Lloyd George Knew My Father (song)
Encyclopedia
Lloyd George Knew My Father is a 20th Century English schoolboy folk song. The simple lyrics consist of the phrase "Lloyd George knew my father/Father knew Lloyd George" sung to the tune of Onward, Christian Soldiers
. The two-line lyric is repeated incessantly, typically by groups of schoolboys on a bus or similar setting, until boredom sets in.
The origin of the song is not known but there are several theories, one that it began as a music hall
song making an oblique reference to Lloyd George's supposed womanizing proclivities (with the right timing and intonation and a well-placed wink, "father" could be taken to actually mean "mother"). The Oxford Dictionary of Political Quotations attributes the song to Tommy Rhys Robert, the son of a former law partner of Lloyd George. According to David Owen
, it was a World War I
marching song.
Onward, Christian Soldiers
"Onward, Christian Soldiers" is a 19th century English hymn. The words were written by Sabine Baring-Gould in 1865, and the music was composed by Arthur Sullivan in 1871. Sullivan named the tune "St. Gertrude," after the wife of his friend Ernest Clay Ker Seymer, at whose country home he composed...
. The two-line lyric is repeated incessantly, typically by groups of schoolboys on a bus or similar setting, until boredom sets in.
The origin of the song is not known but there are several theories, one that it began as a music hall
Music hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
song making an oblique reference to Lloyd George's supposed womanizing proclivities (with the right timing and intonation and a well-placed wink, "father" could be taken to actually mean "mother"). The Oxford Dictionary of Political Quotations attributes the song to Tommy Rhys Robert, the son of a former law partner of Lloyd George. According to David Owen
David Owen
David Anthony Llewellyn Owen, Baron Owen CH PC FRCP is a British politician.Owen served as British Foreign Secretary from 1977 to 1979, the youngest person in over forty years to hold the post; he co-authored the failed Vance-Owen and Owen-Stoltenberg peace plans offered during the Bosnian War...
, it was a World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
marching song.