Hey Betty - you are annoying me!

 Way back then (in about 1958) I attended Fairfield Grammar School in the Montpelier district of  Bristol U.K.

In  those days in the U.K.  a "Grammar School" was what Americans know as a Junior/Senior High School.


F.G.S. was blessed with a Music Teacher/Choral Director/ Orchestra Conductor:  a Mr. William J. "Dickie" Richards.

I rejoiced to sing under his direction.

One one occasion he led us to sing  a musical setting of a late 19th Century Tongue-Twister viz:

Betty Botter bought some butter;

“But,” said she, “this butter’s bitter!

If I put it in my batter

It will make my batter bitter.

But a bit of better butter

Will but make my batter better.”

Then she bought a bit of butter

Better than the bitter butter,

And she put it in her batter,

And it made her batter better.

So ’twas better Betty

Bought a bit of better butter.

I cannot find the particular tune  (as sung at FGS under Dickie Richards),  of this tongue twister on line.  

But the words and tune (most of which I remember from 57 years ago)  have been an ear-worm for me all day today. . It's driving me crazy!

"Gosh and darn it " ( as polite people say) I have not been able to shake off this ear-worm.

Even as I prayed this morning it was "Our Father" (Betty Botter) -  etc. etc.

"Who art in heaven" (bought some butter) - etc. etc.

"Hallowed be thy" (but she said this butter's bitter) - etc. etc.

I tried to change this ear-worm to "God Save the Queen",  but God evidently knows that I am not a Monarchist, so my mind kept returning to :

Betty Botter bought some butter;

“But,” said she, “this butter’s bitter!

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HEY BETTY, YOU ARE ANNOYING ME!