If I was only long enough (a soldier I would be)

Sheet music for the popular comic music hall song 'If I was only long enough (a soldier I would be)' written by T. S. Longsdale, composed by W. G. Eaton, sung by Arthur Roberts. The colour lithographed cover depicts the singer, Arthur Roberts mid song.

The Music hall entertainer and vocal comedian Arthur Roberts was born in Kentish Town in 1852. He began performing professionally on stage in 1871, having been discovered busking in Covent Garden. In 1876 he performed 'If I was only long enough (a soldier I would be)' for the first time at the Oxford Music Hall.

Having first established his music hall career in the holiday resort of Great Yarmouth, Roberts returned to London for his first tour of the capital's music halls in 1877. Performing regularly at Evans's supper rooms he developed a reputation for singing bawdy and riskey songs, that in 1879 resulted in Evans's losing its licence for one year. In the 1890s Roberts popularised the song ‘Daddy Wouldn’t buy me a Bow Wow.’ In 1907 he was one of the leaders of the ‘Music Hall War’ striking for better working conditions and is also credited with originating the word ‘spoof.’