The Flying Trapeze

A comic waltz song from the London music hall, 1868.
words and music by George Leybourne
arranged by Alfred Lee

This charming song is an old favorite. It was probably written and composed by Alfred Lee. It was made famous by Joe Saunders (stage name George Leybourne), a mechanic and singer from the midlands of England. He sang it in the London music hall. It has a four-part harmony chorus.

The sheet music:

The-Flying-Trapeze – Sheet MusicDownload

Accompaniment by Benjamin R. Tubb:

The-Flying-Trapeze – MIDIDownload

Lyrics

  1. Once I was happy, but now I’m forlorn
    Like an old coat, that is tattered and torn
    Left on this wide world to fret and to mourn
    Betrayed by a maid in her teens
    The girl that I loved, she was handsome
    I tried all I knew, her to please
    But I could not please her one quarter so well
    Like that man upon the Trapeze

Chorus
He’d fly thro’ the air with the greatest of ease
A daring young man on the flying Trapeze
His movements were graceful, all girls he could please
And my love he purloined away

  1. This young man by name was “Signor Bona Slang”
    Tall, big, and handsome as well made as Chang
    Where’er he appeared, the hall loudly rang
    With ovation from all people there
    He’d smile from the bar on the people below
    And one night he smiled on my love
    She winked back at him, and she shouted “Bravo!”
    As he hung by his nose up above
  2. Her father and mother were both on my side
    And very hard tried to make her my own bride
    Her father he sighed, and her mother she cried
    To see her throw herself away
    ‘Twas all no avail, she went there every night
    And would throw him boquets on the stage
    Which caused him to meet her, how he ran me down
    To tell you would take a whole page
  3. One night I as ususal, went to her dear home
    Found there her father and mother alone
    I asked for my love, and soon they made known
    To my horror that she’d run away
    She’d packed up her box, and eloped in the night
    With him with the greatest of ease
    From two stories high, he had lowered her down
    To the ground on his flying Trapeze
  4. Some months after this I went to a Hall
    Was greatly surprised to see on the wall
    A bill in red letters, which did my heart gall
    That she was appearing with him
    He taught her gymnastics, and dressed her in tights
    To help him to live at his ease
    And made her assume a masculine name
    And now she goes on the Trapeze

Chorus
She floats through the air with the greatest of ease
You’d think her a man on the flying Trapeze
She does all the work, while he takes his ease
And that’s what’s become of my love

Sung here by Fred Feild: