ADD:What..Thieving Little Bastards Charge For Beer

Subject: Lyr Req: Thieving Little Bastards Charge For Beer
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Apr 12 - 10:28 AM

So, I was in the pub on Sunday night, and heard this great song ... but I never caught it's name, and an internet search turns up nothing (neither does a search of the mudcat database).

The chorus ended with the lines "It's a slur on this great nation, What those thieving little bastards charge for beer". The song was quite bawdy / explicit in it's lyrics. Other lines I can remember: "If there's pissing to be done I'll do my own" ; "Do they think I am a f*cking millionaire?" And there was something about a pint once having cost £1.10 and now being £3.80.

Does anyone know what this song is?

Thanks!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Thieving Little Bastards Charge For Beer
From: Ged Fox
Date: 24 Apr 12 - 12:31 PM

Obviously written by someone very young, if £1.10 a pint is the measure of cheapness.

It was 1/6 when I started pubbing, that'd be about 2gallons for £1.10

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Thieving Little Bastards Charge For Beer
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 24 Apr 12 - 01:09 PM

When I first went to university I could get 10 pints of Worthington E for £1.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Thieving Little Bastards Charge For Beer
From: KHNic
Date: 24 Apr 12 - 02:24 PM

8p a pint for Draught Bass when I started

And don't get me started on Old Peculier.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Thieving Little Bastards Charge For Beer
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Jun 22 - 06:39 AM

https://youtu.be/PhXAcOuJRpQ

(cleaned up slightly for a family audience, but you can guess where the bigger swears go)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Thieving Little Bastards Charge For Beer
From: cnd
Date: 21 Jun 22 - 09:17 AM

Transcribed from the video mentioned above (link). Thanks for connecting the dots for us, GUEST.


As performed by the ROARING TROWMEN at Harwich Shanty Festival (2016?)

Now I won't detain you long, but I have to sing a song
About that British workman's friend, the pint of beer (pint of beer!)
And the subject of my tale is the shocking price of ale
And just what it is that makes the stuff so dear (stuff so dear)

So dear (so dear), so dear (so dear)
And just what it is that makes the stuff so dear
You might share my consternation, it's a slur on this great nation
What them thieving little bastards charge for beer (charge for beer)

Now I well remember when that a pint was one quid ten
And a ??teer?? could get rat-assed for just ten pounds (just ten pounds)
But now it's three pounds eighty and the way it's going lately
You will have to sell your car to buy a round

Buy a round (buy a round), buy a round (buy a round)
You will have to sell your car to buy a round
You might share my consternation, it's a slur on this great nation
What them thieving little fellows charge for beer (charge for beer)

Well now for each pint you sup, oh the brewer takes his cut
And the mean and grasping landlord has his share (has his share)
But the worst one of the lot, it's the taxman, takes the pot
Do they think I am a sodding millionaire (a millionaire)?

Millionaire (millionaire), millionaire (millionaire)
Do they think I am a sodding millionaire?
You might share my consternation, it's a slur on this great nation
What them thieving little fellows charge for beer (charge for beer)

You need a taxman for your lucre like your foot needs a verruca
And it's no surprise the government's share has grown (share has grown)
Where it does no good at all, they just wee it up the wall
If there's weeing to be done, I'll do me own (I'll do me own)

Do me own (do me own), do me own (do me own)
If there's weeing to be done, I'll do me own
You might share my consternation, it's a slur on this great nation
What them thieving little fellows charge for beer (charge for beer)

Oh, now to end my saga about the criminal price of lager
It's enough to make you stop and stick to tea (stick to tea)
If they raise the price again I will sod off down to Spain
Where the beer is cheap and fags are almost free (almost free)

Almost free (almost free), almost free (almost free)
Where the beer is cheap and fags are almost free
You might share my consternation, it's a slur on this great nation
What them thieving little fellows charge for beer (charge for beer)

Subject: RE: ADD:What..Thieving Little Bastards Charge For Beer
From: GUEST,Dave Hanson
Date: 22 Jun 22 - 02:14 AM

The pubs charge a reasonable price for a pint of beer, it's the tax/duty the feckin government add on that makes it so expensive.

