Mick Haywood's Song Wordbook

Early Years

Cover of sheet music

My Girl's a Yorkshire Girl


I'm not sure where I learned this, probably from the singing of my Father, I seem to have always known the chorus.

‘My Girls A Yorkshire Girl’ was written in 1908 by C.W. Murphy and Dan Lipton after the success of their 1907 hit, ‘She’s a Lassie from Lancashire’. It was performed on the Music Halls by Sheffield born ‘Miss Florrie Gallimore’. She made her stage debut, at the age of seven in pantomime at the Theatre Royal, Sheffield. She carried on playing child roles in until at the age of fourteen, when she appeared at Sheffield’s ‘Gaiety Music Hall’ as male impersonator. She started playing the provincial theatres as a serio comic singer, and at the age of sixteen she made her first London appearance, singing Tyrolean ditties, at the ‘Metropolitan Music Hall’. In the following years she became a highly popular artiste, playing all the leading UK music halls, and doing overseas tours.
Along with her brother Authur Gallimore, they performed at in front of ‘King George V and Queen Mary’ in the very first ‘Royal Command Performance’ at the Palace Theatre, London on 1st July 1912.

Old cigarette card showing Florrie Gallimore

Miss Florrie Gallimore

My Girl's a Yorkshire Girl

Two young fellows were talking about
Their girls, girls, girls
Sweethearts they'd left behind
Sweethearts for whom they pined
One said "My little shy little lass
Has a waist so trim and small
Grey are her eyes so bright,
But best best of all"

Chorus
"My girl's a Yorkshire girl,
Yorkshire through and through"
My girl's a Yorkshire girl,
Eh! By gum she's a champion!"
"Though she's a fact'ry lass,
And wears no fancy clothes,
I've a sort of a Yorkshire Relish for my little Yorkshire Rose."


When the first finished singing in praise,
Of Rose, Rose,Rose,
Poor number two looked vexed,
Saying in tones perplexed
"My lass works in a factory too,
And has also eyes of grey
Her name is Rose as well,
And strange, strange to say"

To a cottage in Yorkshire they hied
To Rose, Rose, Rose,
Meaning to make it clear
Which was the boy most dear
Rose, their Rose didn't answer the bell,
But her husband did instead
Loudly he sang to them
As off they fled.

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.