This song sounds best sung in a cockney accent and when the 'H' is silent so it sounds like 'enery.

You don't know who you're looking at; now have a look at me
I'm a bit of a nob, I am, belong to royalty
I'll tell you how it came about; I married Widow Burch
And I was King of England when I toddled out of church
Outside the people started shouting, "Hip, hooray!"
Said I, "Get down upon your knees, it's Coronation Day"

Chorus:
I'm Henery the Eighth, I am
Henery the Eighth I am, I am
I got married to the widow next door
She's been married seven times before
Well every one was an Henery (Henery!)
She wouldn't have a Willie or a Sam (No Sam!)
I'm her eighth old man named Henery
Henery the Eighth, I am

I left the Duke of Cumberland, a pub up in the town
Soon with one or two moochers I was holding up the Crown
I sat upon the bucket that the carmen think their own;
Surrounded by my subjects I was sitting on the throne
Out came the potman, saying, "Go on, home to bed!"
Said I, "Now say another word, and off'll go your head!"

Chorus

Now at the Waxwork Exhibition not so long ago
I was sitting among the kings, I made a lovely show
To good old Queen Elizabeth I shouted, "Wotcher Liz!"
While people poked my ribs and said, "I wonder who this is"
One said, "It's Charley Peace," and then I got the spike
I shouted, "Show yer ignorance!" as waxy as you like

Chorus

This was originally an English music hall song, written in 1911 by Fred Murray and RP Weston, and was Harry Champion's signature song - the Cockney pronunciation is likely from that source.

It was recorded in 1965 in the UK by Peter Noone's group Herman's Hermits on their eponymous album, although the opening backstory is omitted, and the chorus simply repeated.

The song has spawned a number of parodies, including Kennedy The Blank and Element the Eighth, an ode to oxygen.

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.