"Bell Bottom Trousers" is a reworking of the folksong "Rosemary Lane". A sea shanty version has bawdy lyrics, but a clean version of the tune was written in 1944 for modern audiences by bandleader Moe Jaffe.
Moe Jaffe version
This version enjoyed great popularity during World War II, and has been recorded by different performers.
Bell Bottom Trousers was the last song with a military connection to be featured on the popular radio and television broadcast Your Hit Parade.
The recording by Tony Pastor's orchestra was made on April 4, 1945 and released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-1661, with the flip side "Five Salted Peanuts". It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on May 10, 1945 and lasted 15 weeks on the chart, peaking at #2.
The recording by Kay Kyser's orchestra was recorded on April 2, 1945 and released by Columbia Records as catalog number 36801, with the flip side "Can't You Read Between the Lines?". It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on June 7, 1945 and lasted 6 weeks on the chart, peaking at #5.
The recording by Guy Lombardo's orchestra was recorded on April 20, 1945, and released by Decca Records as catalog number 18683, with the flip side "Oh, Brother!". It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on June 14, 1945 and lasted 10 weeks on the chart, peaking at #6.
The recording by Jerry Colonna was released by Capitol Records as catalog number 204, with the flip side "I Cried for You". It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on July 26, 1945 and lasted 2 weeks on the chart, peaking at #9.
The recording by the Louis Prima orchestra was recorded in February, 1945, and released by Majestic Records as catalog number 7134, with the flip side "Caledonia". It reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on June 7, 1945 at #10, its only appearance on the chart.
It was also recorded by: Lee Bedford Jr. and the Big D Ranch Hands, released by Imperial Records as catalog number 1111, with the flip side "Cowboy Loop". The Four Blues, released by De Luxe Records as catalog number 1000. The Jesters, recorded June 26, 1944 and released by Decca Records as catalog number 4452, with the flip side "The Bunyon Brigadiers". George Paxton & his Orchestra, (vocal: Alan Dale), released by Guild Records as catalog number 120, with the flip side "Counting the Days until Tomorrow".
Several other versions were also recorded.
Other versions
Alternate titles
The earliest versions of this song are titled "The Servant of Rosemary Lane". Other titles include: "Rosemary Lane", as recorded by Bert Jansch, who lists the first printing date as ca. 1780, and as recorded by Anne Briggs "The Oak and the Ash" [Roud 269;Laws K43], for a few versions collected in the twentieth century, for example as sung by Jumbo Brightwell on The Voice of the People Vol 2 (not to be confused with "The Oak and the Ash" [Roud number 1367] recorded by The Watersons on their eponymously named second album and on the BBC documentary Travelling for a Living).
Lyrical adaptations
The 10th Mountain Division of the United States Army adapted this song to feature a mountain-village setting and adopted the result, "Ninety Pounds of Rucksack", as its official fighting/drinking song.
Original Lyrics
There once was a waitress from the Prince George Hotel
Her mistress was a lady, her master was a swell
They knew she was a simple girl and lately from a farm
And they watched her carefully to keep her from all harm
Chorus: Singing a bell bottom trousers, coats of navy blue Let him climb the rigging like his daddy used to do