Lyr Add: One of the Little Orphans of the Storm

Subject: Lyr Add: ONE OF THE LITTLE ORPHANS OF THE STORM
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 21 Mar 11 - 01:52 PM

You can play or download this song at The Internet Archive. It's song #8 on that page. Here's my transcription:


ONE OF THE LITTLE ORPHANS OF THE STORM
Words and music by Will E. Haines & Jimmy Harper, 1936
As sung by Gracie Fields

I'm one of life's unwanted ones, a female Oliver Twist.
They found me on a doorstep on a damp November mist.
They flung me out of the foundlings' 'ome because I was good for nowt.
Now I spend me days with the waifs an' strays, a poor little down-an'-out.

I ain't got no motherly 'and to guide me,
An' me father was sent to Dartmoor to reform.
If there'd been a vacant cell,
They'd 'ave 'ad me in as well.
I'm one of the little orphans of the storm.

I'm too proud to ever go in the workhouse.
They'd never get me to wear the uniform;
An' I'd rather roam the street
Than be forced to wash me feet.
I'm one of the little orphans of the storm.

CHORUS: I don't care if it blows.
I don't care if it snows.
I know of a shed where I get a good bed on the nod,
An' there I can enjoy
Me tuppenny saveloy,
As snug as a bug in a rug or a pea in a pod.

I sing to the queues at the swell theaytres.
With the kerbstone entertainers I perform.
I could sing like Jenny Lind
If it wasn't for me wind.
I'm one of the little orphans of the storm.

It's 'ard for a girl to avoid temptation.
I like to go underground to 'ave a warm;
But many a night I've slipped
When I've crept into a crypt.
I'm one of the little orphans of the storm.

CHORUS

I'll soon end it all with a dose of poison.
Can anyone spare a glass of chloroform?
But if it's all the same to you,
Well, a drop of gin'll do.
I'm one of the little orphans of the storm.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: One of the Little Orphans of the Storm
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Mar 11 - 02:01 PM

I didn't realize there were Gracie Fields recordings available online. I acquired one ASV Living Era collection of Gracie's songs, and I fell in love with her. It's worth our time to explore her work.

What a funny lady!

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: One of the Little Orphans of the Storm
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 21 Mar 11 - 04:26 PM

There's a whole mess of 'em. One by one, I'm transcribing all the funny ones I can find. She also sang a lot of songs that were not funny, but in my opinion, the funny ones are the ones that most deserve to be remembered.

I wasn't quite sure whether this one should be classified as funny or not, but I like it.