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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