Sally in Our Alley

One sentence you don't expect to write in a blog about Beethoven is "Sally in Our Alley". But I just did, because Beethoven wrote an arrangement of a well-known English song called, "Sally in Our Alley" (1725).

And it makes sense that he did because "Sally" and "alley" totally rhyme. Therefore, good lyrics.

The song's thesis is:

"She is the darling of my heart,
And she is in my alley."

I love her. She is in my alley. Alleys are for love.

The song is number 25 of Beethoven's "Scottish Lieder", Op. 108. It's a light, pretty, cheerful arrangement. Though translated into German the title is "Das Baschen in unserm Strasschen" and it suddenly seems about 65% less cheerful. 

Beethoven wrote 25 arrangements of Scottish and English folksongs, with lyrics by a range of UK heavy-hitters like Lord Byron, Robbie Burns, Sir Walter Scott, and the author of "Sally in Our Alley", Henry Carey, a renowned English satirist, patriot, poet and songwriter. 

Here are the complete lyrics. Saucy stuff. And that final lyric really clears up a big question I had about this relationship taking place entirely in an alley: 

OF all the girls that are so smart
There's none like pretty Sally;
She is the darling of my heart,
And she lives in our alley.
There is no lady in the land
Is half so sweet as Sally;
She is the darling of my heart,
And she lives in our alley.

Her father he makes cabbage-nets,
And through the streets does cry 'em;
Her mother she sells laces long
To such as please to buy 'em:
But sure such folks could ne'er beget
So sweet a girl as Sally!
She is the darling of my heart,
And she lives in my alley.

When she is by, I leave my work,
I love her so sincerely;
My master comes like any Turk,
And bangs me most severely:
But let him bang his bellyful,
I'll bear it all for Sally;
She is the darling of my heart,
And she lives in our alley.

Of all the days that's in the week
I dearly love but one day-
And that's the day that comes betwixt
A Saturday and Monday;
For then I'm drest all in my best
To walk abroad with Sally;
She is the darling of my heart,
And she lives in our alley.

My master carries me to church,
And often am I blamèd
Because I leave him in the lurch
As soon as text is namèd;
I leave the church in sermon-time
And slink away to Sally;
She is the darling of my heart,
And she lives in our alley.

My master and the neighbours all
Make game of me and Sally,
And, but for her, I'd better be
A slave and row a galley;
But when my seven long years are out,
O, then I'll marry Sally;
O, then we'll wed, and then we'll bed-
But not in our alley! 

Here is a tenor singing Beethoven's arrangement. Because he's a tenor, it's impossible to detect any sexuality in this recording, but it is fun to hear how his voice makes it all sound so life-or-death, especially lines like, "Her father he makes cabbage-nets".