{"id":2994,"date":"2020-05-15T12:39:35","date_gmt":"2020-05-15T12:39:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=2994"},"modified":"2023-10-29T06:18:19","modified_gmt":"2023-10-29T06:18:19","slug":"i-am-one-of-the-olden-time","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/i-am-one-of-the-olden-time\/","title":{"rendered":"I am one of the olden time"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>Fifty Years Ago<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1867<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Lyrics<\/strong><\/td>Harry Clifton<\/td>Music<\/strong><\/td>Harry Clifton <\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN13773<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Harry Clifton <\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Source singers:<\/strong>
Unknown (collected by Alfred Williams) ca 1910, Wiltshire, England
Henry Burstow, 1911, Sussex, England??
George Fradley , 1984, Derbyshire, England
Modern folk performances<\/strong>
Muckram Wakes, 1970<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Oh I was born some years ago When George the Third was King....\nAnd yet it seems but yesterday, For time is on the wing....\nYes I am one of the olden time, And may be thought too slow....\nBut give to me the good old days Of fifty years ago.\n\nYes I am one of the olden time, And may be thought too slow....\nBut give to me the good old days Of fifty years ago.....\nYes give to me the good old days Of fifty years ago.\n<\/em>\nI bear the name of Benjamin, Tho' some they call me Ben....\nAnd thro' this life I've roll'd along For three score years and ten......\nThe world is always on the move, At least they tell us so.....\nAnd ev'ry day we must improve, but I should like to know.....\nIf folks are any better now Than fifty years ago!\n\nWhen I was young then boys were boys, And went to bed at ten.....\nAnd never put on airs at all Or ap'd the ways of men......\nBut now they call for bitter beer, And in your face will blow......\nThe smoke from penny Cubas foul, Oh I should like to know......\nWhat would our parents thought of that Some fifty years ago!\n\nAt midnight too we hear young men With husky voices sing.....\n\"Champagne Charlie is my name!\" And they know it's no such thing....\nTo hear them praise a sparkling wine, It makes a man severe......\nWhen he knows they cannot raise the price Of half a pint of beer......\nYes they know they cannot raise the price Of half a pint of beer.....\n\nOur ladies too, in dress, observe They cannot draw the line.....\nBut wear both hats and jackets, and Appear quite masculine.....\nOf course they play at croquet, but They do not stitch or sew.....\nAnd chignons would surprise the folks Of fifty years ago.......\nOur girls would scorn to wear a wig Some fifty years ago......<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>
\n
Harry Clifton<\/a>‘s song, I’m one of the olden time <\/em>or 50 years ago <\/em>(Roud 13773) appears in numerous broadsides and songbooks of the 19th century on both sides of the Atlantic. A version was collected from an unknown singer by Alfred Williams, the early 20th century Wiltshire song collector. It was also collected  by Mike Yates from the singing of George Fradley in 1984.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Henry Burstow (1826-1916) of Horsham, Sussex was a singer and collector of songs – and included a song called Fifty Years Ago<\/em> in his repertoire of over 420 songs. However, several different songs called 50 years ago<\/em> exist, including one which starts with first line An<\/em> old couple they were standing side-by-side<\/em> (RNV70137). As Burstow only gave us the title, we cannot be sure whether he was singing the Clifton song or another.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Clifton himself first started singing the song  in 1867, the same year it was first published:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
 Sept. 14, 1867; The Illustrated London News <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Muckram Wakes recorded a version of the Harry Clifton song taken from the singing of George Fradley and you may be able to access that version via a commercial streaming service. Unfortunately I have been unable to find a publicly accessible recording<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n