Rigs of London Town, in The Sun, Powerstock, Dorset, in August 1956. This recording by Mervyn Plunkett was included in 1998 on the Topic anthology First I’m Going to Sing You a Ditty (The Voice of the People Series Volume 7). Another version, recorded by Bill Leader, was published in 1972 on the singer’s eponymous Leader album, Charlie Wills.

Tony Rose recorded this song with the title Up to the Rigs in 1970 on his first album Young Hunting. A live recording from the Cheltenham Folk Club in 1969 was included in 2008 on his posthumous CD Exe. Tony Rose noted on the original album:

Up to the Rigs is taken from the singing of Charlie Wills from Dorset. The familiar story does not differ substantially from the many other versions of the song, but one feature in Charlie’s song which has always amused me is the failure of the last verse to rhyme. Rather than ‘correct’ this, I prefer to sing the text as I first heard it—that way it has a special humour of its own.

The Ian Campbell Folk Group sang Rigs of London Town on their 1972 album Something to Sing About. Ian Campbell noted:

In the Victorian age with its astounding hypocrisy popular art was presenting a picture of the ideal woman as a delicate creature who blushed at a man’s smile and trembled at his frown, and got the vapours at the sight of a naked-table leg. The legal possession of her husband, her only interest was his domestic comfort and the bearing and rearing of his children. Meanwhile for the majority of working-class women life was an unending drudgery from childhood to premature old age, stunted or even deformed by the conditions of life and work in the mines and mills of the industrial towns, marriage brining merely the brief interruptions of frequent child-birth and the occasional surviving child to share the degradation. The only alternative open to a poor woman was prostitution, and surprisingly few took advantage of it. The common attitude to tarts expressed in this song may explain why.

Bernard Wrigley sang The Rigs of London Town in 1974 on his Topic album Rough & Wrigley. He noted:

I got this tune via Stuart Lawrence of Dalton-in-Furness, when I was one half of Dave & Bernard in the late 60s. I suppose I took to it because the lad from the North wins the day, a sort of Maggie May in reverse. Harry Cox and Charlie Wills, good old singers, had their versions of it. The guitar playing reminds me of when I gave James Taylor some lessons…

Walter Pardon sang Up to the Rigs at home in his cottage in Knapton, Norfolk, on 12 February 1977. This recording made by Bill Leader was released in the same year on Pardon’s Leader album Our Side of the Baulk.

Phil Beer sang Up to the Rigs in 1979 on his Greenwich Village album Mandoline.

Bellowhead recorded London Town in 2006 for their CD Burlesque. Thsi track was also included on the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2007 compilation and in 2015 on their anthology Pandemonium. The original CD’s liner notes commented:

Sung by Charlie Wills and chorus in The Sun, Powerstock, Dorset, in August 1956, this was recorded by Mervyn Plunkett and features on First I’m Going to Sing You a Ditty in the Voice of the People collection of source and field recordings. Wills was born in West Chinnock, Somerset, in 1877, and had a wide variety of agricultural and horticultural jobs throughout his life whilst staying in the Somerset and Dorset areas. He seems to have learnt some of his songs from his mother, and as a child would entertain the workmen in the pub, a location which continued to prove congenial to him for the rest of his life.

The song is on broadsides held at Cambridge and Oxford, the latter printed by C. Cronshaw of Coppergate, York, between 1814 and 1850. It was sung in various southern of English countries, as well as in East Anglia, Scotland and Ireland. Wills was also recorded by Peter Kennedy, who published the transcript in Folksongs of Britain and Ireland (London: Cassell, 1975), p.423.

Bellowhead performed Up to the Rigs live on 26 September 2007 at Shepherds Bush Empire, London; the recording of this concert was issued as the DVD Live at Shepherds Bush Empire. This video is from the Royal Albert Hall Folk Proms 2008:

Another Bellowhead concert at the O2 Academy, Bournemouth on 2 May 2011 was released on the DVD Hedonism Live. A recording from their November 2015 tour was released in 2015 on their CD and DVD The Farewell Tour. Another recording from a one-off broadcast performance during the Corona pandemic on 5 December 2020 was released in 2021 on their album Reassembled.

