The Birdcatcher 1894 Albert Chevalier

Dr. Pitt-Payne in London UK 05 Aug 2001

I'm a chap as hearns
A rummy sort of livelihood,
In a very snug congenial sort of way,
For a ketchin' pretty birds
I 'as a haptitood,
An' I manages ter make the bizness pay.
When the mornin' rooster's
Kickin' up 'is usual row,
'E's a bird as knows
'Is Greenwich time kerrect,
Then I'm out of bed
Agittin of my traps in tow,
An' I makes for Chippin' Barnet
Right direct.

The fust of all its pretty birds
Asingin' on the tree,
An' me awalkin' round about for miles;
But very soon its pretty birds
Inside my 'an'kerchee,
An me amakin' tracks for Sevin Dials!
Sevin Dials!
For a little shop down in the Sevin Dials!

I 'ave got a little bird
I calls The Whistlin' Coon,
'E 'as been a goodish time in my employ,
'E's a hexpert at selectin' of the proper toon,
When 'e's on the job
Ahactin' as decoy:
If I whistles
'E gets on the trap quite dootiful,
An' 'e'll lure the other birds on mighty sly,
Then I nabs the 'ole community right beautiful,
At the moment as 'e winks the other eye.

The fust of all its pretty birds
Asingin' on the tree,
An' me awalkin' round about for miles;
But very soon its pretty birds
Inside my 'an'kerchee,
An me amakin' tracks for Sevin Dials!
Sevin Dials!
For a little shop down in the Sevin Dials!

There's a lot of competition
In the catchin' line,
There's a lot of chaps as does a roaring trade,
A chawkin' sparrows wiv a colour matchin' fine!
That they looks canaries good as Nature's made.
There's anuvver lot,
An' shame on 'em each muvver's son,
When they sells a bird
Will pinch it in the breast,
In course it dies,
An' you must buy anuvver one;
Now they're a crowd as ought to be suppressed!

Why for all the bloomin' birds
As is asingin' on the tree,
An' for all the shopses round about fur miles,
I would not chawk a sparrow
Or pinch a canary
Cos I am respected down the Sevin Dials,
Sevin Dials,
I'm the most respected catcher in the Dials.

Ah! The competition's awful in the catchin' line,
For like every uvver trade there's lots of 'ank,
You may git some heggs
An' go in for the 'atchin' line,
An' it's hodds that hev'ry uvver hegg's a blank!
You can buy canaries very cheap outside the pubs,
But I'd give yer all the tip ter mind the paint,
For they don't catch many furrin birds
At Wormwood Scrubs,
They may call 'em forest bred uns but they hain't!

But for all the bloomin' birds
As is asingin' on the tree,
An' for all the shopses round about fur miles,
I wouldn't stoop to chalk a thrush
Or sparrer, cos, yer see,
They relies on my opinion in the Dials!
Sevin Dials!
I'm the most respected catcher in the Dials!

Soft karaoke
Words
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The Birdcatcher 1894 Albert Chevalier

The Birdcatcher 1894 Albert Chevalier
Music and words by W. C. McKibbin
copyright 1894 Reynolds and Co
Sequenced for Piano by
Dr. Pitt-Payne in London UK
on Sunday 05 Aug 2001 at 17.19
in association with Doug Grierson
and Bunty Pritchard Jones
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© James Pitt-Payne, London UK, 2001
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Please Do Not Alter This File
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