In ‘discussion ‘ with someone yesterday he had asked if anyone remembered the children’s rhyme, which he called Manchester Tart, I mentioned it had been used by Lennon in the song I am the Walrus remembered by Pete Shotton as a childhood rhyme to add to the song.
Do you recall it, do you have your own version?. I know we are a well travelled lot so I wondered if it was known globally and not just from Walrus.
Has it fallen out of fashion? I shall ask my son today if he knew it.
Because of our average age on here do your grandchildren know of it?
I’ve not used the opening words as I’d like to hear as many versions as possible.
Arthur English Custard
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Only custard-related rhyme I remember is ‘Cowardy cowardy custard/ate his mother’s mustard’ – not much help really…
It was ‘Dip your head in mustard’ round my way. As for the more exotic version, I’ve only ever heard about it with reference to I Am the Walrus.
Only Custard rhyme/saying I recall was:
There are 3 kings of turd –
Custurd
Musturd
and you ,you little shit.
Whither Busted?
Could they cut the custard…er, mustard?
Yellow belly custard
Green snot pie
All mixed together with a dead dogs eye
slap it on a butty, nice and thick
wash all it down with a cup of cold sick.
That’s the rhyme I knew as a child
Me too. This is our heritage. And those Brussels bastards can’t take it away from us….
Yep, thats the one
I remember “Yellow matter custard” but that may well have been the influence of the fabs on the late sixties school playground rather than the other way around
Is Manchester tart? I always felt Wigan tarter.
Childhood version from my neck of the woods:
Cold phlegm and custard, snot and bogey pie
All mixed together with a dead dog’s eye
Get a piece of bread, spread it on thick
Wash it all down with a nice cup of sick.
That’s disgusting – warm sick.
My RE teacher described me as a serviceable villain, does that count?
Interesting, I’m a lifelong southerner and have never heard it (apart from Beatles bit obvs). Definitely remember the “cowardy custard” insult being used, but not in a rhyme.
Love these sort of regional differences, apparently we’re the only part of the country to call Woodlice “Cheeselogs” 🙂
Cheeselogs? No wonder Mum’s gone to Iceland!
I read about this in ‘A Hard Day’s Write’ (the stories behind all the Beatles’ songs). According to Steve Turner, who wrote the book, Pete Shotton told Lennon the poem went thus:
Yellow matter custard, green slop pie
All mixed together with a dead dog’s eye
Slap it on a butty, ten foot thick
Wash it all down with a cup of cold sick.
As I’m sure you all know ‘I Am the Walrus’ came about because Lennon received a letter from a Quarry Bank school boy informing him that their English teacher was analyzing Beatles songs in class. In fact, my own English teacher at secondary school did exactly the same thing. Lennon’s response was to write a deliberate nonsense song, and when it was finished he showed it to Shotton and said “Let’s see the fuckers work that one out!
Sit you down, father, rest you!
Interesting, so was it just a Northern expression and when Lennon used it in Walrus a large part of the population had no idea it was a quote?