George Formby Jr. (1904–61)

Fred Godfrey wrote a number of songs for the great Variety and film favourite George Formby Jr. in the late 1930s and into the 1940s. Most appear with Formby’s name attached to the composing credits; Formby generally did not write his own material, however, but made small changes to suit his style.¹

The following songs are credited to Formby and Godfrey, unless otherwise noted:

1939:
Keep Your Flashlight In Your Hand (with Amy Parsons); A Lad From Lancashire; The Lancashire Romeo

1942:
Home Guard Blues (with Fred E. Cliffe; used in the Formby film Get Cracking); Oh! You Have No Idea; You Can’t Love Two Girls At The Same Time

1944:
Let’s Have A Little Bit Of Peace; The Little Back Room Upstairs; Mister Wu (Is In The Chinese Navy Now); Only The Poor Private; Rolling Into France; We Haven’t Quite Decided Yet

1947:
Hello Canada! (written for a 1947 Formby tour of Canada); On The Other Side Of The World (written for a 1947 Formby tour of Australia and New Zealand)

Date uncertain:
Those Were The Days (1944?); Things Were Different Years And Years Ago (late 1940s?)

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Note

1  Brendan Ryan, “Songsmiths to George Formby: Harry Gifford and Fred E. Cliffe,” The Call Boy [British Music Hall Society] 24, no. 2 (1987), p. 13.