When mother was bathing the baby

AKA The mother’s lament.
Your baby has gone down the plug hole.
In U.S.A.: The Drain Song (Your baby has gone down the dream pipe)
Lyrics “Jack Spade” Music “Jack Spade” Roud Index RN19810

Music Hall performers Elsa Lanchester 1940s
Folk performances Martin Carthy 1963 

 
A mother was bathing her baby one night
The youngest of ten, and a tiny young mite
The mother was poor and the baby was thin
Only a skeleton covered with skin
The mother turned round for the soap off the rack
She was but a moment, but when she looked back
Her baby was gawn and in anguish she cried
'Oh where is my baby?' The Angels replied,

Chorus: 'Your baby has gone down the plug-hole
Your baby has gone down the plug
The poor little thing was so skinny and thin
It should have been washed in a jug
Your baby is ever so happy
He won't need a bath any more
Your baby has gone down the plughole
Not lost but gone before.'

The mother was frantic, the baby was gawn,
But she had got nine more, and the water still warm
She covered her eye-balls and stuck in a pin
Picked out another one ever so thin
Then into the water she brushed off a tear
When she turned back, she said 'crumbs it's not here'
'Now that one has gawn' and in anguish she cried
'Oh where is my baby?' The Angels replied,

The mother was livid. 'How dare you.' she cried
'Don't take no more chances' the Angels replied
'We've had your two young'ns, we'd like a few more'
Then gave her a nice smile and dissolved through the floor
Now mother was boiling. She smashed in the bath
'You're not having my kids.,' she cried with a laugh
Now they've not touched no water from that very day
'It's the smell' Mother says, 'That keeps the Angels away.'

         

Martin Carthy sang this back in the early 60s, sticking to the first verse only. The bloated behemoth (hehe) that was Cream perhaps heard it first from Martin – they did a very similar version on Disraeli Gears a few years later. Cream suggested it was a traditional song, but it seems to have been written in 1944 by Elton Box, Desmond Cox and Lewis Ilda, under the collective pseudonym Jack Spade, though it’s possible that it’s older…

An American version was recorded by Dorothy Shea, credited to Amsterdam and Kirkpatrick in 1951

Sources:

Martin Carthy sings