Come On Algernon (Lord Gerald Berners)

In memoriam Love’s Labour’s Lost cast party (to be properly chronicled when my insides aren’t attempting to knit with each other), as introduced to the company by Mr. Daniel McLean, our very own dark-haired Anthony Andrews Longaville:

Come On Algernon (from “Champagne Charlie”, 1944)

Did ever you hear of Daisy,
The girl who asked for more?
She drove her admirers crazy, the way she cried ‘Encore!’
No matter how much they hugged her, the same response it drew
She’d always be sighing, begging and crying
“Just another one, do!

“I only want one extra kiss, that’s all I’m languishing for
And I’ll stay content, I swear to this
Until I holler for more!

“Oh…
Come on Algernon, that’s not enough for me
Give me some more, the same as before
Because I can’t count under three!
Look at the big bright moon, surely that should be the cue
For a romantic one, gigantic one –
Algie you’re driving me frantic one –
Give me just another one, do!

“Come on Algernon, that’s not enough for me
Give me some more, the same as before
Because I can’t count under three
Give me a tip-top stick
Of Brighton rock and how I’ll croon!
None but whopping one, a topping one
Algie there’s simply no stopping one!
Give me just another one, do!”

And mad about sweets was Daisy
She’d pop ’em in all the time
On brandy balls she was crazy,
She found each ball sublime,
She’d suck at a toffee-apple, then call for something new
Like Turkish delight on benches at Brighton
“Just another one, do!
I want one extra lollipop, that’s all I’m hollering for
And after that, I swear I’ll stop, until I holler for more!

“Oh…
Come on Algernon, that’s not enough for me
Give me some more, the same as before
Because I can’t count under three
Look at the big bright moon, surely that should be the cue
For a romantic one, gigantic one, Algie you’re driving me frantic one
Just another one, do!
Oh, come on Algernon, that’s not enough for me
Give me some more, the same as before
Because I can’t count under three
Give me a tip-top stick of Brighton rock, and how I’ll croon
Algie there’s simply no stopping one
Give me just another one, do!”

If you have Spotify, you can (hopefully) listen to the song here (apologies if this doesn’t work).

[I was particularly delighted to hear the song – as filthily sung by Dan to the incongruous accompaniment of his Ipod – as Lord Berners appears in perhaps my favourite novel of all time: The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford (published in 1945, a year after this song). In the novel, Berners is fictionalised as Lord Merlin, the aristocratic aesthete who tries to save Linda from her doomed first marriage, and who dyes pigeons pretty colours in his airing cupboard. Oh yes.]