{"id":22896,"date":"2023-12-21T15:04:06","date_gmt":"2023-12-21T15:04:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=22896"},"modified":"2023-12-21T15:04:07","modified_gmt":"2023-12-21T15:04:07","slug":"hard-working-snob-the","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/hard-working-snob-the\/","title":{"rendered":"Hard working snob, The"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1871<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Writer\/composer<\/td>HJ Whymark \/ Alfred Lee<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN22072<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>HJ Whymark<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Collected from the singing of:<\/strong>
unknown singer, England : Wiltshire ; 1914-16<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The hard working snob<\/strong>\nWritten by HJ Whymark, composed by Alfred Lee\n\nMy name's Jemmy Raynor and I'm a cordwainer\nOr, speaking much plainer, by trade I'm a snob\nAnd there's no bootmaker as is more awaker\nOf that I will stake a half-a-crown to a Bob \nI stick to my tether in rough or smooth weather, \nAnd knocks boots together as quick as can be; \nAt round toes or square toes\nFor plump or for spare toes, \nAs fashion may wear toes, there's none to beat me.\n\nWith my balls of wax, lasting tacks, soles, heels and fronts and backs, Sixpence I charge for a four-penny job, \nWith my rap away, slap away, rap tap tap away,\nPleasant's the life of a hard working snob<\/em>.\n\nWhen weather is melting, I'm into it pelting,\nA stiching, or welting, or pegging away ;\nUnless it's that one day that comes after Sunday,\nWell-known as \"Snob's Monday,\" when I make a day; \nI keep up the charter, but then the day arter,\nI'm quickly a starter, once more at my work ;\nAnd when I begin it, I sing like a linnet,\nAnd not for one minute my stiching I shirk.\n\nOld men who go hobbling oft bring me their cobbling, \nBut set to a-squabbling when I make a charge;\nIt makes me feel outish, for they, being stoutish, \nHave for their feet goutish, boots as big as a barge;\nSome folks have big bunions, like small Spanish onions,\nTheir feet are such funny uns, as ugly as sin; \nTo them I'm a treasure, so well I them measure,\nThey wear them with pleasure, and part with their tin.\n \nAt boots called Oxonians, also Wellingtonians, \nAnd likewise Napoleons, like lightning I'm quick;\nA dabster at dubbin', which briskly I rub in,\nAt what will bring grub in, I work like a brick.\nTho' there are snobs many, who're not worth a penny, \nCan't tell difference any 'twixt awl, last, and haft ,\nI work like old bellows, I'm one of those fellows, \nWho never get jealous with those of my craft.\n\n\n[\"Snob\" was originally a dialect term for cobbler before it became associated with its modern meaning.]\n<\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
HJ (James) Whymark was an actor, comic and songwriter active in the Halls of the 1860s and 70s. He wrote a number of songs for George Leybourne and Fred French and was involved in an early copyright litigation abut the origins of the song Jolly Dogs: Slap Bang Hear we are again. <\/em>I have not been able to find any documentary evidence of him singing this particular song on the stage, but it is reasonable to suppose that he did sing it at some point. There are numerous reports of amateur performances, the earliest of which seems to be in March 1871 at a Penny Reading in Tweedmouth (Berwick Advertiser, 10 Mar 1871)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alfred Williams collected the song from an unknown singer in or around Wiltshire in the early 20th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n