Why Can't We Have The Sea In London? 1912 Billy Williams

by James Pitt-Payne, London UK - 31Jan2025
2025

When summer comes you feel
you want to see the beautiful sea,
because the seaside makes you
happy and gay and free.
Upon the sands you're holding hands
and fancy you're in heaven,
but it's just because, you see,
you can see the sea.
You pack your boxes,
pay your fares,
and off in a train you go,
you think of the sea
you're going to see,
but what I want to know.

Why can't we have the sea in London?
Why can't we have the seaside there?
If the pier was in The Strand
you could go and hear the band,
and bathe with the girls in
Leicester Square!
Seaweed you could see in Piccadilly,
Of sand in Regent Street
we'd have our share.
In the beautiful summer time
London would be fine
if we only had the seaside there!

Why can't we have the sea in London?
Why can't we have the seaside there?
If the pier was in The Strand
you could go and hear the band,
and bathe with the girls in
Leicester Square!
Seaweed you could see in Piccadilly,
Of sand in Regent Street
we'd have our share.
In the beautiful summer time
London would be fine
if we only had the seaside there!

The girls would all have
bathing costumes on
instead of a dress,
along the Strand or Bond Street
wouldn't they look treat!
In pink and blue
and ev'ry hue
when girls came out of the tide;
the boys would all be waiting,
ready to look at their feet.
When the ladies all were bathing
on the Piccadilly shore.
You'd see more hose
and fancy clothes
than you'd see in a draper's store.

Why can't we have the sea in London?
Why can't we have the seaside there?
If the pier was in The Strand
you could go and hear the band,
and bathe with the girls in
Leicester Square!
Seaweed you could see in Piccadilly,
Of sand in Regent Street
we'd have our share.
In the beautiful summer time
London would be fine
if we only had the seaside there!

Why can't we have the sea in London?
Why can't we have the seaside there?
If the pier was in The Strand
you could go and hear the band,
and bathe with the girls in
Leicester Square!
Seaweed you could see in Piccadilly,
Of sand in Regent Street
we'd have our share.
In the beautiful summer time
London would be fine
if we only had the seaside there!

When Farmer Brown came up to town
to see the wonderful nights
he wouldn't go to see
the ballets in Leicester Square,
some shapely kind of girls
he'd find there bathing in Regent Street
in "Maudie Allan's" costume
having a good time there!
The parks would all be empty,
and you'd see the pretty dears,
all playing at "hide and seek"
and things there underneath the pier.

Why can't we have the sea in London?
Why can't we have the seaside there?
If the pier was in The Strand
you could go and hear the band,
and bathe with the girls in
Leicester Square!
Seaweed you could see in Piccadilly,
Of sand in Regent Street
we'd have our share.
In the beautiful summer time
London would be fine
if we only had the seaside there!

Why can't we have the sea in London?
Why can't we have the seaside there?
If the pier was in The Strand
you could go and hear the band,
and bathe with the girls in
Leicester Square!
Seaweed you could see in Piccadilly,
Of sand in Regent Street
we'd have our share.
In the beautiful summer time
London would be fine
if we only had the seaside there!

Soft karaoke
Words
piano 1
piano 2
piano 3
piano 4
lyric
pizz str bass
*
Why Can't We Have The Sea In London? 1912 Billy Williams
by Fred Godfrey & Billy Williams
© MCMXII by Francis, Day & Hunter
*
sequence & karaoke by James Pitt-Payne, London UK
on Friday 31 January 2025 at 14.24
in association with Torquil Syme
*
James Pitt-Payne