Pig Song

[ Roud 7322 ; Ballad Index RcPGUSWA ; Mudcat 21933 ; Benjamin Hapgood Burt (1933)]

Fay Hield sang the Pig Song in 2020 on her Topic album Wrackline. She noted:

Neatly capturing different states of judgement through the eyes of strangers. This snippet was snatchet from a music hall song reported by The Era in 1935 ab being banned by the BBC.

Lyrics

Benjamin Hapgood Burt's One Evening in October

One evening last October
When I was far from sober
And dragging home a load with manly pride
My feet began to stutter
And I fell down in the gutter
And a pig came up and lay right by my side

Then I mumbled, “It's fair weather
When good fellows get together”
Till a lady passing by was heard to say,
“You can tell a man that boozes
By the company he chooses”
Then the pig got up and slowly walked away

(found on Mrs Death's Daintie Ditties; I'm not sure if this really is the original version)

Fay Hield sings Pig Song

One evening in October far from sober
Bringing home a load with manly pride
I stuttered in the gutter
And a pig came down and landed at my side

I said unto the pig, “Now It's fair weather
When two fine chaps like us can get together”
And a lady passing by was heard to reply,
“You can tell the drunks you meet
By the company they keep”

The pig got up and slowly walked away