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.[1]

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).[2] The 1938 version was attributed to Bert Lee, Harris Weston and I. Taylor.[3] During the Second World War it was performed frequently by Elsie and Doris Waters.[citation needed] It was also later performed on television by Noel Harrison and Petula Clark.[citation needed]

The expression "knees-up" means a "noisy party usually with dancing"[4] - often accompanied by drinking.

  1. ^ "The real history of 'Knees up Mother Brown'". Roman Road London. 25 August 2020.
  2. ^ James Hilton (1941) Random Harvest
  3. ^ Michael Kilgariff (1998) Sing Us One of the Old Songs: A Guide to Popular Song 1860-1920
  4. ^ "Merriam-Webster Dictionary". Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 17 August 2024.