My living to get and keep out of debt, but I can't and I don't know why
I bought a butcher's shop last year, a grand one in High Street
Oh dear, Oh dear, it turned out queer, up went the price of meat.
Chorus: Up went the price of meat; up went the price of meat
There's heaps of troubles on this young man's mind
They raised the price of meat.
I sold that shop and another one took, but very much against my wish
To deal out pickled eels and whelks, dried cod, and hot fried fish
But it wouldn't sell, and Oh such a smell, arose from the whelks in the dish
The fishermen struck, my usual luck, up went the price of fish
Chorus: Up went the price of fish etc.
I sold that shop and another one took, with a licence to deal in game
Bad luck to the man that sold me that shop, it's enough to turn my brain
A collision on the Eastern Line broke up the poultry trucks
Oh dear, Oh lor, I believe I swore, up went the price of ducks.
Chorus:
I sold that shop and another one took, but in quite a different line
But things went wrong I couldn't get along, the cause I will assign
'Twas a greengrocer's shop, and I bought all the lot,
Of baskets and weighing machines
But it wouldn't pay, for the very next day, up went the price of beans.
Chorus:
I sold that shop and another one took, in the oil and colour line
With pickles, jam and marmalade, soft soap, and balls of twine
'Twas another sell, for I know very well, they had me for a lamb
The market rose as you may suppose, up went the price of jam.
Chorus:
I sold that shop and wouldn't take another, but thought I'd take a wife
I'd lost my money and wanted some more, and was tired of single life
But the Dutch sent over a shipload of Counts,
And Scotland a cartload of Earls
They got the run of the market first, so up went the price of the girls.
Chorus: Up went the price of girls etc.
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