The Chest of Silver

SONG NOTES A.J. Raffles and Harry “Bunny” Sanders are two characters written by E.W. Hornung who was the brother-in-law of Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes adventures. They were gentlemanly rogues and scoundrels who played cricket during the day and performed burglary crimes by night. This song is based on an actual story by E.W. Hornung titled "The Chest of Silver." You can find the story online for free since it is in the public domain. The British ITV 1970s series re-enacted the short story which you might catch online like on BritBox or maybe secretly uploaded somewhere. I think you'll get the gist of the story from the lyrics. It's the only bank robbery that Hornung wrote for the duo. The song’s style is contemporary to the turn of the 20th Century, specifically in England where music hall and parlour songs which could be sung along to were all the rage. This is the second song about Raffles I've done. The other song includes more about how Raffles and Bunny came to be in the literary world in the song notes. Listen to the first one here: "With This Ring" https://suno.com/s/4Pz1F8FsFrfcuoah SONG LYRICS [Verse 1] Now Raffles was a cricketer, as neat as you please, With a bat in his grip and a bowler to tease; Said he’d gone for the Scotch hills and the hound’s brisk call, But he’d packed a cedar chest filled with priceless notions and all. He enlisted "Bunny" Sanders, bold as you please, Asked him to wheel the cedar chest through the street with ease. While the train puffed north through the smoke and rain, Raffles grinned to himself with something else in the game. [Chorus] Oh, Raffles in the chest, dear me! It was Raffles in the chest, you see! Bunny took the chest to the bank, so grand, Saying, “Heavy work, but I’m your man!” Oh, Raffles in the chest, dear me! It was Raffles in the chest, you see! [Verse 2] In the hush of the bank, with the vault door sealed, Raffles lay low where the riches were heaped and wheeled; The silver coin and jewels sat locked in the gloom, And he slid from his hiding place, quiet as the tomb. With a grin and a glance at the treasures ‘round him, He slipped out to lift what the bankers had trimmed; The latch barely stirred, and the watchman slept sound, While silver and jewels were waiting to be pocket bound. [Chorus] Oh, Raffles in the vault, dear me! It was Raffles in the vault, you see! With the jewels and the silver all bright, Locked in for the whole damn night. Oh, Raffles in the vault, dear me! It was Raffles in the vault, you see! [Verse 3] When word of the robbery rang through the next day, Bunny came round for his friend’s chest, with a huff in the fray; He took it away with a grunt and a shove, But no one guessed the chest held Raffles and booty like a glove. Then back at the Albany, the chest gave a muffled tap, And when opening the lid, Bunny cried, “Oh my! A trap!” Raffles smiled and said, “Yes, Bunny, you hadn’t a clue, Sending me in and out of the bank by a friend like you.” [Bridge] Bunny scratched his head and laughed out loud, “Beg your pardon, old chap, but I’m rather proud; If this is a job, then I’ve done it quite right, For I’ve moved the whole bank in the dead of the night!” [Chorus] Oh, Raffles and Bunny, dear me! It was Raffles and his Bunny, you see! A cricketer by day, and a thief by night Lifted all the bank’s jewels and silver all bright. Oh, Raffles and Bunny, dear me! It was Raffles and Bunny, you see! [Outro] So give three cheers for the gentleman cracks And the chum who carted the plundered packs, If you’re counting the wins, go ahead, count me in: The two walked out richer, and likely will do it again!