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Lumps of Plum Pudding (Tune from Thomas Denley)

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Source: Copy of C. Sharp ms no. 2329 in Vaughan Williams Memorial Library
Performer: Denley, Thomas
Place Collected: Sevenhampton
Date collected: 30 August 1909
Collector: Sharp, Cecil

Cecil Sharp (CJS) noted 6 tunes from Thomas Denley, then aged 72, at Sevenhampton on 30 August 1909. He wrote: “Thomas Danley [sic] played these tunes to me (very beautifully) upon a tin whistle. His father used to play pipe & tabor for the Withington Morris men.. Thomas … although he can play fiddle, clarionet, organ, etc. as well as the tin whistle, could never manage to learn the pipe & tabor. He can play from note but has a great musical memory for tunes and can play a tune at one hearing with great accuracy (This I tested).”

Lumps of Plum Pudding
Lumps of plum pudding and pieces of pie
My mother gave me for telling a lie (jumping so high).

Lumps of plum pudding is a country term for bruises, while pieces of pie is rhyming slang for a black eye.

Media & Downloads

See the song/tune as collected (PDF file)
Hear the song/tune (midi file)

Modern recording performed by: The tune played by Chris Denley, who plays all the instruments heard.

Song/tune as collected (abc file)