"Billy Boy" is a traditional
folk song and
nursery rhyme found in the
United States, in which "Billy Boy" is asked various questions, and the answers all center on his quest to marry a girl who is said to be too young to leave her mother.
The nursery rhyme, framed in question-and-answer form, is ironic and teasing in tone:[1]
Oh, where have you been, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Oh, where have you been, Charming Billy?
I have been to seek a wife, she's the joy of my whole life
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother[2]
The narrative of the song has been related by some to "
Lord Randall", a
murder ballad from the British Isles, in which the suitor is poisoned by the woman he visits.[3]
Feeding has always been closely linked with courtship […] With humans this works two ways since we are the only animals who cook: the bride is usually appraised for her cooking ability. (“Can she bake a
cherry pie, Billy boy, Billy boy?”) In some cultures this is far more important than her virginity.[4]
In the traditional last verse of the song, Billy Boy is asked how old the girl is. While his answer is convoluted, it reveals an age that is old and not young, adding to the irony and humor of the song.
The song was also parodied in 1941 by
Pete Seeger and Lee Hays in an anti-war protest song of the same name.[5]
In popular culture
A line from the song was used as the title for
Henry Jaglom's 1983 film Can She Bake a Cherry Pie?, which concerns a middle-aged
New York City musician who, after being dumped by her husband, develops a relationship with a middle-aged divorced social worker. The song "Billy Boy" is also performed in the film.[6]
Further variants have been recorded, some greatly extending the number of verses and the tasks that the wife can perform. An extended version of the song in which the lover performs many tasks besides baking a
cherry pie was collected by
Alan Lomax and
John Avery Lomax; it appears in American Ballads and Folk Songs. The Lomax version names the woman being courted Betsy Jane.[7]
A version of the song by
Jerry Lee Lewis was released on the 1975 album Rare, Vol. 1.[8][2]
Jazz pianist
Ahmad Jamal arranged and recorded the song in 1951. The recording was later featured on his 1959 album The Piano Scene of Ahmad Jamal, as well as on the 2008 Poinciana compilation album.[a]
Led by pianist
Red Garland, the
rhythm section of
Miles Davis' band recorded Jamal's arrangement of "Billy Boy" for Davis' album Milestones (1958). It is the only track on the album that does not feature any horns playing.