Broadside ballad entitled 'The Man that Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo'

Commentary

Verse 1: 'I've just got here, through Paris, from the sunny southern shore, / I to Monte Carlo went, just to raise my winter's rent; / Dame Fortune smil'd upon me as she'd never done before, / And I've now such lots of money, I'm a gent, / Yes, now I've such lots of money, I'm a gent.'

This song is still very well known today, but first gained popularity in British music halls of the nineteenth century. It is believed to have been inspired by Joseph Hobson Jagger, an engineer from Little Horton in Bradford, who won one million pounds playing roulette in Monte Carlo in July, 1875. Jagger died in 1892 and is buried in Bethel graveyard, between Bradford and Halifax. The song was written by Fred Gilbert and popularised by Charles Coburn.

Early ballads were dramatic or humorous narrative songs derived from folk culture that predated printing. Originally perpetuated by word of mouth, many ballads survive because they were recorded on broadsides. Musical notation was rarely printed, as tunes were usually established favourites. The term 'ballad' eventually applied more broadly to any kind of topical or popular verse.

previous