ADD: Why Should the Women Work More Than 9 Hr.

Subject: RE: ADD: Why Should the Women Work More Than 9 Hr.
From: Bev and Jerry
Date: 26 Aug 12 - 08:14 PM

Thanks to all for your help. We have transcribed the melody into dots and we're working on an arrangement. We plan to perform it on September 10.

Bev and Jerry

Subject: RE: ADD: Why Should the Women Work More Than 9 Hr.
From: Megan L
Date: 26 Aug 12 - 03:01 AM

999 the word you were looking for to rhyme with once was quite apt he he it was dunce.


Ok I'm going wheres me coat * ducks and grins that lad is gonny skelp me if he ever catches up

Subject: RE: ADD: Why Should the Women Work More Than 9 Hr.
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 26 Aug 12 - 02:54 AM

WorldCat says that the University of Oxford has the sheet music for ACT ON THE SQUARE, and says it was published in 1870, so that establishes the earliest date that the broadside NINE HOURS A DAY could have been published.

Subject: ADD: Nine Hours a Day
From: Reinhard
Date: 26 Aug 12 - 12:33 AM

This is from "My Song Is My Own: 100 Women' Songs" by Kathy Henderson with Frankie Armstrong and Sandra Kerr, page 128:

NINE HOURS A DAY

1.All through this good old land of ours, commotion there has been,
And in the poor man's working hours great changes we have seen;
But while they struggled for their rights and to improve their lot,
Their poor white slaves are left at home neglected and forgot.

Then help all the women, boys,
They're the pride of our land we all say,
So why should our women work
More than nine hours a day?

2.“What can the women have to do?” the men will often say,
“They only have to cook and sew, and pleasant pass the day.”
But let a man just take her place when baby begins to roar
He'll find himself in such a mess he'd never try no more.

3.First the children must be dressed, and breakfast got you know,
There's Tommy standing on his head while Jack upsets the po;
There's Sally at the water with firewood setting sail,
While Bobby makes an awful noise by twisting pussy's tail.

4.At one o'clock the hooter goes, the men come home to dine,
And if it's not all ready done look out then for a shine.
At five o'clock he's finished work and and then he does the grand:
While you are slaving like a Turk he's singing “Happy Land”.      

5.You factory girls of England now who get such little pay
The roses from your blooming cheeks hard work has driven away.
Oft-times to please your masters you're working past your time,
But if you're late they'll shut the gate and make you pay a fine.

6.Young women then, take my advice, when courting your young man,
Tell him when the knot is tied that this will be your plan:
Eight hours for work, eight hours for sleep, and then eight hours for play
And Sundays must be all your own, and ‘night work’ double pay!

In 1871 a spontaneous movement among workers demanding a nine-hour day sprang up in the northeast and swept across the country. The writers of this broadside were not slow to apply the theme to domestic work.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Why Should the Women Work More Than 9
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Aug 12 - 12:31 AM

Jim, have you figured out how to determine the approximate publication date of Bodleian Ballads?

-Joe-

Subject: Lyr Add: STICK UP FOR THE WOMEN / NINE HOURS A DAY
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 25 Aug 12 - 11:50 PM

From the Bodleian Library Broadsides: Firth c.16(262):


Stick up for the Women,
AND
NINE HOURS A DAY.

Air: Act on the Square.

1. All thro' this good old land of ours
Commotion there has been,
And in the poor men's working hours,
Great changes we have seen;
But while they struggled for their rights
And to improve their lot,
Our poor white slaves are left at home,
Neglected and forgot.

CHORUS:
Act on the square, boys; act on the square.
Stick up for the women, for that's only fair;
For a woman's the pride of the land, we all say;
Then why should she work more than nine hours a day?

2. What can a woman have to do?
The men will often say.
They only have to cook and stew
And pleasant pass the day;
But let a man just take her place
When baby begins to roar;
He'll find himself in such a mess
He'll never try no more.

3. You would first the children have to dress
And breakfast get, you know;
There's Tommy standing on his head
While Jack upsets the Poh;*
There's Sally at the water,
With firewood setting sail,
While Bobby makes an awful noise
By twisting pussy's tail.

