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Title
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Poor drunkard
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Singer
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Messenger, Charles
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Song Lyrics
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Verse 1
As I was a-walking one morning down town,
Who should I meet but my landlady Brown,
With my coat out at elbow and my breeches out at knee -
Oh dear! how my landlady frowned on me.
Verse 2
'Since I've been so ragged and thou'st been so fine,
No doubt but it cost great money of mine!
But if I had not spent it on tobacco and ale,
Then thou must have gone with thy poor draggletail.1
Verse 3
'Thou poor, silly fool! Why talk of that now?
Thou know'st what a fool and a drunkard wast thou.
When thou call'st for strong liquor I drew it all dregs,
Now I'll wear fine clothes and thou wear the rags.'
Verse 4
When Saturday night my money I received,
All down to the alehouse my heart it has grieved;
Along with my companions and my wicked crew,
My wife often told me that never would do.
Verse 4
My wife she comes in and thus she does say -
'Dear husband, be ruled, and come home I pray!
Dear husband, be ruled, and come along with me,
And think on your wife and your dear family.'
Verse 5
As soon as my wife set her foot within the door,
Then straight I did call her a thousand times o'er;
The more I said to her she sat down and cried,
So great was the fool and the drunkard was I.
Verse 6
If I had a hearkened to wife at the first,
I should have had silver and gold in my purse;
To maintain my wife and my children so small,
Now I am a drunkard and have ruined them all.
