Lyrics & Knowledge Personal Pages Record Shop Auction Links Radio & Media Kids Membership Help
The Mudcat Cafesj



User Name Thread Name Subject Posted
Jim Dixon Lyr Req: The Working Men of England (14) Lyr Add: SONG ON THE TIMES 06 May 16


Here's the complete song that was, no doubt, the source for Chumbawamba, who omitted 3 verses:

From Curiosities of Street Literature edited by Charles Hindley (London: Reeves and Turner, 1871), page 71:

SONG ON THE TIMES

1. You working men of England.... [as above]

CHORUS. So arouse you sons of Freedom.... [as above]

2. What a fuss there was in England, Ireland, and Scotland too,
On the passing of the Corn Bill and the good that it would do,
But since it's past Meat got so high which makes poor people pine.
If it would do good it's time it did for factories are on short time.

3. For when the bill was in the house they said it would do good,
To the working man it has not yet, I only wish it would,
For factories are on short time wherever you may go,
And the masters all are scheming plans to get our wages low.

4. There's different parts in Ireland.... [as above]

5. Alas! how altered are the times.... [as above]

6. In former times when Christmas came we had a good big loaf,
Then beef and mutton plenty were, and we enjoyed them both,
But now-a-days such altered ways and different is the times,
If starving and ask relief you're sent to a Whig bastile.

7. So to conclude and finish.... [as above]


Post to this Thread -

Back to the Main Forum Page

By clicking on the User Name, you will requery the forum for that user. You will see everything that he or she has posted with that Mudcat name.

By clicking on the Thread Name, you will be sent to the Forum on that thread as if you selected it from the main Mudcat Forum page.

By clicking on the Subject, you will also go to the thread as if you selected it from the original Forum page, but also go directly to that particular message.

By clicking on the Date (Posted), you will dig out every message posted that day.

Try it all, you will see.