"Waiting at the Church" is a popular comedic British

music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was most popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850, through the World War I, Great War. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as Varie ...

song written by Fred W. Leigh (words) and Henry E. Pether (music) for Vesta Victoria, and copyrighted in 1906. It is sung by a bride-to-be who has given her

fiancé An engagement or betrothal is the period of time between the declaration of acceptance of a marriage proposal and the marriage itself (which is typically but not always commenced with a wedding). During this period, a couple is said to be ''f ...

, Obadiah Binks, all her money to buy a ring or a house, only to be left "waiting at the church"; she finds out the truth when Obadiah sends her a note telling her he is already married. It has featured in a number of films since the earliest days of cinema. The silent film '' Waiting at the Church'' featured a performance by Victoria as she acted out the lyrics. Several other silent films were made to accompany recordings of the song. Sound films which use the song include '' Here Come the Huggetts'', '' Millions Like Us'' and '' I Thank You''. Richard Thompson included it on his album '' 1000 Years of Popular Music''. It has also been covered many times, including by

Julie Andrews Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over eight decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Fi ...

and

Miss Piggy Miss Piggy is a The Muppets, Muppet character known for her Breakthrough role, breakout role in the sketch comedy television series ''The Muppet Show''. She is notable for her temperamental diva superstar personality, her tendency to use French l ...

. The second half of the song's refrain was sung by the then Prime Minister

James Callaghan Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff ( ; 27 March 191226 March 2005) was a British statesman and Labour Party (UK), Labour Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the L ...

at the Annual Congress of the TUC in September 1978, to end widespread speculation that there would be a

general election A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from By-election, by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. Gener ...

that year. Callaghan misattributed the song to the better-known

Marie Lloyd Matilda Alice Victoria Wood (12 February 1870 – 7 October 1922), professionally known as Marie Lloyd (), was an English music hall singer, comedian and musical theatre actress. She was best known for her performances of songs such as "The Boy ...

, an error not corrected by many news media when reporting it and which has in consequence become common.

References

{{Reflist Music hall songs British songs 1906 songs James Callaghan 1978 in British politics The Muppets songs Richard Thompson (musician) songs Songs with lyrics by Fred W. Leigh