How Does A Fresh Fish Wish? 1933 'Britannia or Billingsgate'

Dr. Pitt-Payne in London UK - 07 Oct 2002

Ebenezer Brown up in Camden Town,
keeps a little fish shop of renown,
Ebenezer Brown, always wears a frown,
looks as tho' the world were falling down.
"What's the matter now?"
his next door neighbours cry,
"There's one thing that puzzles me,"
they hear him sigh. Oh!

How does a fresh fish wish,
if a fish hasn't got a wishbone?
When he's lying there in the dish,
he wants to wish, what a possish.
What does a fresh fish do
when he's filled with a big ambish?
Cod and Hake must lie and ache
with unfulfilled desire;
Kippers have no wishbones
and can't get what they require,
so please can you tell me this,
How on earth does a fresh fish wish?

How does a fresh fish wish,
if a fish hasn't got a wishbone?
When he's lying there in the dish,
he wants to wish, what a possish.
What does a fresh fish do
when he's filled with a big ambish?
Ev'ry crab upon his slab
is feeling most depressed,
tho' he longs to go to bed,
how can he get undressed?
so please can you tell me this,
How on earth does a fresh fish wish?

Charles Augustus Shaw,
killed his MainLaw,
she was tough he found it quite a task,
said the Judge: "It's plain,
that this man is sane,
Pris'ner have you anything to ask?"
"Yes," said Charles, "before
you don that big black cap,
would you please be kind enough
to tell a chap. Oh!

How does a fresh fish wish,
if a fish hasn't got a wishbone?
When he's lying there in the dish,
he wants to wish, what a possish.
What does a fresh fish do
when he's filled with a big ambish?
Percy Prawn gets up at dawn,
his life is full of worry,
he can never get his wish,
he'll end up in a curry,
so please can you tell me this,
How on earth does a fresh fish wish?

How does a fresh fish wish,
if a fish hasn't got a wishbone?
When he's lying there in the dish,
he wants to wish, what a possish.
What does a fresh fish do
when he's filled with a big ambish?
Lobster's wives have awful lives,
what can the poor things do?
Tho' they end up in the pink
they're mostly feeling blue,
so please can you tell me this,
How on earth does a fresh fish wish?

Soft karaoke
Words
treble clef 1
treble clef 2
lyric line
bass
pizz
*
How Does A Fresh Fish Wish? 1933
Music by George Posford
Lyrics by Holt Marvell
copyright 1933 by Keith Prowse and Co. Ltd.
for all countries
sequence and karaoke by Dr. Pitt-Payne in London UK
on Monday 07 October 2002 at 18.04
in association with Doug Grierson
*
from the Gaumont British Picture
'Britannia or Billingsgate'
*