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Lyr Req: The Working Men of England

26 Jun 01 - 02:05 PM (#492347)
Subject: working men of England
From: TamthebamfraeScotland

Hello there again,

I'm looking for the words to a song called Working men of England.

The group that sings it are called Artisan


26 Jun 01 - 02:09 PM (#492350)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: working men of England
From: MMario

no luck in google searching for this - tho' I heard them this weekend.


26 Jun 01 - 05:21 PM (#492461)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: working men of England
From: Malcolm Douglas

Artisan can be contacted through their website: http://www.artifact.demon.co.uk/index.htm


26 Jun 01 - 05:23 PM (#492467)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: working men of England
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)

Just got the cd with that song- after tonight (gotta go to a gig in 20 minutes) I'll transcribe it if no one beats me to it!


01 Jul 01 - 05:38 AM (#495799)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: working men of England
From: TamthebamfraeScotland

Hello There,

I manged to get the words for the song Working men of England.

So thanks to all of those who helped. Tom


01 Jul 01 - 04:32 PM (#496015)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: working men of England
From: The Walrus

Tom,

Care to share them?

Walrus


02 Jul 01 - 12:41 PM (#496653)
Subject: Lyr Add: WORKING MEN OF ENGLAND
From: TamthebamfraeScotland

WORKING MEN OF ENGLAND

Ye working men of England one moment pray attend
While I am for the treatment of the poor upon this land
for now a days the factory laws have laid the labour low
and daily are contriving plans to prove our over throw

Some have money plenty but still they crave for more
they will not lend a hand at all to help the straving poor
they'll treat you like a dog and on you cast a frown
that's the way old England the working man cast down

Ch
So arise ye sons of freedom the world is upside down
they treat the poor man as a thief in country or in town.
So arise ye sons of freedom the world is upside down
they treat the poor man as a thief in country or in town

what will become of England if things go on this way
there's many a poor working man straving here today
they can not find employment for bread they children crave
and thousands of their children lie starving in their graves

how altered are the times rich men dispise the poor
they stand them off without remorse quite scornful at the door
and if a man is out of work his parish pay is small
enough to strave himself and his wife his children and all
Ch
in former days when Christmas came we had a good fat loaf
we have beef and mutton in plenty and we'd enjoy them both
but now a days such altered ways indifferent are the times
for if a man should seek relief he's sentenced for his crimes

so to conclude and finish these verses I have made
I hope to see before to long men for their labour paid
then we'll rejoice with heart and voice and banish all our woes
but before we do old England must pay what she owes

I got these off the c.d 'Driving home'


---Line breaks added
and "ADD" added---
---Jeff (PA)---


02 Jul 01 - 12:42 PM (#496654)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: working men of England
From: TamthebamfraeScotland

I hope that you can understand them


03 Jul 01 - 07:25 AM (#497347)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: working men of England
From: TamthebamfraeScotland

Thank you jeff


03 Jul 01 - 07:26 AM (#497350)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: working men of England
From: The Walrus at work

busbitter,

Thanks.

Walrus


15 Jul 01 - 02:04 PM (#507109)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: working men of England
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)

Thanks! Sorry I didn't get to it. There's this little problem I have with my computer; sometimes it doesn't want to play cds. It's a simple problem to fix, but I hadn't gotten to it yet...


16 Oct 04 - 11:45 AM (#1298436)
Subject: LYR ADD: What Will Become of England
From: Susanne (skw)

How about posting a song for a change? Here's a sufficiently traditional one, I hope, and not yet in the DT:

WHAT WILL BECOME OF ENGLAND
(Trad / Tom Brown)

You working men of England one moment pray attend
While I unfold the treatment of the poor upon this land
For now-a-days the factory lords have laid the label low
And daily are contriving plans to prove our overthrow

What will become of England if things go on this way
There's many an honest working man starving here today
They cannot find employment for bread their children crave
And hundreds of those children they're lying in their grave

