At the Music Hall: “Burlington Bertie from Bow”

I'm Burlington Bertie I rise at ten thirty
and saunter along like a toff
I walk down the Strand with my gloves on my hand
Then I walk down again with them off
I'm all airs and graces, correct easy paces
Without food so long, I've forgot where my face is
I'm Bert, Bert, I haven't a shirt
But my people are well off you know.
Nearly everyone knows me from Smith to Lord Rosebr'y,
I'm Burlington Bertie from Bow.

In 1900, Harry Norris wrote a song about an aristocratic gentleman named “Burlington Bertie” whose life is devoted to the pursuit of idle happiness. The song was performed in the music halls by his wife, Vesta Tilley—dressed in male clothes. The song was quite popular and inspired a parody by William Hargreaves which was performed by his wife, Ella Shields—similarly in male attire.

The popularity of the parody, “Burlington Bertie from Bow,” far surpassed the original song. In this version, Bertie is a young man from the poverty-stricken London section of Bow who fancies that he is quite the proper gentleman, “living on plates of fresh air.” The irony of Bertie’s praise of the lifestyle of the idle rich contrasted against his apparent poverty, made the song a comedic success which has endured to today.

A favorite of my own Bertie (because he knows his own name), it’s a song that’s frequently sung around my house. Much more artistically and famously, Julie Andrews performed “Burlington Bertie from Bow” as Gertrude Lawrence in Star! A clip of Miss Andrews’ performance from Star! is below.