{"id":27169,"date":"2025-05-26T14:39:02","date_gmt":"2025-05-26T14:39:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=27169"},"modified":"2025-12-19T07:56:51","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T07:56:51","slug":"only-a-working-man","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/only-a-working-man\/","title":{"rendered":"Only a working man"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>Now when you pick up your Sunday morning paper<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1923<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Writer\/composer<\/td>Fred Holt \/ Herbert Rule<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN30376<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Lily Morris<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Collected from the singing of:<\/strong>
Vickers, Emma ; England : Lancashire ; 1950-69
Modern performances<\/strong>:
Charlie Drake<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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ONLY A WORKING MAN<\/strong>
From Sheet Music published in The People<\/em> May 3, 1925

When you pick up your Sunday-morning papers,
It's nearly always trouble that you read.
There's man and wife, always having strife,
For separation each of them will plead.
Now if the woman only used a little bit of tact,
With happiness they always would be blest.
Do the same as I do and you'll never have a row.
Believe me, my old man's one of the best.

I wake him every morning when the clock strikes eight.
I'm always punctual, never, never late,
With a nice cup o' tea and a little round o' toast,
\"The Sporting Life\" and \"The Winning Post.\"
I make him nice and cosy, then I toddle off to work.
I do the best I can,
For I'm only doing what a woman should do,
'Cause he's only a working man.<\/em>

I run straight home from work and cook the dinner
And give it to him nice and hot in bed.
Then back I go to work and Oh 
He's always thinking of me, so he said.
He lies in bed so patiently till I come home to tea.
I wouldn't have him vexed at any cost;
And if he backs a loser, never says an angry word,
'Cause I give him back the money that he's lost.

As soon as all the public houses open,
Like a hero he'll get out o' bed, 
Then off he'll go to the pub, you know,
And mixes with his fellow working men.
He lectures them on labour, says, \"God bless the working man,\"
By everyone my husband is admired,
Comes home and has his supper, then goes to bed again,
And falls right off to sleep, worn out and tired.<\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
A song made famous by  Lily Morris<\/a>, written by Fred Holt and Herbert Rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was collected from the singing of  Emma Vickers by Fred Hamer in the 1950s 0r 60s, under the title Now when you pick up your Sunday morning paper<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Charlie Drake sang a revised version  as theme tune for ATV comedy The Worker<\/em> which ran 1965-1970.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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