I Do Like To be Beside the Seaside

"I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside" is a popular British music hall song. It was written in 1907 by John A. Glover-Kind. [http://www.eastbournecousins.com/idolovetobe.htm] It speaks of the singer's love for the seaside, and their wish to return there for their summer holidays each year. It was composed at a time when the yearly visits of the British working-class to the seaside were booming.

Often just the chorus is played or sung.

Chorus

Oh! I do like to be beside the seaside I do like to be beside the sea! I do like to stroll upon the Prom, Prom, Prom! Where the brass bands play: "Tiddely-om-pom-pom!" So just let me be beside the seaside I'll be beside myself with glee For there's lots of girls besides, I should like to be beside Beside the seaside! Beside the sea!

Use in Film

* The 1939 film The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes starring Basil Rathbone, involves a heavily disguised Holmes signing the song. An anachronism, as the film was set in 1892 fifteen years before the song was written.

* The 1969 film Oh What a Lovely War features a pierside scene where Sir Douglas Haig is trying to recruit for the First World War, with the words of the song changed to “I do to like to see a lot of soldiers”.

* The 1967 film Carry on follow that camel when the foreign legionaires become lost in the North African desert they sing the song.

References