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.
Oh
Billy Connolly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm scaird tae go tae the lavat'ry.
I've no been since two weeks last Saturday.
I know who's hidin' in there!
My name's Shug McGlumpher and I live up this close.
I'll tell ye a story. I promise it's nae boast.
During the power cut, I saw a big ghost.
Oh dear, what can the matter be?
I'm scaird tae go tae the lavat'ry.
I've no been since two weeks last Saturday.
I know who's hidin' in there!
He'd two big red eyes. On his head was a dent, man;
Big hairy horns, and his neck was all bent, man.
My mammy says he sounds just like the rent man,
But I know who's hiding in there.
Oh dear, what can the matter be?
I'm scaird tae go tae the lavat'ry.
I've no been since two weeks last Saturday.
I know who's hidin' in there!
Billy Connolly's song "Oh" is a funny and lighthearted take on the fear of going to the bathroom. The singer of the song is scared to go to the lavatory because they believe someone or something is hiding in there. The character of Shug McGlumpher is introduced, who tells the story of seeing a big ghost during a power cut. The ghost had two big red eyes, horns, and a bent neck. Shug's mother compares the ghost to the rent man, but Shug knows who is hiding in the bathroom.
The humor in the song lies in the contrast between the singer's fear of what could be hiding in the bathroom and Shug's outlandish story of a ghost. The lyrics are delivered in a Scottish accent, adding to the humor and charm of the song. Despite the silly nature of the lyrics, the song touches on relatable fears and anxieties that many people have experienced.
Overall, "Oh" is a whimsical take on a common fear, and the inclusion of Shug's ghost story adds an extra layer of humor and absurdity to the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh dear, what can the matter be?
The singer is worried about something.
I'm scaird tae go tae the lavat'ry.
The singer is scared to go to the bathroom.
I've no been since two weeks last Saturday.
The singer has not used the bathroom since two weeks ago.
I know who's hidin' in there!
The artist suspects someone is hiding in the bathroom.
My name's Shug McGlumpher and I live up this close.
The artist introduces himself as Shug McGlumpher who lives nearby.
I'll tell ye a story. I promise it's nae boast.
The singer wants to share a story and assures it's truthful.
During the power cut, I saw a big ghost.
The singer saw a ghost during a power outage.
Naebody knows that he's there.
No one else is aware of the ghost's presence.
He'd two big red eyes. On his head was a dent, man;
The ghost had distinctive traits - red eyes and a dent on his head.
Big hairy horns, and his neck was all bent, man.
The ghost also had hairy horns and a bent neck.
My mammy says he sounds just like the rent man,
The singer's mother believes the ghost sounds like the rent man.
But I know who's hiding in there.
Despite his mother's opinion, the artist is convinced that someone else is hiding in the bathroom.
Oh dear, what can the matter be?
The singer is still worried about the situation.
I'm scaird tae go tae the lavat'ry.
The fear of going to the bathroom persists.
I've no been since two weeks last Saturday.
The singer still hasn't used the bathroom in two weeks.
I know who's hidin' in there!
The artist is absolutely sure that someone is hiding in the bathroom.
Contributed by Jackson W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Shardric
on The evil Scotsman
It's not Billy Connolly.
It's actually called "Trouble"
It was written by George Allen and Garry Desmond and perormed by The Rockin' Jock.