Villikins and His Dinah

Villikins And His Dinah

Villikins and his Dinah was introduced in one of Henry Mahew's short plays in 1850. It immediately became a success in Music Halls and literary institutions.

Villikins was a merchant of London I tell
Who had for a daughter an Uncommon nice young girl
Her name it was Dinah just sixteen years old
With a very large fortune in silver and gold

CHORUS:

Singing toorali-toorali-toorali-day
Now as Dinah was walking in the garden one day
(it was the front garden)

Her father came up to her and thus he did say
Go* dress yourself Dinah in gorgeous array
(take your hair out of pins)

And I'll bring you a husband both galant and gay.

Oh father! dear father! the daughter she said
I don't feel inclined to be marr-i-ed
And all my large fortune I'll gladly give o'er
If you'll let me live single a year or two more.

Go! go! boldest daughter the parents he cried
If you don't feel inclined to be this young man's bride
I'll give your large fortune to the nearest of kin
And you shan't reap the benefit of one single pin.

Now as Villikins was a'walking the garden around
(this was the back garden)

He spied his dear Dinah lying dead on the ground
With a cup of cold poison all down by her side
With a billet-doux which said 'twas by poison she died
(the lable was marked British Brandy)

Then he kissed her cold corpse a thousand times o'er
And called her his dear Dinah though she was no more
Then he swallowed up the poison and sung a short stave
(neither agreed with him)

Now Villikins and his Dinah are laid in one grave
(singing together):

Now all you young men don't you thus fall in love
Or do that not by no means be disliked by your gov'ner

You may learn from my song which is tru"e every word
All this wouldn't have happened if it hadn't occurred.
(and there would have been no occasion for singing. .)