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The Ungrateful Nailmaker's Apprentice |
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People sometimes come up to me and say they’ve got
an idea for a song that I might like to do. I’ve come up with quite a few
songs that way.
This idea was given to me by Marge Hammond. She suggested I ought to write a song about some of the awful things which happened to children in Black Country during the early days of the Industrial Revolution. Not only did she come up with the idea, she also researched it for me and copied a section out of a book which told the story of how they used to nail apprentices ears either to the work bench or to a wooden post if they mis-behaved or were slow to learn. They also did other things for "fun" such as throwing ashes at the children, to see them yell and jump. This song was written at the same time that Margaret Thatcher was preaching for a return to Victorian Values. Bring back the nails and let’s have a bit of gratitude! |
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An old nailmaker in Sedgely town Had desires to be richer He took to him a crippled child To be a nail maker But first he had to teach the boy They say he beat him cruelly His cries were heard into the night As he suffered with the bully He sweated hard against the fire He felt his flesh was burning The day a spark set fire his hair He was struck to stop his crying One day a mood as black as hell Came over the old nailmaker He saw the nails were not quite true And he vowed to make them straighter He seized the boy and pushed his head Down upon the counter And struck a nail through his left ear And laughed as his screams grew louder Now you will watch and watch me good Said to old nailmaker And before this day is through You'll learn to make nails straighter One thousand nails were made that day The boy never moved his head Until he was freed to show his skill Or be pinned again instead Each nail he made was straight and true None could make nails better He became the best in all the town But never thanked the old nailmaker |
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