I’m leaning on a lamp, maybe you think, I look a tramp,
Or you may think I’m hanging ’round to steal a motor-car.
But no I’m not a crook, And if you think, that’s what I look,
I’ll tell you why I’m here, And what my motives are.

I’m leaning on a lamp-post at the corner of the street,
In case a certain little lady comes by.
Oh me, oh my, I hope the little lady comes by.
I don’t know if she’ll get away, She doesn’t always get away,
But anyhow I know that she’ll try.
Oh me, oh my, I hope the little lady comes by,
There’s no other girl I would wait for, But this one I’d break any date
for,
I won’t have to ask what she’s late for, She wouldn’t have to leave me
flat,
She’s not a girl like that.
Oh, she’s absolutely wonderful, and marvellous and beautiful.
And anyone can understand why,
I’m leaning on a lamp-post at the corner of the street
In case a certain little lady passes by.

I’m leaning on a lamp-post at the corner of the street,
In case a certain little lady comes by.
Oh me, oh my, I hope the little lady goes do do do dah dah dee dee dee…..
I don’t know if she’ll get away, She doesn’t always get away,
But anyhow I know that she’ll try.
Oh me, oh my, I hope the little lady comes by,
There’s no other girl I would wait for, But this one I’d break any date
for,
I won’t have to ask what she’s late for, She wouldn’t have to leave me
flat,
She’s not a girl like that.
Oh, she’s absolutely wonderful, and marvellous and beautiful.
And anyone can understand why,
I’m leaning on a lamp-post at the corner of the street
In case a certain little lady passes by.

Composed by Noel Gay. Sung by George Formby.

Of course I have absolutely no idea who this guy is, why he’s there or what he’s thinking. He’s not even leaning on the post, as much as he is leaning on a bicycle. But when I took this picture for some reason the above song recorded by George Formby in 1937 came to mind. Formby was a somewhat unlikely star – not particularly good looking, with a squeaky voice and a pronounced Lancashire accent. He accompanied himself on a ukulele/banjolele and was very popular with my parent’s generation, becoming at one point the UK’s highest paid entertainer. He died in 1961 aged 56. I was nine then and surely had some memories of him performing. The song was also performed by Herman’s Hermits and went on to reach number nine in the Billboard charts in 1966. Herman’s Hermits still exist and are, coincidentally, performing in a nearby theater: The Paramount Hudson Valley, Peekskill in 10 days time (October 25, 2015).

Below: Formby performing “I’m leaning on a lamp post at the corner of the street”.

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