You have heard this song. Did you know that it was written in the latter half of the 19th Century and rewritten in 1901?
Here is the chorus:
Where did you get that hat,Where did you get that tile,
And isn’t it a nobby one,
And what a proper style.
I should like to have one
Just the same as that;
Where’er I go they shout, Hulloa,Where did you get that hat?
Translations:
Tile = Hat and in particular a tall silk hat
Nobby = Stylish
Yes they spoke funny then but I suppose they would think we speak funny too. Don’t forget that “gay” was happy and in a party mood then (as in Gay Paris) now it’s completely different. (Well perhaps not that different).
Although the words are taken to refer to a gentleman’s hat one can take it as referring to any hat without gender.
There is more information about the song (including a copy of an old broadsheet of the words) on the National Library of Scotland site.
http://www.nls.uk/broadsides/broadside.cfm/id/15063/transcript/1
There looks to be a great deal of historical information for history buffs like me on that site.
Re-posted from Hat Nostalgia as per transition plan.
