Lyr Add: Mrs Spencer The Rover

05 Jun 19 - 06:24 AM (#3995304)
Subject: Lyr Add: Mrs Spencer The Rover
From: Rusty Dobro

I've always thought this lady got rather a rough deal.

MRS SPENCER THE ROVER

This song was composed by poor Mrs Spencer,
The same one whose husband went off on the roam,
He only went out for to buy forty Woodbines,
But then he kept going, and didn't come home.

While Spencer was rambling in Yorkshire, near Rotherham,
Mrs S realised she was free of the pest,
She signed on at Weightwatchers and became much reducéd
And with gin and with tonic herself did refresh.

On the 5th of November, or perhaps it was December,
Spencer came home to his children and wife,
But the locks had been changéd, and a court order arrangéd,
He was banned from the house for the rest of his life.

Then his children gathered round with their prittle-prattling stories,
Ten minutes of that soon drove him away,
With the night fast approaching, to the town he departed,
And looked for a room in the YMCA.

So now Mrs Spencer is in her cottage contented,
And every morning comes a knock on the door,
It's the handsome young postman with a special delivery,
Which means Mrs Spencer is lonely no more.

This song was composed by poor Mrs Spencer,
The same one whose husband went off on the roam,
He only went out for to buy forty Woodbines,
But then he kept going, and didn't come home.

---

05 Jun 19 - 07:05 AM (#3995307)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mrs Spencer The Rover
From: Vincent Jones

Nice one RD - I've always thought Spencer was a questionable bugger.

---

05 Jun 19 - 08:27 AM (#3995318)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mrs Spencer The Rover
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan

Nice one, alright.

I remember my reaction when first hearing the original many years ago, probably by the Copper Family... “Jeez, that’s a magnificent first verse - but it’s all downhill after that!”

Regards

---

05 Jun 19 - 10:29 AM (#3995330)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mrs Spencer The Rover
From: Vic Smith

Mixed opinion on this one:-

He had been so reduced which caused great confusion
And that was the reason he went on the roam.

.... so the poor guy is out of work and had to leave home to find work to send money home - a not unfamiliar story but later we learn:-

With bread and cold water he himself did refresh.

It tasted more sweeter than the gold he had wasted,
More sweeter than honey and gave more content.

.... so he he hadn't always been totally innocent and hard-done by. There are clearly two sides to the story and we don't have all the information.

---

05 Jun 19 - 12:34 PM (#3995339)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mrs Spencer The Rover
From: meself

Aw, for the luvva .... Can't we just accept that the guy was going through a bad patch and leave it at that?

---

12 Jun 19 - 04:14 PM (#3996125)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mrs Spencer The Rover
From: Waddon Pete

Inspired!

Great song, Rusty.

Pete

---

12 Jun 19 - 05:50 PM (#3996135)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mrs Spencer The Rover
From: Vincent Jones

#MeTooMsSpencer

---