Their first hit, "I'm Into Something Good", was produced by Mickie Most, reaching #1 in the UK (1963) and #13 in the US (1964). Other hits followed such as "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter" (1965) and "I'm Henry VIII, I Am". The last was said at the time to be "the fastest-selling song in history". The band played on these singles but many of their subsequent singles employed session musicians, including Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, with contributions from the band. The band's singles were written by top songwriters of the day. Regardless of how the records were made, the guitar player, Lek Leckenby, was a gifted guitarist. Indeed, all the other members were capable players and Peter Noone was a charismatic front man. The band was nominated for two Grammy awards in 1965, both for "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter". Noone and the band deliberately emphasized their Manchester accents on the record, which was never intended to be a single.
Born in Manchester, England, Noone was a child TV star in Coronation Street and in other TV work. He was still only 15 when he achieved international fame as teenage heart-throb as leader of the Hermits.
Herman's Hermits, whilst hugely successful in the mid-1960s, never topped the British charts again after their first hit, "I'm Into Something Good". However, they had two US No. 1's with "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter" and "I'm Henry the Eighth, I Am". The band disliked both songs, and never released them as singles in Britain. They appeared in several movies, including When The Boys Meet The Girls (1965) and Hold On! (1966). They also appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Dean Martin Show and The Jackie Gleason Show.
They enjoyed consistent success in Britain throughout the rest of the decade but they were even more popular in America for a while. Their hits continued until 1967's "No Milk Today". Soon, however, the Monkees had replaced Herman's Hermits as the simple pop rock act, and the Hermits' career declined. "There's a Kind of Hush (All Over the World)" engendered a revival, but the Hermits never again cracked the top 10 in the U.S. This song was, however, successfully covered by The Carpenters in their album "A Kind of Hush", released in 1976. The band continued releasing records throughout the 1970s with little success. In the end, Herman's Hermits were a band which were both blessed and cursed by the 'niche' in which originally they found success.
(Adapted from Wikipedia)
I'm Henry The VIII I Am
Herman's Hermits Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Henry the eighth, I am, I am
I got married to the widow next door
She's been married seven times before
And every one was an Henry (Henry)
She wouldn't have a Willy or a Sam (no Sam)
I'm her eighth old man, I'm Henry
Second verse, same as the first
I'm Henry the eighth, I am
Henry the eighth, I am, I am
I got married to the widow next door
She's been married seven times before
And every one was an Henry (Henry)
She wouldn't have a Willy or a Sam (no Sam)
I'm her eighth old man, I'm Henry
Henry the eighth, I am
I'm Henry the eighth, I am
Henry the eighth, I am, I am
I got married to the widow next door
She's been married seven times before
And every one was an Henry (Henry)
She wouldn't have a Willy or a Sam (no Sam)
I'm her eighth old man, I'm Henry
Henry the eighth, I am
H-E-N-R-Y
Henry (Henry) Henry (Henry)
Henry the eighth, I am, I am
Henry the eighth, I am, yeah
"I'm Henry the Eighth I Am" is a novelty song performed by Herman's Hermits that tells the story of a man named Henry who marries a widow next door that has been previously married seven times, with all of her previous husbands being named Henry. The song is structured in a very simple way, with the same two verses repeated three times, with the chorus being a chant-like repetition of Henry's name.
There is playful humor in the lyrics, with Henry boasting about his previous weddings and the widow's preference for men with the name Henry. The song manages to be both catchy and charming, and Herman's Hermits delivers it with a lightness of touch that makes it all the more enjoyable to listen to.
"I'm Henry the Eighth I Am" was a hit in the UK and USA and remains a popular tune that people often dance to. It has been covered by numerous artists, including Andy Warhol, who performed it in his own unique style.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm Henry the eighth I am
I am Henry the eighth
Henry the eighth I am, I am
I am Henry the eighth and I am proud of it
I got married to the widow next door
I married the woman who lives next to me and was previously married
She's been married seven times before
She has been married seven times previously
And every one was an Henry (Henry)
All of her previous husbands were also named Henry
She wouldn't have a Willy or a Sam (no Sam)
She refused to marry anyone whose name wasn't Henry, specifically not a Willy or a Sam
I'm her eighth old man, I'm Henry
I am now her eighth husband and my name is also Henry
H-E-N-are-why
Spelling out his name, Henry
Henry (Henry) Henry (Henry)
Repeating his name, Henry
Henry the eighth I am, I am
Continued pride in being Henry the eighth
Henry the eighth I am yeah
Affirmation of being Henry the eighth
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Fred Murray, R P Weston
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@WPUpioneer
I work as an EMT... had a call for an intoxicated patient four years ago.... guy was singing this at the TOP OF HIS LUNGS in the back of my ambulance. Made for a very interesting trip to the hospital... we still pick this patient up on occasion and he is now known as "Henry VIII" among the staff and yes, he did the spelling out Henry also, slamming his foot on the stretcher for each letter....until we had to yell at him to stop doing that.
@doughesson
Just another Friday night,huh?
@ryanberrigan5421
Cant make that up
@katherinetutschek4757
🤣🤣 that's awesome
@laminatedsamurai
Sounds like one of my old frequent fliers. Sometimes I miss my old service area.
@joshcharlat850
Very funny.
@kaseyl.9305
This performance is so cute..I've watched this an embarrassingly excessive amount of times..
@magneto7930
Ha me too. It's addicting!
@adriennerobinson1180
Yes
@ediebeale5773
Me too. I can't stop. 😆