Jon Boden also sang London Town with a slightly different melody to the one Peter Bellamy uses as the 3 November 2010 entry of his project A Folk Song a Day.

Pete Morton sang Slave to the Game in 2015 on his Fellside album The Land of Time.

Cooper and Toller sang Rigs of London on their 2023 album A Number of Work. They noted:

Roud 868. ‘Rigs’ are tricks or morally dubious activities. Our version of the Rigs of London comes from Romany singer Betsy Holland. In August 1907 Cecil Sharp (again) met the 27-year old Mrs Holland at a Gypsy camp near Simonsbath on Exmoor in Devon. Sharp described her as “One of the finest folk-singers I have ever come across”. There’s also an excellent version, to a different tune, by Dorset singer Charlie Wills recorded by Bill Leader in 1972. You can go to the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library in London and listen to the recording on the LP Charlie Wills.

The story, popular in English folk song, is of a country lad who travels to the city but doesn’t let himself get taken advantage of by the streetwise city folk; in fact, quite the opposite. We’ve made some adjustments for inflation towards the end of the song.

The Salts sang London Town on their 2013 CD She Rises. A live recording from Wilton’s Music Hall, London, on 13 April 2023, was included in the following year on their album Live in London Town.

Lyrics

Harry Cox sings Up to the Rigs of London Town

As I walked London streets so gay,
In Cheapside I lost my way,
And a fair young maid I chanced to meet;
With kisses, oh, she did me treat.

Chorus (repeated after each verse):
I was up to the Rigs, down to the Jigs,
Up to the Rigs of London town.

She took me to a house of fame;
She asked me there what was my name,
And aloud for supper she did call.
She said, “Old man, you will pay for all.”

Now, supper being over, the table cleared,
She called me her jewel, then her dear.
The chambermaids prepared for bed;
The waiters brought in white and red.

Now, it was the hour ’twixt one and two,
She asked me if to bed I’d go.
And so, very soon I gave consent
And straightway to my bed I went.

Now, she thought by me she’d work her will;
Times she frisk-ed, I laid still
And, as soon as she had got to sleep,
Out of bed I gently creep.

I searched her pockets and there I found
A silver ring and five hundred pounds.
I thought the gold looked very nice;
Said I to myself, “This’ll buy a brush.”

Now, you sharks and flats, wheresoever you be,
Mind you take advice by me,
And treat them well, whate’er betide,
But look out and keep well in Cheapside.

Jim Wilson sings Rigs of London Town

In London Town I chanced to stray
In Cheap Street I lost my way
Yes in London Town I chanced to stray
In Cheap Street I lost my way
I met with a pretty girl, kind and free
In kisses she saluted me.

Chorus (repeated after each verse):
For I was up to the rigs, down to the rigs
Up to the rigs of London Town.

Now she ask’d me to some house of fame
Sign of the Ship in the Watery Lane
For a herring supper she did call
Thinking that I should pay for all.

Now ’twixt the hour of one and two
She ask’d me if to bed I’d go
I said yes, with a free consent
And to the chamber’s door I went.

Now when my truelove was fast asleep
Out of the bed so soft I crept
I stole her watch, her silken gown
Her silver snuff-box and five pound.

Now all young men, a warning take with me
If you meet with a girl that’s kind and free
For her’ll do a wriggle and you’ll do the same
And you’re up to the rigs of Watery Lane.

Peter Bellamy sings The Rigs of London Town

As I walked London’s streets so gay
In Cheapside I lost my way.
And a fair young maid I chanced to meet
With kisses all she did me treat.

Chorus (repeated after each verse):
I was up to the rigs, down to the jigs,
(I was) up to the rigs of London Town.

She took me to a house of fame,
And there she asked me what was my name.
Then loud for supper she did call,
Says she, “Old man, you will pay for it all.”