Dave H

Subject: RE: ADD:What..Thieving Little Bastards Charge For Beer
From: GUEST,Jamie
Date: 22 Jun 22 - 06:29 AM

I wrote this song! Nice to see it up here. I passed it onto the Roaring Trowmen at a Priddy Folk Festival one time. The words as I sing them are below.

----

WHAT THEM THIEVING LITTLE BASTARDS CHARGE FOR BEER
(Jamie Q)

Now I won't detain you long, but I'd like to sing a song
About that British workman's friend, the pint of beer (pint of beer!)
And the subject of my tale is the criminal price of ale
And just what it is that makes the stuff so dear (stuff so dear)

So dear (so dear), so dear (so dear)
And just what it is that makes the stuff so dear
You will share my consternation, it's a slur on this great nation
What them thieving little bastards charge for beer (charge for beer)

Now I well remember when a pint was one quid ten
You could get yourself sh*t-faced for just ten pounds (just ten pounds)
But now it's up at three quid eighty and the way it's going lately
You will have to sell your car to buy a round

Buy a round (buy a round), buy a round (buy a round)
You will have to sell your car to buy a round
You will share my consternation, it's a slur on this great nation
What them thieving little bastards charge for beer (charge for beer)

For of each pint you sup, oh the brewer takes his cut
And the mean and grasping landlord has his share (has his share)
But the worst one of the lot, it's the taxman scoops the pot
Do they think I am a sodding millionaire (a millionaire)?

Millionaire (millionaire), millionaire (millionaire)
Do they think I am a sodding millionaire?
You will share my consternation, it's a slur on this great nation
What them thieving little bastards charge for beer (charge for beer)

You need a taxman near your lucre like your foot needs a verruca
So it's no surprise the government's share has grown (share has grown)
Where it does no good at all, they just p*ss it up the wall
If there's p*ssing to be done, I'll do me own (I'll do me own)

Do me own (do me own), do me own (do me own)
If there's weeing to be done, I'll do me own
You will share my consternation, it's a slur on this great nation
What them thieving little bastards charge for beer (charge for beer)

So it's now to end my saga of the shocking price of lager
It's enough to make you stop and stick to tea (stick to tea)
If they raise the price again I will f*ck off down to Spain
Where the beer is cheap and fags are almost free (almost free)

Almost free (almost free), almost free (almost free)
Where the beer is cheap and fags are almost free
You will share my consternation, it's a slur on this great nation
What them thieving little bastards charge for beer (charge for beer)

Subject: RE: ADD:What..Thieving Little Bastards Charge For Beer
From: Newport Boy
Date: 22 Jun 22 - 06:37 AM

GUEST,Dave Hanson wrote: The pubs charge a reasonable price for a pint of beer, it's the tax/duty the feckin government add on that makes it so expensive.

Not sure about that, Dave. I buy two things which are produced, distributed to sales outlets, dispensed by pump and are subject to tax & duty.

Beer - £4.20 a pint; Petrol - £1.85 a litre. I think I'll start drinking petrol!

Phil

Subject: RE: ADD:What..Thieving Little Bastards Charge For Beer
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Jun 22 - 09:32 PM

Jamie, can you give us your name so we make sure you're credited? I'd like to sing it, too.

-Joe Offer, Mudcat Music Editor-

P.S. Google says the rate on a 5 per cent strength beer is 95.40 pence per litre – around 54 pence per pint. Beers with a strength below 2.8 per cent are taxed at a lower rate and beers with a strength above 7.5 per cent are taxed at a higher rate. I used to get 15-cent beer in Milwaukee, but those days are long gone. That was for a 7-ounce glass of beer in 1970. Now it can be ten bucks here in California, but that's for 25 ounces.

Subject: RE: ADD:What..Thieving Little Bastards Charge For Beer
From: GUEST,Jamie
Date: 23 Jun 22 - 03:18 AM

Thank you Joe. I'd sooner not give my full name for reasons of security - social security! - but you're very welcome to sing the song. I'm delighted that anyone should want to do so.

Jamie Q

Subject: RE: ADD:What..Thieving Little Bastards Charge For Beer
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 24 Jun 22 - 08:51 PM

JAMIE - Masterful piece of composition.
Well Done Great Fun Thank You.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

This brought flashbacks to DT "Man Who Waters The Beer"

https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=78456

and a thread

"Demand an Imperial Pint"
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=67414#1125818