lOMoARcPSD|1485157
Music Hall Stars and the lyrics of their songs were a cause for
concern
Youth Culture and Popular Music in Twentieth Century Britain (University of
Wolverhampton)
Studocu is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university
Downloaded by Ellie Dolman ()
, lOMoARcPSD|1485157
Week 2 Youth, Crime and Popular Culture. Rosalind Watkiss. Seminar
Discussion
MusicHallStar
sandt helyr
icsoft
heirsongswer
eacausef
orconcer
n.Readthelyri
csof
theatt
achedsongWai tTil
lt
heWor kComesRoundandassesswhythesevi
ewsonwor ki
ng-
classemployment
/unemploymentmaycauseconster
nat
i
onamongstther
uli
ngclasses.
Context
uali
seyourreply-songpubli
shedin1906.
- Thel yri
csf rom thesongWai tTil
lt heWor kComesRoundwoul dcaus e
consternationamongt her ul
ingcl assasi tissuggesti
ngthatbei
ngoutofwor k
andl i
vingf ortodayisbetterthanbei ngi
nempl oymentandcontribut
i
ngt o
society.Eleni sglori
fyi
ngunempl oymentandt husglori
fyi
nglazi
ness"ifyou
cantgetaj oby oucanr estinbed"i snottheideali
sti
cv i
ewthattheruli
ng
classeswantt hewor ki
ngcl asstobest r
ivingt
oac hieve.Ahighunempl oyment
ratewoul dhi ndertheruli
ngcl assesast heywoul dhav enoonet owor kfor
them forcheapl abourandi npoorcondi tions.
- Elenal soimpliesthatifonewai tslongenought henwor kwillcomet othem as
t
heempl oy
erswi l
lbedesper ateforthelabour,meani ngthatpeopl ewi l
l notbe
f
or cedt otr
avelawayf rom theirhomest ofindjobs .Thi swouldbewor ryingfor
t
her ul
ingclassesast heydonotwantt hewor ki
ngc lasstobel i
evet hatt hey
needt hem inor dertooper at
e,infact,i
tisquitet heoppos i
teast heywoul d
wantt hewor ki
ngcl asstobel i
evethattheywer edoi ngt hem afavourby
empl oyingthem inthefirstpl
ace.Thei deaofbeat ingonesl andlor dify ouare
unabl etopayt herentisqui t
es ynonymouswi thwor kingclassbr utali
ty,
anothert hi
ngthatwoul dwor rytheuppercl assesast hi
sisnotl i
vingr es pect
ful
l
ives .
- Thesongdepi
ctssomeonewhodoesnotseem t
ohaveanyurgenc
ytofind
workorkeepajob.Hemockspeopl
eacti
vel
yseeki
ngemployment,t
omak e
endsmeetorputfoodont
hetabl
eheseemstonotbeworr
iedaboutit
.
- Dur ingthistime( 1906)liberalrefor
mshadcomei ntopl
acet ocombatt he
out comesofRownt reestudyf r
om 1901r egardi
ngt hepov er
tyoft hewor ki
ng
classes .Ther eformsi ncludedf r
eesc hoolmeals,pensions,labourex changes
andt heNIAct ,givi
ngt hepoor erclassesfinanc
ialaid.Althoughnotal lof
thesewer eaboutatt hetimeoft hissongtheywer einthepipelineandt he
mi ddle/upperclassesmayhav ewor ri
edthatwiththesereformst heircheap
wor kforcewontf eel theneedt owor kashar dorforaslongf orwhatt heyar e
payi ngthem.Thatt heywontt otall
yrel
yont hem,t hatt
heycanper haps
sur vivewithoutwor kingforthem.
- Ireadthelyr
icst
othesong.GusEl enwasbestknownf orhisworksa 'coster
comedian'whoperformedsongsandsk et
chesi
ncockeySlang.Hewasbr oughtup
i
nPi mli
coLondon,1862,maki nghim 44att het
imeofwri
ti
ngthissong.Bei ngoft
his
agethesongmaypr ovi
deandov er
sightofwhatEl
enisseeingonthest r
eet sof
London.Likemostentertr
ainer
stodayt heyuseever
ydayscenari
ostopr ovide
comicalval
uetotheirsket
ches,therefor
equesti
oni
ngthebiasofthepiece.
