Work (Poor , Proud, and Particular)

From McGlennon's 1902 Song Annual

"Work" ("Poor, Proud, and Particular")
Written by Harry Boden. Composed by Bert Brantford. Sung by Harry Ford.
Music at Reeder and Walsh's

You cannot judge the temper of a tiger by its spots,
Nor a navvie by the whiskers on his chiv,
And one half of the world don't trouble how the other half
Manages to find a way to live.
We've all of us got notions if we haven't, we've ideas
With that you will or else you won't, agree
One man ain't like another if he's different, that's a cert,
If you want an example look at me!
I've got my health, I've got my strength, in fact I've got 'em both,
I've got my likes and dislikes too I have, I'll take my oath.

If I'm poor, I'm proud and I'm particular!
I don't like work and never did.
There's lots of chaps who're fond of it, d'you see?
And they're at liberty to do it all for me.
I might get a job if I liked to look,
But I don't intend to try,
For there's lots of millionaires as old and just as strong as I am,
Who never go to work, so why should I?

You never see Lord Rothschild push a barrow or a truck,
Nor the Prince of Wales at work a shov'ling dirt;
If you asked the King of England to go out a pickin' hops,
He wouldn't take the job on that's a cert.
You never came across John Burns a' holding horses heads,
Nor Chamberlain insuring people's lives.
You might as well expect to see Lord Salisbury lay a drain,
Or else Sir Thomas Lipton grinding knives,
And yet they rub along all right in their own tin pot way
They eat and sleep and so do I, so where's the diff'rence, eh?

If I'm poor, I'm proud and I'm particular and so I always was;
I could never take the least delight
In doing work, you see, from morning until night
I could do a bit if I wanted to
But I don't intend to try
For there's lots of toffs with twice the brains and much more sense than I've got
Who never go to work, so why should I?

You never see a swell what keeps a carriage clean a horse,
Nor a lady who's got servants wash and scrub;
You don't expect a man with lots of money to go and search
For cigar ends in the sawdust of a pub.
Why even cats and dogs are quite contented with a home,
All actors and musicians do is play;
The monkeys in the Zoo don't work, and when you come to think,
I'm just as good as they are, ain't I pray?
I do not say that in this world that no work there should be
But what I do say's simply this - 'Don't mention it to me.' For -

If I'm poor, I'm proud and I'm particular
I know what suits my health the best;
As long as I get all I want, d'you see,
You can bet that work'll never trouble me.
I dare say I could exert myself,
But I don't intend to try,
For there's lots of toffs about who wear the same sized hat as I do,
Who hate the name of work, and so do I!