The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #132232   Message #3080699
Posted By: Charley Noble
23-Jan-11 - 11:54 AM
Thread Name: Hey ho! Cook and Rowe 50th today
Subject: LYR.ADD.: St. Pancras Day
"Hey ho! Cook and Rowe" was recorded by Peggy Seeger on New Britain Gazette II, Folkways Records FW 8734.

The same incident inspired a song by by Alex Comfort, © 1961, titled "St. Pancras Day" set to the tune of "Courtin’ in the Kitchen."

Come all you tenants skint,
Pay heed to my narration,
I’ll give you a hint
On dealing with inflation;
The Tories were returned,
Decided on a flutter â€"
We’d pay them what we earned,
Or we’d wake up in the gutter.

Chorus:

With my toora, loora, la,
Toora, loora, laddy,
Toora, loora, la,
St. Pancras Borough Council.

The notice it was sent
From Mr. Price the Chairman:
You’ll have to pay the rent
Or get out then and there, man;
The Council took today
Solicitor’s advice, sir,
And if you want to stay
You’ve got to pay the price, sir. (CHO)

The tenants they returned
An answer brief and civil:
Your bloody forms we’ve burned
And we’ll see you at the devil;
Our mate, he’s wired in nice,
And sentries put to watch him,
And as for Mr. Price
We’ll pay him when we catch him! (CHO)
The bailiffs they come round
Just as the dawn was breaking;
Their strategy was sound,
They thought we’d not be waking;
But as they came in haste
A rocket took the air, sir,
And much to their distaste
Half London it was there, sir. (CHO)

They had to break the wall
And enter through a fissure,
And standing by on call
Was the Brighton Horse Militia;
It was like a NATO show
With Monty there to guide it,
A tank laid one man low
With the goldfish still inside it. (CHO)

When they got the tenants out
By dint of demolition;
The people raised a shout
And flocked around to listen;
They said, “We mean to fight!â€쳌
Their comments were explicit,
And we all went round that night
To pay Mr. Price a visit. (CHO)

He screamed for the police
To save him from the tenants;
We had to swear the peace
And in court we’re doing penance;
But the Tories should reflect,
It’s too soon for celebrating â€"
There’s hundreds to eject
And they’ll find us ready waiting.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble