From the film "I See Ice" (1938) starring George Formby, Kay Walsh and Garry Marsh. Composed by Roma Campbell-Hunter & Harry Parr-Davies.
Lyrics -
Mother you give good advice
Always you mean well
Now I need it more than ever
I'm inside this cell
I'm behind a prison wall
The bed's so hard and much too small
There's no pyjamas here at all
Mother, what'll I do now?
They told me they would treat me swell
Tucked inside my little cell
But up to now it's been like hell!
Mother, what'll I do now?
We're parted from each other and that's too bad
You're my favourite mother, the best I ever had
Tonight I've got a date you see
But they won't let me have a key
And the Warders won't sit up for me
Oh! Mother, what'll I do now?
It's hard to pass the time away
I'm in a dangerous mood I say
I've smoked two cigarettes today
Mother, what'll I do now?
First I stand and then I sit
Then I sit and stand a bit
But I can't stand much more of it
Oh! Mother, what'll I do now?
We're parted from each other and that's too bad
You're my favourite mother, the best I ever had
I got such an awful shock
I asked the time cos there's no clock
And the Warder said, Six months, old cock!
Oh! Mother, what'll I do now?
I ordered lunch from soup to sweet
But they forgot the fish and meat
And since the soup there's nowt to eat
Oh Mother, what'll I do now?
I've had such a tummy ache
All night long I've been awake
Some castor oil they made me take
Oh! Mother, what'll I do now?
We're parted from each other and that's too bad
You're my favourite mother, the best I ever had
Ive played Peter fly away Paul
Ive played tiddly winks and all
Ive written rude words upon the wall
Oh! Mother, what'll I do now?