Mick Haywood's Song Wordbook

Batley Years

Vintage advertising poster with woman in dress riding a bicycle

Advertisment poster for the Rover Safey Bike

It's Getting Larger


This song was given to me by Matt Coffey, who first performed it for me on his 73rd birthday at a Ceilidh at the Sacred Heart Social Club, Heckmondwike in 1984.

Matt was one of the founder members of the short-lived Yorkshire Heavy Woollen District Irish Music Association, and harmonica player with the Calder Banks Ceilidh band.

The safety bike became popular in the 1880s. The first commercially successful safety bicycle, name the Rover, was manufactured in 1885 by J.K. Stanley and Co.. It was the first modern bicycle - it replaced the heavier, more expensive penny-farthing, and was lighter and cheaper than the tricycles of the day.


It's Getting Larger

1. I'm a poor man I must confess
That's always in misery
Meat, potatoes, eggs and fish
They don't agree with me.
My doctor says I'm getting bad
As my appetite gets worse
But I've got one consolation boys
And that's my blessed thirst.
It's getting larger, It's getting larger
First it was pints and then it was quarts
Now it's buckets of every sort
All my pals they look at me and say
I'm getting larger, larger, larger, Larger every day.
It's getting larger, It's getting larger
First it was pints and then it was quarts
Now it's buckets of every sort
All my pals they look at me and say
I'm getting larger, larger, larger, Larger every day.

2. My wife she lately got a craze
To ride a safety bike
For to ride the blooming thing
She though she had a right
First her legs they were tiny and smart
Now there big as the wheels of a cart
All my pals look at her and say
She's getting larger, larger, larger
Larger every day.
She's getting larger, she's getting larger,
First her legs they were tiny and smart
Now they're big as the wheels of a cart
All my pals look at her and say
She's getting larger, larger, larger
Larger every day.



3. My wife she lately bought some fouls
The chickens would not lay
The eggs they were not large enough
What did she do one day
She got the kitchen bellows
And blew down their necks with glee
And every time they lay an egg
It pleases me to see.
They're getting larger, they're getting larger
First their eggs were tiny and small
Now they're big as a punching ball
All my pals they look at them and say
They're getting larger, larger, larger
Larger every day.
They're getting larger, they're getting larger
First their eggs were tiny and small
Now they're big as a punching ball
All my pals they look at them and say
They're getting larger, larger, larger
Larger every day.

About Mick

Mick Haywood is a traditional folk singer & folk song collector who has run and organised folk clubs and festivals for many years. He now lives in Whitby, North Yorkshire.