With Her Head Tucked Underneath Her Arm

"With Her Head Tucked Underneath Her Arm" is a darkly humorous song, written in 1934 with lyrics by R. P. Weston and Bert Lee and music by Harris Weston.[1] It was originally performed by Stanley Holloway. It tells of how the ghost of Anne Boleyn haunts the Tower of London, seeking revenge on Henry VIII for having her beheaded.

"With Her Head Tucked Underneath Her Arm"
Song
Written1934
Published1934
Composer(s)Harris Weston
Lyricist(s)R. P. Weston & Bert Lee

It has been covered by many performers, including:

  • The Kingston Trio on their 1960 album Sold Out,[2] with a few changes in the lyrics, including giving an American twist to the soccer-related lines "And when they've had a few they shout 'Is Ars'nal going to win?'/They think it's Alec James, instead of poor old Ann Boleyn", changing them to "And when they've had a few they shout 'Is Army going to win?'/They think that it's Red Grange, instead of poor old Ann Boleyn"
  • The Barron Knights, who also changed a few lyrics including:
    • "And when they've had a few they shout 'Is Ars'nal going to win?'/They think it's Alec James, instead of poor old Ann Boleyn" to "And when they've had a few they shout 'Is Team going to win?'/They think that it's Brian Clough, instead of poor old Ann Boleyn"
  • Rudy Vallee in the late 1930s with "The Old Sow Song" on the reverse.
  • Bobby Clancy, who recorded it twice under the title "Anne Boleyn," once with The Clancy Brothers on their 1982 Live album, and again on his 2000 solo album, Make Me a Cup.
  • Caryl P. Weiss, whose 1981 recording has been a mainstay on Dr. Demento's Halloween show.

It has appeared in many shows, including:

  • The song was used in the serial Spin and Marty on the Mickey Mouse Club TV show in the late 1950s.
  • During the episode "Whine Club" of the TV series Frasier, Daphne Moon sings the song at a brunch that Frasier is hosting in an attempt to get to know Niles' new girlfriend, Mel. Mainly due to the fact that she was drunk on a Bloody Mary cocktail.
  • During the episode "They do it with Mirrors" of the TV series Marple. The convicts sing together an excerpt of the song before the theater play.

Original recording by Roy Barbour in 1934 on Rex Records 8342 A with The Lion and Albert on the b side (http://www.45worlds.com/78rpm/record/8342)

References
  1. Catalog of Copyright Entries Part 3 Musical Compositions New Series Vol. 30 No. 1. Library of Congress. 1935. p. 2350. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  2. "The Kingston Trio... Sold Out". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
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