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BILLY  BOY

An American "children's" song, perhaps a variant of the English song "My Boy Billy"
​
Accordion Notation
Beats per bar = 4            
​Beat symbol =   Dot ( . ) or equivalent  

​   
Return to BA1 - Unit 10

​Verse 1 (of 4)    -   somewhat simplified
​​Either row (high):   Buttons 5 - 9*
Either row (low):    Buttons 2 - 5*
​
.4  .4*  |    :5      .5     .5   |   :6    .4  .4*  |   :5     .5    .5*  |  :5  
O__h,   where have you   been  Bil–ly     Boy   Bil – ly     Boy,
 
 .4  .4*  |    :5     .5     .5   |   :6       .4*    .4   |   .4    .:3*~ | ~:  
O__h,   where have you   been charm–ing     Bil – ly___?
 
.3* .4  |  .4*   .4*  .4*  .4* | :4*     .5     .4*  |  .4 .3*  .4  .4*  |  :5                
I  have  been to seek a    wife,  she’s the     jo_y   of  my    life
 
   .6   .5*  |    :5     .4     .5   |  .5   .4*   .3*   .2*  |   .3*  .:3~ | ~:
She’s a    young thing and   can-not leave her   moth-er___
​

Embedded youTube VIDEOS
Twelve youTube videos in keys:  Bb=1    C=8    D=2     F,Gb=1

​Most of the renditions of this song on youTube were in the keys of Bb and C.  I've included one in Bb,  five children's in C, and, at the end, three others in C.

Key:   Bb

​Singer:  ?

​Posted by:  ListenAndReadAlong

Key:  C

Singer:  ?

​Posted by:  Octa Br

Key:  C

Pianist:  ?

​Posted by:  DiversiTune



Key:   C

Singer:   ?

Posted by:  Kids Learning Videos



Key:  C

​Singers:  ?

Posted by:  We Sing - Topic
​


Key:  C

Singers:  ?

​Posted by:  Charles Szabo

Follows the given rhythm closely.

Key:   D 

Singer:  ?

Posted by:  LDsongscreen

From children's song to Bluegrass

​Key:   D

Group:  ?

Posted by:  Various Artists - Topic

From "The Essential Bluegrass Collection"

Key:  F   (first half)
         Gb (second half) 


Singers:  ?

Posted by:  BabyBus Nursery Rhymes

From children's song to Rock 'n Roll

Different lyrics

Key:  C

Singer:  Jerry Lee Lewis

Posted by:  John1948SixC

​Interesting choice for Jerry Lee Lewis, given his personal history.



From children's song to war commentary, featuring Woody Guthrie & Pete Seeger (1942):​

Different lyrics.

Key:  C

Singer:  The Almanac Singers

Posted by: commarx



From children's song to Jazz:

​Key:  C

Pianist:  Ahmad Jamal

Posted by: desillusion


Background Materials, Information & Links

​Lyrics:

Oh, where have you been, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Oh, where have you been, charming Billy?
I have been to seek a wife, she's the joy of my life,
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mother.

Did she ask you to come in, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Did she ask you to come in, charming Billy?
Yes, she asked me to come in, there's a dimple in her chin.
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mother.

Can she make a cherry pie, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she make a cherry pie, charming Billy?
She can make a cherry pie, qauick as a cat can wink an eye,
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mother.

How old is she, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
How old is she, charming Billy?
Three times six and four times seven, twenty-eight and eleven,
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mother.                            
Go to Top of Page
Return to BA1 - Unit 10
Background Links:
Click HERE for background (wikipedia) information on this song.