Now, supper being over and the table cleared,
She called me her jewel and then her dear.
The chambermaids prepared our bed
And the waiters brought white wine and red.

Now it was the hour twixt one and two
When she asked me if up to bed I would go.
And pretty soon I gave consent
And straightaway to bed we went.

Now she thought by me she would have her will
But while she frisk-ed, I lay still,
And as soon as she had gone to sleep
It’s out of bed I did gently creep.

I searched her pockets and there I found
A silver ring and five hundred pound,
I thought the gold looked very nice,
Says I to myself, “This will buy a nice brush.”

Now you sharks and flats wheresoever you may be,
Mind you, take this advice by me:
And treat them well what e’er betide
But look out and keep well in Cheapside.

Tony Rose sings Up to the Rigs

Up for London City on one fine day
It was up Cheapside I made my way.
A fair pretty maid I chanced for to meet
And with kisses her I there did greet.

Chorus (repeated after each verse):
I was up to the rigs, down to the jigs,
Up to the rigs of London Town.
Up to the rigs, down to the jigs,
Up to the rigs of London Town.

She took me to some house of fame
And so boldly then did enter in.
Loudly for supper she did call,
A-thinking I was going to pay for it all.

The supper being over and the table cleared,
The waiters brought white wine and beer.
The waiters brought white wine and red
And the chambermaid prepared the bed.

Between the hours of one and two
She asked me if to bed I’d go.
Immediately I did consent
And along with this pretty maid I went.

Her cheeks were white and her lips were red
And I kissed her as she lay in bed;
But as soon as she fell fast asleep
Then it’s out of her bed then I did creep.

I searched her pockets and there I found
A silver snuffbox and ten pound,
A golden watch and a diamond ring,
So I took the lot and locked the lady in.

So come all young men wherever you may be:
If you meet a pretty girl you use her free.
You use her free but don’t get drunk;
Just remember me when I was up Cheapside.

Walter Pardon sings Up to the Rigs

In London city I made my way
Along Cheapside I chanced to stray
A lady fair I then did meet
I greeted her with kisses sweet

Chorus (repeated after each verse):
I was up to the rigs down to the jigs
Up to the rigs of London town

She took me to some house of fame
Boldly there she did step in
Loudly for supper she did call
She said to me you’ll pay for all

The supper over the table clear
She called me a jewel and a dear
She called for wine both white and red
The chambermaid prepared the bed

Between the hours of one and two
She asked me if to bed I’d go
Immediately I gave consent
Up to the bedroom we both went

Her lips they were so sweet and red
I cuddled and kissed her there in bed
And while she lay there fast asleep
Out of the bed I then did creep

I stole her watch her silken gown
Her silver snuffbox and five pound
Away I crept into the night
Taking the lot for my delight

Now all young men just list to me
With pretty girls you may make free
In case misfortune should betide
Keep right away from old Cheapside

Bellowhead sing London Town

Up London city I made my way,
Up Cheapside I chanced to stray
Where a fair, pretty maid I there did meet
And I greeted her with kisses sweet.

Chorus (repeated after each verse):
I was up to the rigs, down to the jigs,
Up to the rigs of London town.

She took me to some house of sin
And boldly then she entered in;
Loudly for supper she did call,
Thinking that I would pay for it all.

The supper over, the table cleared,
The waiter brought white wine and red.
The waiter brought white wine and red
And the chambermaid prepared a bed.

Between the hours of one and two
She asked me if to bed I’d go.
Immediately I did consent
And along with this pretty maid then I went.

Her cheeks were white, her lips were red,
I kissed her as she lay in bed.
As soon as she was fast asleep
Out of the bed I did creep.

I searched her pockets and there I found
A silver snuff-box and ten pound,
A golden watch and a diamond ring,
So I took the lot and I locked her in.

Come all young men and listen to me
If you meet a pretty girl then use her free.
Use her free but don’t get pied,
Remember me when I was up Cheapside.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Garry Gillard for transcribing Peter Bellamy’s and Tony Rose’s singing.