It’s a great big shame

AKA
First Published 1894
Lyrics Edgar Bateman Music George Le Brunn Roud RN24511

Music Hall Performers Gus Elen
Folk performances Source Source Singers
“A cockney family” 1930s-50s England : London
Messenger, Alice 1975-80 England : Suffolk

Modern performances
David Kossoff and the Mike Sammes Singers, 1960s

 

I've lost my pal, 'e's the best in all the tahn
But don't you fink 'im dead becos ‘e ain't
But since ‘es wed ‘e as ‘ad ter knuckle dahn
Its enufter vex the temper of a saint
‘E's a brewer's dray-man, wiva leg of mutton fist
‘An as strong as a bullick or an ‘orse
Yet in ‘er ‘ands e's like a little kid
Oh I wish as I could get ‘im a divorce.

It's a great big shame
And if she belonged to me
I'd let her know who's who
Nagging at a fellow that is six foot three
And her not four feet two.
They hadn't been married for a month or more
When underneath her thumb goes Jim
Oh isn't it a pity that the likes of her
Should put upon the likes of him.

Now Jim was class-'e could sing a decent song
And at scrappin ‘e ‘ad won some great renown
It took two coppers for to make ‘im move along
And anovver six to ‘old the feller dahn
But today when I axes would he come an' ‘ave some beer
To the door-step on tiptoe ‘e arrives
“I dares't” says ‘e “Don't shout cos she'll ‘ear
I've got ter clean the windows an' the knives.

On a Sunday morn, wiv a dozen pals or more
‘E'd play at pitch and toss along the Lea
But now she bullies ‘im a scrubbin' ‘o the floor
Such a change, well I never did I see
Wiv an apron on ‘im I twigged ‘im on ‘is knees
A rubbin' up the old ‘arf stone
Wot wiv emptying the ashes and a shelling of the peas
I'm blowed if ‘e can call ‘is-self ‘is own.

Gus Ellen‘s song: It’s a great big shame follows a number of Music Hall songs which exploit the comedic potential of the “henpecked” husband, and which perhaps feel dated now. Written and composed by a prolific pair: Edgar Bateman and George Le Brunn, who are discussed elsewhere on this site.

The song was collected from a source singer in the 1970s, and recalled in a book detailing a Cockney family’s singing habits in the 1930s. These may be slender links, but nonetheless it’s a song that strictly speaking might be characterised as being part of the folk tradition.

Sources:

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Gus Elen sings it: