"The Boy I Love Is Up in the Gallery" (correctly The Boy in the Gallery) is a music hall song written in 1885 by George Ware for music hall star Nelly Power, and made famous by Marie Lloyd. It was also sung by Jenny Hill.[1]
The song is unusual in that it places the singer in the actual location of the theatre, with the words traditionally directed to an imaginary beau in the cheapest seats.[2]
Lyrics
These are the lyrics in the sheet music published by EMI Music Publishing, London, 1977:[1]
I'm a young girl, and have just come over,
Over from the country where they do things big,
And amongst the boys I've got a lover,
And since I've got a lover, why I don't care a fig.
There he is, can't you see, waving his handkerchief,
As merry as a robin that sings on a tree.
The boy that I love, they call him a cobbler,
But he's not a cobbler, allow me to state.
For Johnny is a tradesman and he works in the Boro'
Where they sole and heel them, whilst you wait.
The boy I love is up in the gallery,
The boy I love is looking now at me,
There he is, can't you see, waving his handkerchief,
As merry as a robin that sings on a tree.
Now, If I were a Duchess and had a lot of money,
I'd give it to the boy who's going to marry me.
But I haven't got a penny, so we'll live on love and kisses,
And be just as happy as the birds on the tree.
The boy I love is up in the gallery,
The boy I love is looking now at me,
There he is, can't you see, waving his handkerchief,
As merry as a robin that sings on a tree.
In popular culture
1940 film Gaslight features the song in a music hall scene. The lyrics prompt Anton Walbrook's character Paul Mallen to abort his date and return home to see his wife.[3]
1972 British mini-series The Edwardians features the song. Georgia Brown plays Marie Lloyd, singing the song in an episode titled "The Reluctant Juggler".[8]
The song was featured in Season 1, Episode 1 of the BBC Two series Peaky Blinders. Original air date was September, 12, 2013 but it was filmed in 2012. Annabelle Wallis's character Grace Burgess sang it; vocal credit was Dara MacMahon.[16]
The song featured in a 2018 episode of CBBC TV series Hetty Feather, based on the novel by Jacqueline Wilson. Polly Allen's character Sheila Ormsby briefly sings it in the eighth episode of Series 4 in order to win the title of Festival Queen.[18]