Knees Up Mother Brown

"Knees Up Mother Brown" is a pub song, believed to date back as early as the 1800s, but first published in 1938, and with origins in the East End of London.

With its origins in public houses of East London, it was associated with Cockney culture. At the end of the First World War, it is documented to have been sung widely in London on 11 November 1918 (Armistice Night). The 1938 version was attributed to Bert Lee, Harris Weston and I. Taylor. During the Second World War it was performed frequently by Elsie and Doris Waters. It was also later performed on television by Noel Harrison and Petula Clark.

The expression "knees up" means to have a 'party' or 'a dance' - usually accompanied by drinking.

Lyrics
The most familiar version of the song is:


 * Knees up Mother Brown
 * Knees up Mother Brown
 * Under the table you must go
 * Ee-aye, Ee-aye, Ee-aye-oh
 * If I catch you bending
 * I'll saw your legs right off
 * Knees up, knees up
 * don't get the breeze up
 * Knees up Mother Brown

Other less common variations include:
 * 'Ee-aye Ee-aye,
 * don't get a bree-aye'

In place of the more common:
 * 'Knees up, knees up
 * don't get the breeze up

A final, partly self-parodying refrain is often added as a chorus, particularly during a merry session at a pub or party:


 * Oh my, what a rotten song
 * What a rotten song
 * What a rotten song
 * Oh my, what a rotten song
 * What a rotten song (OR And what a rotten singer too-oo-oo!)

There also exists a version of the song for children, with accompanying dance. The lyrics are :


 * There came a girl from France
 * Who didn't know how to dance
 * The only thing that she could do was
 * Knees up Mother Brown


 * Oh, knees up Mother Brown
 * Knees up Mother Brown
 * Knees up, knees up, never let the breeze up
 * Knees up Mother Brown


 * Oh, hopping on one foot
 * Hopping on one foot
 * Hopping, hopping, never stopping
 * Hopping on one foot


 * Oh, knees up Mother Brown
 * Knees up Mother Brown
 * Knees up, knees up, never let the breeze up
 * Knees up Mother Brown


 * Oh, hopping on the other
 * Hopping on the other
 * Hopping, hopping, never stopping
 * Hopping on the other


 * And whirling round and round
 * Whirling round and round
 * Whirling, whirling, never twirling
 * Whirling round and round

In popular culture
The song is associated with West Ham United Football Club, with fans singing the song at the Boleyn Ground from at least the 1950s. It is also the name of an internet forum related to the club.

In the 1964 Disney film Mary Poppins the song "Step in Time" written by the Sherman Brothers was based on Knees Up Mother Brown. According to Richard Sherman, the Knees Up Mother Brown dance was taught to Walt Disney, Tony Walton, and others by Peter Ellenshaw (the Disney Studio's head of special effects) and the Sherman Brothers witnessed them doing the dance and got the idea for "Step in Time".