THE CAROL SINGERS
(T. C. Sterndale Bennett / Charles Haynes)

Cantabile



In our village, Christmas time, I says to several mates,
"Look 'ere, lads," I says, "Now what about some Waits ?"
We gets a carol, lairns it up, and on an evenin' wintry
We muffles up and sallies forth to try it on the Gentry.
"Good King Wenceslas looked out," sings we with splendid power:
Several neighbours looked out too, to see what all the row were!
We sings forte (sounded like a hundred),
Even in the soft bits 'ow we thundered.
Bill, our bass, 'e 'urt 'is face , we thought that it was torn;
Yet all agreed there were none like we to 'ail the 'appy morn.

Perkins took the treble line (a lovely voice 'e's got),
I were tenor, Bill were bass, and Fred sang all the lot!
'E wandered up and down the scale, but still 'e rather marred it
All cos 'e never knew the words, and so 'e "lah-lah-lahed" it.
"Lah-lah-lah-lah looked out" sings 'e with splendid power.
Several neighbours looked out, too, to see what all the row were!
We sings forte (sounded like an 'undred),
Even in the soft bits 'ow we thundered.
Every verse got worse and worse, and though we all felt worn,
Yet all agreed there were none like we to 'ail the 'appy morn.

Still we never got no cash, which didn't seem quite just,
Seein' we'd stood there for hours, a-singin' fit to bust.
Then our policeman, old Bob Bates, comes down, a-scowlin' proper;
"Good old Bob", young Perkins cries, "At last we've got a copper!"
Good King Wenceslas looked out, we still kept on recordin',
Bob said "yes, you'll come too, it's seldom I've heard more din."
Then a change came o'er the situation,
Bob got nasty and took us to the station.
"Look 'ere, Bates, we're Christmas Waits," I says to him with scorn.
He said, with a sneer, "Now wait in here and greet the 'appy morn."