About Ralph Butler
Lived 1886 – 1969 (aged 82). Ralph Butler was a British lyricist and songwriter.
Ralph Thomas Butler (12 October 1886 – 8 April 1969) was a British songwriter, responsible for the lyrics of many popular songs of the 1930s and later, mostly with comic or novelty elements.
He was active as a songwriter from the late 1920s until the mid-1950s. Among his most famous songs were "All By Yourself In The Moonlight" (1929), published under the pseudonym Jay Wallis, which reportedly sold over a million copies; "Let’s Sing The Cuddly Song" (written with Julian Wright, 1929); "The Sun Has Got His Hat On" (1932), "Run, Rabbit, Run" (1939), and "Hey! Little Hen" (1941), all co-written with Noel Gay; "Let's All Go To The Music Hall" (1934), written with Harry Tilsley and Lawrence Wright; "There's A Lovely Lake In London" (1935), with Tolchard Evans and Stanley Damerell; "Horsey Horsey" (1938), with Paddy Roberts; "Come And Have A Drink At The Victory Arms" (1941), with Tolchard Evans; and "Nellie the Elephant" (1956), written with Peter Hart. Another song, also co-written with Noel Gay, "We Don't Know Where We're Going" (1944), was used to great effect during war scenes in the movie Overlord.
He died in 1969 in a London hospital, at the age of 82.
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Important facts
People in Ralph Butler's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Ralph Butler's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Ralph Butler?
British musician (1886–1969)
When was Ralph Butler born?
Ralph Butler was born on 12 October 1886.
When did Ralph Butler die?
Ralph Butler died on 8 April 1969.
What was Ralph Butler's occupation?
Ralph Butler was a lyricist and songwriter.
What nationality was Ralph Butler?
Ralph Butler was British.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ralph Butler. https://biography.guide/ralph-butler/
MLA: "Ralph Butler." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ralph-butler/.
Chicago: "Ralph Butler." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ralph-butler/.
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