Grimsby Poets Forums

I see a post in general discussion that quotes from a 1914-18 war song, of which here is a part ;

It's the same the whole world over,
It's the poor wot gets the blame;
It's the rich wot gets the pleasure,
Ain't it all a blooming shame.

Anybody know the full song lyric ?

Hi Digiwizz,

It seems this was sung by British WW1 soldiers, but was a popular music hall song before that as "She was Poor but She was Honest" ;

She was Poor but She was Honest, anon.

She was poor, but she was honest,
Though she came from humble stock,
And an honest heart was beating,
Underneath her tattered frock.

But the rich man saw her beauty,
She knew not his base design,
And he took her to a hotel,
And bought her a small port wine.

It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Ain't it all a bloomin' shame ?

In the rich man's arms she fluttered,
Like a bird with a broken wing,
But he loved her and he left her,
Now she hasn't got no ring.

Time has flown, outcast and helpless,
In the street she stands and says,
While the snowflakes fall around her,
"Won't you buy my bootlaces ?"

It's the same the whole world over,
It's the poor what gets the blame,
It's the rich what gets the pleasure,
Ain't it all a bloomin' shame ?

Standing on the bridge at midnight,
She says "Farewell, blighted love".
There's a scream, a splash -- Good Heavens !
What is she a-doing of ?

So they dragged her from the river,
Water from her clothes they wrang.
They all thought that she was drownded,
But the corpse got up and sang :

It's the same the whole world over,
It's the poor what gets the blame,
It's the rich what gets the pleasure,
Ain't it all a bloomin' shame ?

Hear it ;

Reminds me of another song Big Boss Man,

Big Boss Man, 1960 Al Smith and Willie Dixon

Big boss man,
Can‘t you hear me when I call ?
Big boss man,
Can‘t you hear me when I call ?
Well, you ain‘t so big,
You‘re just tall, that‘s all.

You've got me working, boss man,
Working around the clock.
I want me a drink of water,
But you won't let Jimmy stop.
Big boss man,
Can‘t you hear me when I call ?
Well, you ain‘t so big,
You‘re just tall, that‘s all.

Well, I‘m gonna get me a bossman,
One gonna treat me right.
Work hard in the day time,
Rest easy at night.
Big boss man,
Can‘t you hear me when I call ?
Well, you ain‘t so big,
You‘re just tall, that‘s all.

Yes Clare I also do like Big Boss Man.
And another a bit like it about work is Sixteen Tons -

Sixteen Tons, 1956 Tennessee Ernie Ford (and 1957 Big Bill Broonzy, and others)

Some people says the man's made out of mud,
Some people says of muscle and blood
Muscle and blood and skin and bone,
a mind that's week and a back that's strong.

You load sixteen tons, so what do you get,
another day older and deeper in debt
So, St. Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go,
I owe my soul to the company store.

I was born one morning when the sun didn't shine,
picked up my shovel and I went to the mine
I loaded sixteen ton of number nine coal,
the straw-boss said, "God-dog your soul".

You load sixteen tons and, now, what do you get,
another day older and deeper in debt
So, St. Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go,
I owe my soul to the company store.

I was born one mornin' when it was drizzle in rain,
fightin' and shootin' is my middle name
Born in a canebreak1 by an ol' mama hound,
no high-tone mama can make me walk the line.

I load sixteen tons, so what do you get,
another day older and deeper in debt
So, St. Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go,
I owe my soul to the company store.

You see me comin' you better step aside,
a lot of men didn't and a whole lot of them died
One fist of iron and one of steal,
the right one don't get you, boy, the left one will.

So, load sixteen tons, what do you get,
another day older and deeper in debt
So, St. Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go,
I owe my soul to the company store.