{"id":4336,"date":"2020-07-17T10:56:35","date_gmt":"2020-07-17T10:56:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=4336"},"modified":"2024-02-27T11:46:49","modified_gmt":"2024-02-27T11:46:49","slug":"i-cant-change-it","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/i-cant-change-it\/","title":{"rendered":"I can’t change it"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>Sweet bye and bye<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td> 1894<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Lyrics<\/strong><\/td>TW Connor<\/td>Music<\/strong><\/td>TW Connor<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN8828<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n
Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>George Beauchamp<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Source Singers<\/strong>
Jesse Neil, 1960, Gloucestershire England
Jimmy Knights 1971 \u2013 77 Suffolk England
George Hancock, 1970, Sheffield England
Grace Anderson, 1974 Shetland Scotland
Harry Adams, 1980 Somerset England<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
Oh, I know a lot of lazy men and meet them when I may,\nThey've never got a penny, always stony broke they say;\nWith me it's just the other way, for I'm a man of \"biz,\"\nI've always got a shilling in my pocket, here it is.\n\nBut I can't change it, I can't change it!\nThe reason why I'll let you know, it's one I made myself and so\nI can't change it, no matter how I try,\nBut I hope to cheat a blind man in the sweet bye and bye.<\/em>\n\nOh, I never was a proud young man, that anyone can see,\nFashions I don't care about, for clothes don't trouble me.\nI'll never be a masher, for I'm satisfied to know,\nI've got a shirt upon my back, I can say that although-\n\nI can't change it! I can't change it!\nIt fits me like a bloomin' sack, I've got but one shirt to my back\nI can't change it, no matter how I try,\nSo when it's being washed I lie in bed until it's dry.<\/em>\n\nI got an invitation to A wedding down our way;\nSo went into a shop to get a new hat yesterday;\nI soon got what I wanted, and the premises did quit;\nNow since I've tried it on my nut, I find it doesn't fit!\n\nBut I can't change it! I can't change it!\nFor when the shopman turned his back, I sneaked the cadie off the rack\nI can't change it, and never mean to try,\nOr I might be picking oakum in the sweet bye and bye!<\/em>\n\nWhen I came home the other night, the nurse was at the door;\nShe said, \"You've got another one, that makes you just a score,\nSuch a pretty little girl, I know you'll wish her joy.\"\nI wished it to old Nick, for what I wanted was a boy!\n\nBut I can't change it, I can't change it.\nI asked a lot, who ought to know, I asked the nurse and she said \"No!\"\nShe can't change it, and she doesn't intend to try,\nBut she hopes I'll have a dozen in the sweet bye and bye<\/em>\n\nI thought that I'd get married, like a lot of foolish men,\nI found the girl, bought the ring, got married there and then.\nWhen the job was over, I was taken down a peg-\nHer hair, her eyes and teeth were false and she had a wooden leg!\n\nBut I can't change it! I can't change it!\nIt was a great surprise to me, half a woman and half a tree;\nI can't change her, I wish she'd do a guy.\nBut I'll put her up for auction in the sweet bye and bye.<\/em><\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
A song successful in the Halls of the 1890s, still remembered by late 20th-century singers. It is of course possible that they heard versions by one or other of the  1930s or 1950s Victorian song revivalists like Elsa Lanchester, but this song does not appear to have been sung by her or any of the other obvious revivalist singers, so it may be a direct survival passed on orally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is a rather wonderful version by Grace Anderson from the Shetland Islands available here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The song was written and composed by TW Connor<\/a>. It was popularised by George Beauchamp (1863-1901), a comedian who had great success in the eighteen nineties. He must have been a sight to see:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
he affected a hi hat, frock coat, a smart fancy waistcoat and trousers with the largest most violent checks ever seen, a cane and usually a cigar.<\/p>\nMcqueen Pope in The Melody Lingers p395<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
George Beauchamp (1863-1901)<\/strong> was a Cockney comedian who began his career on the stage whilst still working as a printer. He had some initial success as a theatre actor and took leave from the day job to take a part in Hop o’ My Thumb<\/em> at Rochdale. He eventually gave up printing to join a small theatre touring company but he had mixed success. He spent many years touring smaller Halls without great success.  His first big hit came in 1892 with Git yer \u2019air cut<\/em> which he performed alongside his other great success was the parody Them golden kippers<\/em>, he was also associated with the song She was one of the early birds and I was one of the worms<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n