I sits at the corner of Beggars
Astride of an old packing case
And the dolls at the end of the plank were dancing
As he crooned with a smile on his face.
Da Da Da come day go day
Wish in me heart it was Sunday la la la la
Drinking buttermilk all the week
But it's whisky on a Sunday
His tired old hands have a wooden beam
And the puppets they dance up and down
A far better show than you ever will see
In the fanciest theatre in town
Da Da Da come day go day
Wish in me heart it was Sunday la la la la
Drinking buttermilk all the week
But it's whisky on a Sunday
In 1902 old Seth Davey died
His song was heard no more
The three dancing dolls in the dustbin were thrown
And the plank went to mend the back door
Da Da Da come day go day
Wish in me heart it was Sunday la la la la
Drinking buttermilk all the week
But it's whisky on a Sunday
On some stormy night if you're passing that way
And the winds blowing up from the sea
You will still hear the sound of old Seth Davey
As he croons to his dancing girls three
Da Da Da come day go day
Wish in me heart it was Sunday la la la la
Drinking buttermilk all the week
But it's whisky on a Sunday
Glyn Hughes
Notes
Whisky on a Sunday, AKA Come Day, Go Day, AKA Seth Davy was written in the 1960s by Glyn Hughes. Hughes was born in Liverpool in 1932 and died there in 1972. During his brief life he had many occupations: journalist, short-story writer, bookseller’s assistant, musician in a circus, film extra, hotel liftman and song writer, to mention only a few. The song is about a well-known Jamaican street entertainer in Liverpool in the 1890s/1900s and has been recorded by among others The Dubliners, The Irish Rovers and Rolf Harris.
Gerry Jones, Liverpool singer, says:
“Seth Davy was a real person, he really existed, and he died a couple of years into the 20th century. There was a street and a pub, both called Bevington Bush just north of Liverpool City Centre, and Seth Davy did do a busking act outside.
“In his book Liverpool: Our City – Our Heritage, Freddie O’Connor tells us that in 1760, half a mile from Marybone (St Patrick’s Cross) along Bevington Bush Road was a hamlet named Bevington Bush which had an inn called simply the Bush, which became a favourite haunt for folk to travel out into the country, to the Bevy Inn, as it became fondly known. With the opening of Scotland Road, the ancient Bevington Bush Road became a minor road amidst the massive slum district that would soon engulf it. As the district was built up it also lost its original name.
“Please do not be taken in by any Irish versions of this song, or any reference to “Bebbington”. Bebington is “over the water” – not in Liverpool at all. I know the truth for a fact because, when I was a brand-new teacher in the Dingle in 1963, our old lollypop man told me that he had actually seen Seth Davy doing his stuff. So I have spoken to a first-hand witness.
“I have heard that Seth Davy’s own singing was a non-too-wonderful monotone, and not the pleasant melody that was written about him in the 60s folk boom.”
Dubliner’s Version
The version in the FSC book is the Dubliners’ although with one or two differences:
Oh, he sits at the corner of Beggar's Bush
Astride of an old packing case
And the dolls at the end of the plank were dancing
And he crooned with a smile on his face
Come day, go day
Wish in me heart it was Sunday
Drinkin' buttermilk all the week
And it's whisky on a Sunday
His tired old hands tug a wooden beam
And the puppets they danced up and down
A far better show than you ever will see
In the fanciest theatre in town
Come day, go day...
In 1902 old Seth Davy died
His song it was heard no more
The three dancing dolls in the dustbin were thrown
When the plank went to mend a backdoor
Come day, go day...
But some stormy night, if you're passing that way
When the wind's blowing up from the sea
You may still hear the song of old Seth Davy
As he croons to his dancing dolls three
Come day, go day
Wish in me heart it was Sunday
Drinkin' buttermilk all the week
And it's whisky on a Sunday
There are about 75 versions of the lyrics on the web, but only two use the phrase “wishing me heart” in the chorus as opposed to “wish in me heart” and one of those is from a Dutch language website, so it seems likely that it’s a mistake. However, that’s how oral traditions continue…