Knocked Them in the Old Kent Road - piano/vocal sheet music, midi & mp3

"Knocked them in the Old Kent Road" is a fun music hall song written in 1891. The song has lyrics by and was sung by Albert Chevalier with music composed by his brother and manager Charles Ingle (born Auguste Chevalier). Albert Chevalier (1861-1923) was a popular Music Hall entertainer who had other major hits including "The Future Mrs. Hawkins" and "My Old Dutch", which also had music by his brother Charles Ingle. "My Old Dutch" is a Cockney phrase meaning "My Wife", and the song "My Old Dutch" seems to be an affectionate poem to Chevalier's own wife who was the daughter of that other famous Music Hall entertainer George Leybourne. On stage Albert Chevalier frequently adopted the persona of a "Coster" which was a London street-seller of fruit and vegetables. Old Kent Road is a famous street in East London, and the song "Knock'd 'em in the Old Kent Road" is full of slang terms from the area. The phrase "Wot Cher!" is a greeting which is thought to be derived from the old English phrase "What Cheer!".

Note that the song's verse is in a minor key, and then the chorus moves into the relative major - quite a common transition in songs. The sheet music should be visible below and the audio playback uses a clarinet sound in place of the vocal part. You can also download the sheet music, midi and mp3 files using the links in the left-hand menu.

Another music hall song mentioning a London streeet is Let's All go down the Strand (Have a Banana!).