I always thought that Father papered the parlour.

"When Father papered the parlour you couldn't see Pa forpaste.
Dabbin' it here, dabbin' it there - paste and paper everywhere!
Mother was stuck to the ceiling, the children stuck to the floor.
I never knew a bloomin' family so stuck up before!"

The rest of the song only makes sense if it's paste.

The Digital Tradition has a slightly different version than I know.