"Lily the Pink" was inspired by the American product: Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound circa 1875. The song was sung during the First World War in POW camps in Germany by Canadian prisoners.

Oscar Brand was perhaps the first to record "The Ballad of Lydia Pinkham".
In late 1968.

The Scaffold's version featured Mike McGear (Peter Michael McCartney), Paul McCartney's brother and backing vocalists Graham Nash of The Hollies, Elton John (then Reg Dwight), and Jack Bruce of Cream played bass.

A few months after the Scaffold release came the Irish Rover's of "Lily the Pink" which became a minor hit in 1969.