A song by the music hall performer Harry Clifton.


SHABBY GENTEEL
   Harry Clifton [1866]

        1
We have heard it asserted a dozen time o'er
   That a man may be happy in rags,
That a prince is no more, in his carriage and four,
   Than a pauper who tramps on the flags.
As I chance to be neither, I cannot describe
   How a prince or a pauper may feel.
I belong to that highly respectable tribe,
   Which is known as the Shabby Genteel.

        Chorus.
Too proud to beg, too honest to steal,
I know what it is to be wanting a meal.
My tatters and rags, I try to conceal,
I'm one of the Shabby Genteel.

        2
I'm a party, in fact, who has known better days,
   But their glory is faded and gone;
I have started in life in a lot of odd ways,
   But have not found the way to get on.
There are only three roads, I'm afraid, that are left:
   I shall have to beg, borrow, or steal.
Yet I don't quite encourage the notion of theft,
   Tho' I'm awfully Shabby Genteel.

        3
I am dress'd in my best, tho' I cannot pretend
   That my costume is quite comme il faut,
You'll observe that my watch has been left with a friend,
   And my gloves are unfitted for show.
There are traces of wear on my elbows and knees,
   And my boots have run down at the heels*                [heel]
But it's cruel to criticise matters like these
   When a man has grown Shabby Genteel.

        4
Still I strive* to be cheerful in all my distress,        [try]
   And I bear my bad luck like a man,
If I can't have my way as to feeding or dress,
   I must still do the best that I can.
And remember, good people, that Fortune some day,
   By a turn of her treacherous wheel,
May reduce one of you in the very same way
   To the level of Shabby Genteel.


Source: Scans at the California Sheet Music Project.
https://sherlock.ischool.berkeley.edu/sheet_music/
Published by M. Gray, 105 Kearny St., San Francisco, ca. 1875-8. Plate #: M.G. 1269 (11283.3)

I've compared the text against an earlier broadside, online at the Bodleian Library ballads site, which is probably closer to the source. Differences in wording are noted. The tune is presumably that composed or adapted by Clifton.


ABC transcription of the melody:

X:1
T:Shabby Genteel
C:Harry Clifton. [1866]
S:Sheet music published by M. Gray, San Francisco [1875-8]. M.G. 1269
%%MIDI program 1 69
M:6/8
L:1/8
Q:3/8=56
K:Bb
F/ F/ | F D E F G F | G F D B2 B/ B/ | B A D E A> G |
w: We have heard it as-sert-ed a doz-en times o'er That a man may be hap-py in
F3-F z F/ F/ | F D E F G F | G F D B2 B/ B/ |
w: rags,_ That a prince is no more, in his car-riage and four, Than a
A B c B A G | F3-F z F// F/ | F E D E A G |
w: pau-per who tramps on the flags._ As I chance to be nei-ther, I
G F E D2 F/ F/ | G G G G c B | A3-A z F/ F/ |
w: can-not de-scribe How a prince or a pau-per may feel._ I be-
B A B c B G | G F D F2 F/ F/ | G A B c A F | B3-B2 z ||
w: long to that high-ly re-spect-a-ble tribe, Which is known as the Shab-by Gen-teel._]
%
%    Chorus.
M:3/4
L:1/4
Q:1/4=132
"^Chorus." F G A c2 B | A G> e | G2 G | A B c | d d> c |
w: Too proud to beg, too hon-est to steal, I know what it is to be
c B> G | F2 F | F G A | c2 B | A G> e |
w: want-ing a meal. My tat-ters and rags, I try to con-
G2 G | A B c | F F c | B3- | B z z |]
w: ceal, I'm one of the Shab-by Gen-teel._



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