So arise you sons of freedom the world is upside down
They treat the poor man as a thief in country and in town

Now some have money plenty but still they crave for more
They will not lend a hand to help the starving poor
They'll treat you like a dog and on you cast a frown
That is the way old England the working man casts down

How altered are the times rich men despise the poor
Stand them off without remorse quite scornful at the door
And when a man is out of work his Parish pay is small
Enough to starve himself and wife his children and all

So arise you sons of freedom the world is upside down
They treat the poor man as a thief in country and in town

In former days when Christmas came we had a good fat loaf
We had beef and mutton plenty and we enjoyed them both
But now-a-days such altered ways and different are the times
For if a man should seek relief he's sent to the Whig Bastille

So to conclude and finish these few verses I have made
I hope to see before long men for their labour paid
Then we'll rejoice with heart and voice and banish all our woes
But before we do old England must pay us what she owes

So arise you sons of freedom the world is upside down
They treat the poor man as a thief in country and in town

As sung by Johnny Collins


[1993:] 'Old' Tom Brown [...] a fellow Norfolkman, was a fisherman and farm labourer who learned many of his songs from Sam Larner and Harry Cox - two fine traditional singers also from Norfolk. Before his death I was fortunate to spend many happy sessions with Tom who would, lubricated with a little whisky, regale me for hours with stories, interspersed with songs, of his younger days. It was in one of these sessions that he gave me [this]. (Notes Johnny Collins, 'Pedlar of Songs')

    I transferred this message from another thread.
    -Joe Offer-


03 May 16 - 05:38 PM (#3788480)
Subject: Lyr Add: SONG ON THE TIMES (Chumbawamba)
From: GUEST,ATS

Here's another version, from Chumbawamba's "English Rebel Songs 1381-1984", where it's called "A Song on the Times":

You working men of England, one moment now attend
While I unfold the treatment of the poor upon this land
For nowadays the factory lords have brought the labour low
And daily are contriving plans to prove our overthrow

(chorus:)
So arouse you sons of freedom, the world seems upside down
They scorn the poor man as a thief in country and in town

There's different parts in Ireland, it's true what I do state
There's hundreds that are starving for they can't get food to eat
And if they go unto the rich to ask them for relief
They bang their door all in their face as if they were a thief
(chorus)

Alas how altered are the times -- rich men despise the poor
And pay them off without remorse quite scornful at their door
And if a man is out of work, his parish pay is small
Enough to starve himself and wife, his children and all
(chorus)

So to conclude and finish these few verses I have made
I hope to see, before it's long, men for their labour paid
Then we'll rejoice with heart and voice and banish all our woes
Before we do, old England must pay us what she owes
(chorus)


06 May 16 - 11:13 PM (#3788977)
Subject: Lyr Add: SONG ON THE TIMES
From: Jim Dixon

Here's the complete song that was, no doubt, the source for Chumbawamba, who omitted 3 verses:

From Curiosities of Street Literature edited by Charles Hindley (London: Reeves and Turner, 1871), page 71:

SONG ON THE TIMES

1. You working men of England.... [as above]

CHORUS. So arouse you sons of Freedom.... [as above]

2. What a fuss there was in England, Ireland, and Scotland too,
On the passing of the Corn Bill and the good that it would do,
But since it's past Meat got so high which makes poor people pine.
If it would do good it's time it did for factories are on short time.

3. For when the bill was in the house they said it would do good,
To the working man it has not yet, I only wish it would,
For factories are on short time wherever you may go,
And the masters all are scheming plans to get our wages low.

4. There's different parts in Ireland.... [as above]

5. Alas! how altered are the times.... [as above]

6. In former times when Christmas came we had a good big loaf,
Then beef and mutton plenty were, and we enjoyed them both,
But now-a-days such altered ways and different is the times,
If starving and ask relief you're sent to a Whig bastile.

7. So to conclude and finish.... [as above]