The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #106833   Message #2210208
Posted By: Jim Dixon
06-Dec-07 - 10:06 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Add: The Working Man's A.B.C. (from Bodleian)
Subject: Lyr Add: THE WORKING MAN'S A.B.C. (from Bodleian)
Joe Offer seemed so impressed with A SOLDIER'S ALPHABET that I decided to go looking for more alphabet songs.

The Bodleian Library Catalogue of Ballads has 22 of them. This one (Frith c.16(204)) seems the most interesting. Although it is printed as "A Alphabet" (etc.), it makes more sense, and fills out the meter better, to use the conventional phrase "A stands for Alphabet" (etc.).
^^
THE WORKING MAN'S A.B.C.
[1891]

A Alphabet, that we used to learn at school.
You'll find a deal of truth in it, tho' written by a fool.

B British Workman. There are thousands here today.
The Eight-Hours Movement we must have, and that without delay.

C Country. Ours is governed by the swells.
The rich man eats the oysters. The poor man gets the shells.

D Donkeys--the masters are, we say,
But when the men began to strike, the Union made them bray.

E Eight Hours we want to play,
Eight to work and eight to sleep, and get eight bob a day.

F Freedom. We have it here no doubt.
If you haven't got a dinner you are free to go without.

G Greed, and that precious stuff called gold.
Our capitalists possess it, and tight enough they hold.

H House and Home, alright when we've got tin,
But when out of work and can't pay up, they put the brokers in.

I Improvements, which our rulers seem to shirk.
Why don't they set about it, and give shorter hours for work?

J Justice--the poor they seldom get,
And though the good time's coming, it has not come as yet.

K Kind relations, when a bob you want to borrow;
I haven't any cash today, pray call again tomorrow.

L Lies.--I'm sure the lot they tell.
It's very near enough to send the blooming lot to ---- Spain, well, well.

M Masters; but then you see there's Missus,
Some Missuses wear drawers, but my one wears the breeches.

N Number that have had to emigrate,
And leave their native country to avoid a pauper's fate.

O Old Times, which our fathers said was good 'uns,
When instead of dining on faggots, we get roast beef and puddings.

P Parliament. When members they get there
For the working-men who got them in, the devil a bit they care.

Q Question? Let them answer if they can:
Do the masters care a little bit how they slave the working man?

R Royalty--it also stands for Rot--
As long as they get their money, we can all of us go to pot.

S Strikes there's been throughout the nation,
We boldly stuck up for our rights though threatened with starvation.

T Trade Unions, they'll come it pretty thick,
And make the masters jump about, like a monkey up a stick.

U Uncle's, where our clothes go up the spout,
But when they're there it's jolly hard sometimes to get them out.

V Victory, which we hope soon to attain,
And every man employment find, not seek for it in vain.

W Wealth. But when a man gets skinned,
He finds what sort of friends he's got when he wants to raise the wind.

X Ten Hours, men very often toil,
But eight I think is quite enough throughout the British soil.

Y Young Men, the masters they will tickle.
If they don't get what they want, they'll put them in a pickle.

Z Zealous--which one and all should be,
And stand by one another, to bring prosperity.