Folk music
In 1965, together with Tam Harvey, Connolly started a group called the Humblebums. At their first gig, Connolly introduced them both to the audience by saying, "My name's Billy Connolly, and I'm humble. This is Tam Harvey, he's a bum." The band would later include Gerry Rafferty. Connolly sang, played banjo and guitar, and entertained the audience with his humorous introductions to the songs.
In his World Tour of Scotland, Connolly reveals that at a trailer show during the Edinburgh Festival, the Humblebums took to the stage just before the late Yehudi Menuhin.
The trio broke up in 1971, at which point Connolly went solo. His first solo album in 1972, Billy Connolly Live! on Transatlantic Records, features Connolly as a singer, songwriter, and musician.
His early albums were a mixture of comedy performances with comedic and serious musical interludes. Among his best known musical performances were "The Welly Boot Song", a comical ode to the working class which became his theme song for several years; "In the Brownies", a parody of the Village People classics "Y.M.C.A." and "In the Navy" (for which Connolly filmed a music video); "Two Little Boys in Blue", a tongue-in-cheek indictment of police brutality done to the tune of Rolf Harris' "Two Little Boys"; and the ballad "I Wish I Was in Glasgow" which Connolly would later perform on a guest appearance on the 1990s American sitcom Pearl (which starred Rhea Perlman). He also performed the occasional Humblebums-era song such as "Oh, No!" as well as straightforward covers such as a version of Dolly Parton's "Coat of Many Colors" which was included on his Riotous Assembly album.
In November 1975, his spoof of the Tammy Wynette song "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" had a one-week spell as the UK's No. 1 single. Wynette's original was about parents spelling out words of an impending marital split to avoid traumatizing their young child. Connolly's version "D.I.V.O.R.C.E.", on the other hand, played off of the fact that many dog owners use the same tactic when they do not wish their pet to become upset about an impending trip to the veterinarian. His song is about a couple whose marriage is ruined by a bad vet visit (spelling out "W.O.R.M." or "Q.U.A.R.A.N.T.I.N.E.", for example.)
His song "No Chance" was a parody of J.J. Barrie's "No Charge".
In 1985 he sang the theme song to Supergran, which was released as a single and in 1996 he performed a cover of Ralph McTell's In The Dreamtime as the theme to his World Tour of Australia. By the late 1980s, Connolly had all but dropped the music from his act, though he still records the occasional musical performance. In 1998 he covered The Beatles' "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" on the George Martin tribute, In My Life and he also recorded a rewritten version of Alanis Morissette's "Hand in My Pocket" entitled "The Evil Scotsman". Most recently, he sang a song during the film Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Connolly is among the artists featured on Banjoman, a tribute to American folk musician Derroll Adams, released in 2002. He plays one song, "The Rock".
Stand-up comedy
It is as a stand-up comedian that Connolly is best known. His observational comedy is idiosyncratic and often off-the-cuff. He talks about himself, who he is, where he's been, what he thinks and how he reacts to the world around him. He has outraged audiences, critics and, of course, the media with his free use of the word "fuck". He has used masturbation, blasphemy, defecation, flatulence, sex, his father's illness and his aunts' cruelty to entertain. By exploring these subjects with humour, Connolly has done much to strip away the taboos surrounding them. Yet he does not tell jokes in the conventional way. At the end of a concert the audience can be convulsed with laughter but few can remember a specific "funny" line.
One of Connolly's most famous comedy skits is "The Crucifixion", an early 1970s recording in which he likens Christ's Last Supper to a drunken night out in Glasgow. The recording was banned by many radio stations at the time. Around this same time, a joke told during a television talk show appearance (about a murderer and his bike) became a sensation that, reportedly, people still remember three decades after the appearance. (A transcript of the complete joke can be found here).
Billy Connolly also performed a sketch broadcast on TV, when talking about national anthems, and comparing the UK's slow tune to the lively ones of many other nations, Billy suggested that it should be replaced by the theme tune to The Archers.
Connolly's style has changed over the years to be less controversial and more observational. Including topics such as himself aging, stories about where he has been and other aspects of his life. He also exclaims "Oh, I must tell you!" and vocalises whatever thought occurs to him. Another feature is his ability to break off onto a tangent mid-topic and return to it later -- sometimes as long as an hour later.
Awards
Connolly was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by the University of Glasgow on 11 July, 2001. This particularly bemused his wife, who noted that she had studied for six years to obtain her Ph.D., whereas Billy merely had to turn up and collect his. 2003 saw him presented with a BAFTA Lifetime Achievement award and a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.
On 4 July 2006, Connolly was awarded an honorary doctorate by Glasgow's Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD) for his service to performing arts [5].
Trivia
* While being interviewed with his wife on the Irish Late Late Show, Connolly proved how easily he forgets many great lines that other comedians could only hope to think of. The presenter was trying to get Connolly to reproduce a funny line he had read in "Bravemouth" about Connolly knowing of an organism that lives on a human eyelid that has two penises. He asked Connolly "What was it called?" to which Connolly replied "Some latin name that I can't remember". His wife then interrupted "But the translation means lucky bastard, right", to which Connolly broke down in a fit of laughter. When he complemented his wife on the line, she had to remind him that it was his own original line which he had forgotten.
