Good news !

We have finally tracked down the original sheet music, thanks to John Jordan, archivist of the Workers Music Association, who has kindly sent me a copy.

The attribution and lyrics are pretty much as first posted by the Landlords Daughter right at the start of this thread. That is - it is the song, the whole song ( " missing " verse included ), with one or two lines slightly altered.


Lyric by B. WOOLF    Music by ARNOLD CLAYTON


Please open your hearts and your purses
To a man who is misunderstood
He gets all the kicks and the curses,
Though he wishes you nothing but good:
He wistfully begs you to show him
You think he's a friend, not a louse,
So remember the debt that you owe him,
The Landlord who lends you his house.

Chorus:

So pity the downtrodden landlord,
And his back that is burdened and bent;
Respect his grey hairs, Don't ask for repairs,
And don't be behind with the rent!


You are able to work for your living
And rejoice in your strength and your skill;
So try to be kind and forgiving
To a man whom a day's work would kill;
You can work and still talk to your neighbour,
You can look the whole world in the face,
But the landlord who ventured to labour,
Would never survive the disgrace

So pity etc. etc. et.

When thunder clouds gather and darken,
You can sleep undisturbed in your bed,
But the landlord must sit up and hearken,
And shiver, and wonder, and dread
If you're killed, then you'll die in a hurry,
And you never will know your bad luck,
But the landlord is shaking with worry,
"Has one of my houses been struck?"

So pity etc.

When a landlord resorts to eviction,
Don't think that he does it for spite;
He is acting from deepest conviction,
And what's right, after all, is what's right;
But I see that your hearts are all hardened,
And I fear I'm appealing in vain;
Yet I hope that my last plea will be pardoned,
If I beg on my knees once again .

So pity etc.    "

As correctly stated by Barrie Roberts, B Woolf is the late Dr Barnet Woolf , who worked with Unity Theatre in London in the late 30s and into the 40s.

He wrote lots of good songs. We have plans to publish more of his stuff .... thoughts of a website.

Many thanks to all who joined in the quest.