Down at Our School
John Howarth vocal & banjo; Gerry Kearns vocal & guitar; Larry Kearns vocal & mandolin
Chorus:
Down at our schoo’, teachers are s’ funny,
If tha wants to see ‘em, thas have ta pay some money.
Soldiers half a crown, sailors half a guinea,
Big fat men two ‘n ten, little kids a penny.
Down at our schoo’, things are rather funny,
Kids do all the bloody work and teachers get the money.
Chorus
Let thi whiskers grow, let thi whiskers grow,
What’s the use o’ shavin’.
Pull ‘em out bi the roots, they’ll mek laces fer thi boots,
Think o’t money thas savin’.
Chorus
T’ teacher at our schoo’,
Well he goes to church on Sunday,
To pray to the Lord to give him strength,
To wallop us kids on Monday.
Chorus
Micky Plum with a gas tar bum
Went rollin’ down the river.
He caught belly on a piece of jelly.
It made poor Micky shiver.
Chorus
A’ll tell you a tale about a snail,
What jumped in t’ fire an’ burnt ‘is tail.
A’ll tell you another about his brother,
He did the same , the silly owd bugger.
Chorus
Chorus:
Down at our schoo’, teachers are s’ funny,
If tha wants to see ‘em, thas have ta pay some money.
Soldiers half a crown, sailors half a guinea,
Big fat men two ‘n ten, little kids a penny.
Down at our schoo’, things are rather funny,
Kids do all the bloody work and teachers get the money.
Chorus
Let thi whiskers grow, let thi whiskers grow,
What’s the use o’ shavin’.
Pull ‘em out bi the roots, they’ll mek laces fer thi boots,
Think o’t money thas savin’.
Chorus
T’ teacher at our schoo’,
Well he goes to church on Sunday,
To pray to the Lord to give him strength,
To wallop us kids on Monday.
Chorus
Micky Plum with a gas tar bum
Went rollin’ down the river.
He caught belly on a piece of jelly.
It made poor Micky shiver.
Chorus
A’ll tell you a tale about a snail,
What jumped in t’ fire an’ burnt ‘is tail.
A’ll tell you another about his brother,
He did the same , the silly owd bugger.
Chorus
Children’s play songs and rhymes have always included a large number aimed at those who wield authority, especially policemen and teachers, and as the Opies wrote in The Lore and Language of Schoolchildren....”The teacher’s lot, as every schoolboy knows, is an easy one”. Few kids hate their teachers but like to pretend that they do. Classes in schools often thrive on a pretend love-hate relationship. Because of their position and the fact that the children are not always in their company, teachers are sitting ducks for the sort of harmless abuse that this song provides. The medley, constructed from childhood memories by the lads in 1967 not only takes adults back to their schooldays but also provides ammunition for the kids of today who are just as cheeky as today’s adults were as kids but yet don’t have the songs in their armoury.
Traditional
Arrangement © Oldham Tinkers
First recorded and published by Topic Records 1970
Album: OWDHAM EDGE 12T. 204
Recorded by Sean Davies
Re-issued by PIER RECORDS 2002 under licence from TOPIC RECORDS, England
Album: SIT THEE DOWN PIERCD 505
Arrangement © Oldham Tinkers
First recorded and published by Topic Records 1970
Album: OWDHAM EDGE 12T. 204
Recorded by Sean Davies
Re-issued by PIER RECORDS 2002 under licence from TOPIC RECORDS, England
Album: SIT THEE DOWN PIERCD 505