* Connolly is a lifelong supporter of Glasgow football team, Celtic, and is often seen at their home games.
* Connolly came second in The Glasgow Herald's poll, "The Most Scottish Person In The World". Number one was Wee Jimmy Krankie (see The Krankies), while third place went to Russ Abbott's impersonation of a Scotsman.
If It Was Nae for Your Wellies
Billy Connolly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If it wisnae fur yer wellies
Wherewud you be?
You'd be in the hospital
Or in firmary
Cause you wid hive a dose o the flu
Or even plurasie
If it wissne fur yer feet in yer wellies!
Wellies they are wunderful
Wellies they are swell
They keep out the watter
And they keep in the smell.
When your sittin in a room
You cin always tell when some
B***r take aff thur wellies
Chorus
When yr oout walking in the country with a bird
And your strolling about the fields
Like a farmers herd
And somebody shouts"Keep off The grass"
And you think how absurd
Squelch you find why all farmers wear wellies
Chorus
Fishermen and firemen theres farmers and all
Theres men who're digging ditches
And working in the snow
This country would grind to a halt
And not a thing would grow
If it was nae for the workers and their wellies
Chorus
The song โIf It Wasnae Fur Yer Welliesโ by Billy Connolly is a humorous tribute to the utility of wellington boots. The chorus of the song emphasizes the complete significance of wellies in oneโs life. It mentions that without wellies, a person would have to stay in the hospital due to flu or pleurisy. The rest of the verses are a tribute to the various people who use wellies, including farmers, fishermen, and even firemen. The song highlights the importance of wellies in two particular situations, i.e., keeping feet dry and preventing diseases and protecting feet from smelling, which is why they are necessary when sitting in small, closed rooms with others. In the second verse, the lyrics highlight the situation where people are walking in the countryside and being told to keep off the grass. This is when one realizes why all farmers wear wellies - they enable us to carry on with our lives despite adverse weather conditions and other challenges.
The humorous lyrics and upbeat melody in this song make it a fun listen. However, it also presents a subtle message about the value of hard work, especially in the face of tough conditions. By highlighting the diverse occupations that require wellies, the song shows the importance of the people behind these jobs. It is a tribute to the hardworking and resilient people who help keep things running smoothly. Ultimately, it is a song that celebrates the simple things in life like the humble welly.
Line by Line Meaning
If it wisnae fur yer wellies
If you didn't have your wellies on
Wherewud you be?
Where would you find yourself?
You'd be in the hospital
You would probably be in the hospital
Or in firmary
Or maybe in the infirmary
Cause you wid hive a dose o the flu
Because you would catch the flu
Or even plurasie
Or you could even catch pneumonia
If it wissne fur yer feet in yer wellies!
If it wasn't for your wellies protecting your feet!
Wellies, they are wunderful
Wellies are truly wonderful
Wellies they are swell
They are fantastic shoes
They keep out the watter
They keep water out
And they keep in the smell.
And they also trap in odors
When you're sittin in a room
When you're sitting in a closed room
You cin always tell when some
You can always tell when someone
B***r take aff thur wellies
Has taken off their wellies
Fishermen and firemen there's farmers and all
Fishermen, firemen, farmers, and others too
There's men who're digging ditches
There are also men who are digging ditches
And working in the snow
And they are working in the snow
This country would grind to a halt
This country would stop functioning altogether
And not a thing would grow
And nothing would grow
If it was nae for the workers and their wellies
If it wasn't for the workers and their trusty wellies!
And somebody shouts 'Keep off The grass'
And imagine someone telling you to keep off the grass
And you think how absurd
And you find the idea absurd
Squelch you find why all farmers wear wellies
And then you realize why farmers always wear wellies - to avoid the squelch!
Lyrics ยฉ O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: William Connolly
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jamietemperley460
This was played at my grandads funeral today, he was a broad and proud scotsman living in northumberland, Rip grandad
@tricia5792
โคRespect to your granddadโค. Try singing this south of county bloody Durham and they look at you like you're from another planet! Proper music! May I recommend for your viewing pleasure a clip of Billy Connolly - titled Don't Drink The Tap Water In Ibiza? I had tears of laughter watching it.
@ShirotheWiseWolf
My grandad, a proud glasweigian also spent his last days in Northumberland, can't be too far from Scotland now can ye, aha~
@medievalladybird394
How can you not love this man?
@fionawelsh
He was the best
@josephodonnell8649
I played this song to about 20 plus pensioners last night and after the first chord was struck they joined in and knew every single word of the song..Billy you make everyone laugh ..
@staceymcbride410
Best guy in Scotland ๐๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ
@douglaspatrick868
The Big Yin, lovely and hilarious fella, glad he's still with us and not doing too poorly all in all, Parkinson's is utter bollocks!
@joannp5806
I just watched his colonoscopy skit cause it poked up in my you tube feed,I lmao,such a talented guy,now I'm searching for all his other skits,and just read your comment,so sad to hear he has Parkinsons,I didn't know๐ข
@KaiLindason-cn6lv
Still as funny as ever! Respect! โ๏ธ