4. At one o'clock the 'Hooter' goes.
The men come home to dine,
And if it is not ready done,
Look out then for a shine.
At five o'clock he's done his work
And then can do the grand.
While you are slaving like a Turk,
He's singing 'Happy Land.'

5. You factory girls of England now,
Who get such little pay,
The roses from your blooming cheeks
Hard work has driven away.
Oft-times to please your masters
You are working past your time,
But if you are late, they'll shut the gate
And make you pay a fine.

6. Young women then take my advice
When courting your young man:
Tell him when the knot is tied
That this will be your plan:
Eight hours for work, eight hours for sleep,
And then eight hours for play;
Sundays must be all your own,
And 'night work' double pay.


[* 'Poh' I think means the chamber-pot.]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Why Should the Women Work More Than 9
From: Bev and Jerry
Date: 25 Aug 12 - 08:04 PM

Well, we've partially answered our own question. The friend we spoke of is temporarily indisposed so she can't help us but we also found a recording of Frankie Armstrong singing this song in 1976. Here are the lyrics as best we could understand them.

NINE HOURS A DAY

Chorus:

So help all the women, boys, they're the pride of our land we all say,
And why should the women work more than nine hours a day?                

1.All through this good old land of ours, commotion there has been
And in the poor man's working hours great changes there have been
But while they struggle for their rights and to improve their lot,
Us poor white slaves are left at home neglected and forgot.

2."What can the women have to do?", the men will often say
They only have to cook and stew and pleasant pass the day
But let a man just take her place when baby starts to roar
They'd find themselves in such a mess they'd never ask no more.

3.He'd first the children have to dress, and breakfast get you no' (?)
There's Tommy standing on his head while Jack upsets the po' (?)
There's Sally at the water with firewood setting style (?)
And Toby making such a row by twisting pussy's tail.

4.At one o'clock the hooter goes, the men come home to dine
And if that it's not ready quite then look out for a shine
At five o'clock he's home from work and your work's scarce begun
While you're there slaving like a Turk he's twiddling of his thumbs        

5.You factory girls of England now, what get such little pay,
The roses from your blooming cheeks hard work has driven away.
Oft times to serve your masters you're working past the time
But if you're late he'll shut the gate and you must pay a fine.

6.So women all take my advice, when courting your young man
And tell him when the knot is tied that this will be your plan
Eight hours for work, eight hours for sleep and then eight hours for play
And Sundays must be all your own and nightwork double pay

Can anyone help us with the third verse?

Before singing the song, Frankie says that this is street song from London in the 1880s from the period when women were beginning to agitate, particularly around London for shorter hours and higher wages. Perhaps from the matchgirl strike.

Bev and Jerry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Why Should the Women Work More Than 9
From: GUEST,999
Date: 24 Aug 12 - 01:10 AM

I apologized once, and now it's twice,
I was thinking ain't it nice
That I apologized once and twice;
I apologized twice then once,
Nothing I know rhymes with once
Won't tell you twice,
I don't mention once, ain't that nice?

OK, it isn't great, but cuuttteeee, no?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Why Should the Women Work More Than 9
From: Bev and Jerry
Date: 24 Aug 12 - 12:54 AM

Aw shucks, Joe. We wandered all over the internet, too and that's why we asked. We heard someone sing this song in 1981. It just takes us a little while to get around to learning a song sometimes.

Bev and Jerry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Why Should the Women Work More Than 9
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Aug 12 - 12:14 AM

You wouldn't believe all the notes Bev and Jerry take, 999. They do their homework. I feel proud when I can tell them something they don't know already. You can't pull the wool over their eyes often.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Why Should the Women Work More Than 9
From: GUEST,999
Date: 23 Aug 12 - 11:48 PM

Sorry for the wise-ass comment.

I just wandered about the internet and found zip.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Why Should the Women Work More Than 9
From: GUEST,999
Date: 23 Aug 12 - 11:36 PM

No offense, but yas gotta start taking notes.

Subject: Lyr Req: Why Should the Women Work More Than 9
From: Bev and Jerry
Date: 23 Aug 12 - 11:17 PM

It's "Why Should the Women Work More than Nine Hours a Day?". Anyone have the lyrics or know who wrote it or anything about it?

Bev and Jerry