Downloaded by Ellie Dolman ()
Music Hall Stars and the lyrics of their songs were a cause for
concern
Youth Culture and Popular Music in Twentieth Century Britain (University of
Wolverhampton)
Studocu is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university
Downloaded by Ellie Dolman ()
, lOMoARcPSD|1485157
Week 2 Youth, Crime and Popular Culture. Rosalind Watkiss. Seminar
Discussion
MusicHallStar
sandt helyr
icsoft
heirsongswer
eacausef
orconcer
n.Readthelyri
csof
theatt
achedsongWai tTil
lt
heWor kComesRoundandassesswhythesevi
ewsonwor ki
ng-
classemployment
/unemploymentmaycauseconster
nat
i
onamongstther
uli
ngclasses.
Context
uali
seyourreply-songpubli
shedin1906.
- Thel yri
csf rom thesongWai tTil
lt heWor kComesRoundwoul dcaus e
consternationamongt her ul
ingcl assasi tissuggesti
ngthatbei
ngoutofwor k
andl i
vingf ortodayisbetterthanbei ngi
nempl oymentandcontribut
i
ngt o
society.Eleni sglori
fyi
ngunempl oymentandt husglori
fyi
nglazi
ness"ifyou
cantgetaj oby oucanr estinbed"i snottheideali
sti
cv i
ewthattheruli
ng
classeswantt hewor ki
ngcl asstobest r
ivingt
oac hieve.Ahighunempl oyment
ratewoul dhi ndertheruli
ngcl assesast heywoul dhav enoonet owor kfor
them forcheapl abourandi npoorcondi tions.
- Elenal soimpliesthatifonewai tslongenought henwor kwillcomet othem as
t
heempl oy
erswi l
lbedesper ateforthelabour,meani ngthatpeopl ewi l
l notbe
f
or cedt otr
avelawayf rom theirhomest ofindjobs .Thi swouldbewor ryingfor
t
her ul
ingclassesast heydonotwantt hewor ki
ngc lasstobel i
evet hatt hey
needt hem inor dertooper at
e,infact,i
tisquitet heoppos i
teast heywoul d
wantt hewor ki
ngcl asstobel i
evethattheywer edoi ngt hem afavourby
empl oyingthem inthefirstpl
ace.Thei deaofbeat ingonesl andlor dify ouare
unabl etopayt herentisqui t
es ynonymouswi thwor kingclassbr utali
ty,
anothert hi
ngthatwoul dwor rytheuppercl assesast hi
sisnotl i
vingr es pect
ful
l
ives .
- Thesongdepi
ctssomeonewhodoesnotseem t
ohaveanyurgenc
ytofind
workorkeepajob.Hemockspeopl
eacti
vel
yseeki
ngemployment,t
omak e
endsmeetorputfoodont
hetabl
eheseemstonotbeworr
iedaboutit
.
- Dur ingthistime( 1906)liberalrefor
mshadcomei ntopl
acet ocombatt he
out comesofRownt reestudyf r
om 1901r egardi
ngt hepov er
tyoft hewor ki
ng
classes .Ther eformsi ncludedf r
eesc hoolmeals,pensions,labourex changes
andt heNIAct ,givi
ngt hepoor erclassesfinanc
ialaid.Althoughnotal lof
thesewer eaboutatt hetimeoft hissongtheywer einthepipelineandt he
mi ddle/upperclassesmayhav ewor ri
edthatwiththesereformst heircheap
wor kforcewontf eel theneedt owor kashar dorforaslongf orwhatt heyar e
payi ngthem.Thatt heywontt otall
yrel
yont hem,t hatt
heycanper haps
sur vivewithoutwor kingforthem.
- Ireadthelyr
icst
othesong.GusEl enwasbestknownf orhisworksa 'coster
comedian'whoperformedsongsandsk et
chesi
ncockeySlang.Hewasbr oughtup
i
nPi mli
coLondon,1862,maki nghim 44att het
imeofwri
ti
ngthissong.Bei ngoft
his
agethesongmaypr ovi
deandov er
sightofwhatEl
enisseeingonthest r
eet sof
London.Likemostentertr
ainer
stodayt heyuseever
ydayscenari
ostopr ovide
comicalval
uetotheirsket
ches,therefor
equesti
oni
ngthebiasofthepiece.
Downloaded by Ellie Dolman ()
