> Martin Carthy > Songs > Work Life Out to Keep Life In

Work Life Out to Keep Life In / The Working Chap

[ Roud 5591 ; Ballad Index Ord051 ; trad., additional lyrics Martin Carth]

Chris Foster sang The Working Chap in 1979 on his Topic album All Things in Comon.

Martin Carthy sang this song with additional lyrics as Work Life Out to Keep Life In in 1990 on the BBC North West documentary Hard Cash and in 1993 on his own compilation Rigs of the Time.

Note: Mike Waterson's The Working Chap is quite a different song.

Lyrics

Martin Carthy sings Work Life Out to Keep Life In

Oh the working man as you can see
That is what he was born to be
Married to the working wife
That is what she'll be all her life
Never lived beyond their means
Nor sought assistance from their friends
Yet day and night through thick and thin
They work life out just to keep life in

Chorus (after each verse):

No matter friends whate'er befall
The poor folk they must work or fall
Through frost and snow through sleet and wind
They work life out just to keep life in

Do you see the women how make the gowns
For those in other parts of town
It's a picture sorrowful to see
And I'm sure with me you will agree
Meagre is our daily pay
To feed and clad a family with
She's overworked she's tired and thin
She works life out just to keep life in

Oh mischief mine where do you roam
When reason called you weren't at home
If you take cheese from off the rat
Is he then free to hunt the cat
If free from union's free from dues
Are you free from choice or free to choose
Or free as any birds blown by the wind
To work life out just to keep life in

Acknowledgements

Transcribed by Garry Gillard