Grace Anderson                                 SA1974.11.8

A gem of a comic music hall song composed, we think, by T.W. Connor in 1894.

Thanks for a comment from  Adrian Banham  that the activity  in the  last line of verse two was oakum picking not cotton picking.  The boring task of picking oakum (old rope) was one of the most common forms of labour undertaken by prisoners during the  Victorian period.

Roud index no. 8828.

Oh, I know a lot of lazy men, to meet them where you may,
They never have a shilling, always stony-broke they say.
WIth me it’s just the other way, I’m a man like this –
I’ve always have a shilling in my pocket – here it is –
But I can’t change it, I can’t change it,
The reason I will let you know, it’s one I made myself and so
I can’t change it, I don’t intend to try –
But I‘ll maybe cheat a blind man in the sweet by-and-by. 

I got an invitation to a wedding down our way
So I went into a shop to buy a hat the other day.
I wasn’t long in choosing one then from the shop I quit;
But since I’ve tried it on my nut, I find it doesn’t fit.
But I can’t change it, I can’t change it,
For when the shop man turned his back I stole the hat from off the rack
And I can’t change it, I don’t intend to try –
Or he’ll have me picking oakum in the sweet by-and-by. 

I wanted to get married like the rest of foolish men,
I got the girl, I bought the ring, got married there and then.
But when the job was over I was taken down a peg,
For her hair, her eyes, her teeth were false and she had a wooden leg.
But, I can’t change her, I don’t intend to try;
The reason why I’ll let you know she was half a woman and half a tree.
But I can’t change her, I don’t intend to try –
But I’ll break her up for firewood in the sweet by and by 

 When I came home from work one day, the nurse was at the door.
She says, “You’ve got a baby girl  that makes it just a score.”
She says, “You’ve got a baby girl to fill your heart with joy.”
Well I wished her to the Devil, for what I wanted was a boy!
But, I can’t change her, I can’t change her,
I’ve asked a lot who ought to know,
I’ve asked the nurse and she says, “No”;
I can’t change her, don’t intend to try –
For there’ll maybe be a dozen in the sweet by-and-by.