They all do it

AKA
First Published 1877
Writer/composer GH Macdermott, GeorgeLeybourne Roud RN13683 V26149 V51470

Music Hall Performers John Read
Folk performances Collected from the singing of:
Pardon, Walter ; England ; Norfolk ;1987		 

Some folks will cry "Oh! shame - Mrs Jones you are to blame
I never should hate thought it mam of you,
While if they'd look at home, before abroad they roam 
I'm positive they'd have enough to do,
Mrs Brown says its a sin, that Mrs Smith drinks gin • 
And harbour tallymen from day to day.
While Mrs Green was caught, doing what she didn't aught
When she in self defence was heard to say,

They all do it, They all do it
They all do it, though oft times they rue it, 
Yet they all do it, they all do it,
And so it will continue to the end of the world.

For three or four hours, lovers spooning at the door
On any moonlight evening may he seen,
Though if they have a lark, they have it in the dark
And they "do it" though they say "they didn't mean" 
When creeping down the stairs, comes the old man unawares
And kissing catches the couple in the act,
The mother from above. says "don't interfere my love"
You can't dispute this most important fact, 

Old women will declare, girls should never dye their hair 
And then again they say it's very wrong,
Without the least restraint, their faces so to paint
And  rob the easy chair for their chignon
Each girl a little riff, has inside a little muff
They are never seen without it night or day,
And her pretty nose she'll powder. if a moment is allowed her 
When if you laugh, she'll innocently say, 

But what does most impress, is the style in which they dress 
Its enough to make you laugh when them you see.
They've a hat upon their heads, large enough to make up beds 
For pussy cats with kittens two or three.
In their panniers too behind, if examined you would find 
The most important papers of the day.
The Chronicle and Chimes, the Telegraph and Times. 
Or any thing that chance puts in their way.

There's our neighbour Dinah Down, brought two lovely boys to town 
And her husband gets but one pound one per seek,
You often hear him say, "if things go on this way
We'll a lodging in the union have to seek,
For the doctor and the nurse will drain my scanty purse 
With many more expenses to defray
Then he gets into a passion, when they tell him its the fashion" 
And they soothe him as they sing this truthful lay


This song is very likely to be the same song as “They all do it” collected in 1987 from the singing of Walter Pardon by Jim Carroll and Pat MacKenzie and given Roud number 13683.

A song originally written by John Read in 1877. It was also sung in the Halls by Read, but more famously it featured in the repertoire of  GH MacDermott..

The song appears to be one of those designed to encourage what was referred to as “extemporisation” – the verses could be used to improvise comic commentaries on topical matters, while the chorus remained the same .

The morality of the song was questioned by some, though it was defended by this anonymous correspondent of The Era:

COMIC SONGS AND COMIC SINGERS:

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ERA.

Sir,
I am glad that you have opened your columns to the discussion of the much vexed question of the morality or immorality of the comic songs of the present day, and I am glad to find, in your brief but pithy remarks of last week, an indication of your disposition to take the part of the comic vocalist against those prurient morality-mongers who fancy they can detect vice in the most harmless fun. …. The comic songs of the present day are often silly, but they are seldom dirty That there are exceptions to the rule I, with you, admit, but the exceptions, I maintain, are few and far between. ….

Another song about which a great outcry has been made is “They all do it.” Well, I have looked that song through to find what it is they all do, and where lies the alleged indecency. The singer in one verse tells us that Mrs Smith drinks gin and has dealings with tallymen, and then he declares in chorus ” They all do it.” In the second verse he describes a couple courting and kissing at the door. “They all do it”-and who shall dispute the fact? In the third there are some sly hits at the girls who dye their hair, rob the easy chair for their chignons, and carry powder puffs with which to touch on their pretty little noses. If they do not “all do it” a good many do, and there’s no harm done, except, perhaps, to the easy chair. The remaining verses show how young ladies make “improvers” of the daily newspapers, and how ” Dinah Down brought two lovely boys to town,” and replied to the remon strances of her husband in the words, ” They all do it !” this, of course, being terribly shocking to the nerves of the mock- modest. No, Sir, our comic songs may be stupid, but, as a rule, they are not dirty …

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,

A PATRON OF THE MUSIC HALLS.

The Era –  30 September 1877

The song appeared widely in broadsides and songsters on both sides of the Atlantic, these are listed in the Roud Index under Roud number V26149. A less popular version, which appears only twice at the current Roud Index is also listed under the title They all do it (V51470) it has almost the same chorus but completely diffferent verses. It starts:

University of Kentucky Album of Broadside Ballads Vol.2 (online p.160)

Ever since the days of Adam 
There's been a deal of sin 
So if you pay attention 
I'll try to make you grin 
The chaps and girls of London town 
You know as well as me 
They always like to do it 
Yes and have a jolly spree

We all do it, We all do it 
There may be a day when we all shall all rue it
We all do it, We all do it 
And it will continue till the end of the world

Sources: