a 1911 great “Spanish” song
words and music by Billy Merson
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
1. List to me while I tell you
Of the Spaniard that blighted my life
List to me while I tell you
Of the man who pinched my future wife
‘Twas at the bull fight where we met him
We’d been watching his daring display, And while
I’d gone out for some nuts and a programme
The dirty dog stole her away
Oh, yes! oh, yes!
But I’ve sworn that I’ll have my revenge
Chorus
If I catch Alphonso Spagoni, the Toreador
With a mighty swipe I will dislocate his bally jaw
I’ll find this bullfighter, I will
And when I catch the bounder, the blighter I’ll kill
He shall die! he shall die
He shall die tiddly-i-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti
He shall die! he shall die
For I’ll raise a bunion on his Spanish onion
If I catch him bending tonight
2. Yes, when I catch Spagoni
He will wish that he’d never been born
And for this special reason
My stiletto I’ve fetched out of pawn
It cost me five shillings to fetch it
This expense it has caused me much pain
But the pawnbroker’s promised, when I’ve killed Spagoni
He’ll take it in pawn once again
Oh, yes! oh, yes
So tonight there will be dirty work
3. I tracked him to London
And he gave me the slip once again
And they told me this morning
That he’d doubled and gone back to Spain
But what ever it costs me, I’ll catch him
Then no more he will give me the slip
With my last one-an-nine-pence, on Sunday
I’m going To Spain by the Sunday League Trip
Oh, yes! oh, yes
And then the dark deed will be done
Sung here by Fred Feild: