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Song of the Times / Working Men of England

Chumbawamba sang Song of the Times on their 1988 LP and 2003 CD English Rebel Songs 1381-1914/84, on their 2007 No Masters live CD Get On With It—Live. and on their 2012 No Masters DVD recorded live at chumbawamba, Going, Going. They noted:

Song of the Times was written sometime between 1845s and 1850, just after the repeal of the Corn Laws—a repeal which promised to bring cheaper bread, higher wages and more work. In fact it brought increased food prices, lower wages, and factories on short time. Between these years, too, famine strack and devastated Ireland, starving thousands and prompting a further exodus of Irish people to England.

“Utilitarian economists; skeletons of schoolmasters; Commissioners of Fact, genteel and used-up infidels, gabblers of many different dog-eared creeds; the Poor you will always have with you. Cultivate in them, while there is yet still time, the utmost graces of the fancies and affections, to adorn their lives so much in need of adornment; or in the day of your triumph, when romance is utterly driven out of their souls, and they and a Bare Existence stand face to face, Reality will take a wolfish turn, and make an end of you.”
(Charles Dickens, from Hard Times, 1854)

Broom Bezzums recorded Working Men of England in 2007 for their album Arise You Sons of Freedom… which got its title from the song’s chorus. They noted:

A call to rise up against the British establishment and a reminder that poor workers in all the countries of the British Isles suffered under the ruling classes.

Living With Machines’ song Working Men of England (first line “The working men of England, we labour for the great”) on their eponymous 2024 album Living Wich Machines is another song (Roud V13793) with just the same title.

Lyrics

Chumbawamba sing Song of the Times

You working men of England one moment now attend
While I unfold the treatment of the poor upon this land
For nowadays the factory lords have brought the labour low
And daily are contriving plans to prove our overthrow

Chorus (after each verse):
So arouse! You sons of freedom! The world seems upside down
They scorn the poor man as a thief in country and in town

There’s different parts in Ireland, it’s true what I do state
There’s hundreds that are starving for they can’t get food to eat
And if they go unto the rich to ask them for relief
They bang their door all in their face as if they were a thief

Alas how altered are the times, rich men despise the poor
And pay them off without remorse, quite scornful at their door
And if a man is out of work his Parish pay is small
Enough to starve himself and wife, his children and all

So to conclude and finish these few verses I have made
I hope to see before it’s long men for their labour paid
Then we’ll rejoice with heart and voice and banish all our woes
Before we do old England must pay us what she owes

Broom Bezzums sing Working Men of England

You working men of England one moment now attend
While I unfold the treatment of the poor upon this land
For nowadays the factory lords have brought the labour laws
And daily are contriving plans to prove our overthrow.

Chorus (after each verse):
So arise you sons of freedom!
The world seems upside down
They scorn the poor man as a thief
In country and in town.

There are different parts in Ireland its true what I do tell
There are millions that are starving for they can’t find food to eat
And if they go unto the rich to ask them for relief
They slam the door in their face as if they were a thief

Alas these times have not past rich men despise the poor
And pay them of without remorse and scorn them at the door
And if a man is out of work his parish pay is low
Enough to starve himself, his wife his children and all

So kind friends to conclude these words that I have made
I hope to see before it’s long men for their labour paid
Then we’ll rejoice with heart and voice and banish all our woes
Until that day old England must pay us what she owes