Lyr Req: A woman's work is in the 'ome

Subject: Lyr Req: A woman's work is in the 'ome
From: GUEST,Molly
Date: 18 Feb 12 - 01:01 PM

I confess I'm not actually looking for the lyric of this song as I have been singing it for years (I've probably changed it a bit as I've gone along - including rendering it in pseudo Cockney!)but I can't remember who wrote it. I'd also like to find the 'proper' tune for it. I can't read music so when I learned the words from a book I made up my own tune!
It is a Music Hall-type song but must have been written in the 1950's because it mentions the 'Baby Austin' car which was made no earlier than the '50s.
This is the first verse :
"A woman's work is in the 'ome, that's wot the master says
I finks abaht it times when I'm alone.
'E wouldn't say so if 'e 'ad my job a week or two and 'ad to work 'is fingers to the bone.
A-cleaning boots and scrubbin' floors, fed up wiv it I am
And I can't see 'ow it's ever goin' ter stop.
But when 'e says that stairs is slimmin' and that washin' cleans the 'ands, ow I wish as I could sock 'im wiv me mop!"
Any of you Mudcatters out there recognise it?
Molly

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A woman's work is in the 'ome
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 18 Feb 12 - 01:50 PM

The song appears in My Song Is My Own - 100 Women's Songs - Kathy Henderson with Frankie Armstrong and Sandra Kerr - as A Woman's Work.

The credits say: Another cockney music hall song. Words: Sue Pay, 1934; tune: Sandra Kerr, 1977.

There's no further information on the song. It's unclear if there was another tune with the words originally; since it's described as a music hall song, I would have thought so, but maybe the description wasn't exact. Perhaps SteveG has some information on the song.


Since the song there has a new tune by Sandra Kerr, there's no reason why you shouldn't use your own tune instead, but if you want Sandra Kerr's tune I can post it later.

Frankie Armstrong recorded it on And The Music Plays So Grand.

Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A woman's work is in the 'ome
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 18 Feb 12 - 01:55 PM

There is a British Library catalogue entry for the song: Sue Pay - A Woman's Work ca 1934. The entry says 1 Score and it is awaiting full cataloguing (look at Details). I'm not sure if Score suggests there is a tune, but I would have thought so.

Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A woman's work is in the 'ome
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 18 Feb 12 - 02:28 PM

A woman's place is in the wrong. So they say.
I wouldn't dare to comment though!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A woman's work is in the 'ome
From: Little Robyn
Date: 18 Feb 12 - 02:33 PM

About Baby Austin cars, my Dad had one when I was a baby - in the mid 40s. To get me to sleep they would hop in the car and drive around for awhile. Later, in 1966 I nearly bought one myself but it was about 30 years old and rusty. Dad said I was a B. idiot so I bought a Morrie Minor instead!
Robyn