Sunday Lyrics: My Old Man’s A Dustman – Lonnie Donegan

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Jim Adams has challenged us this week to post about songs featuring clothing.

Many of us have uniforms, but not all of these are official.   Our clothing can indicate our roles and professions even when not “required.”  I remember being admonished to wear a tie as it would be inappropriate for a teacher to do otherwise.  So be it ties, lab coats, our a certain type of cap – we are tagged by our attire.

In 1960, Lonnie Donegan, a British skiffle singer released “My Old Man’s a Dustman.”  It is a comedy song about a Dustman (Garbage Collector/Sanitary Engineer) and it mentions his “uniform” in the chorus/refrain:

Oh, my old man’s a dustman He wears a dustman’s hat He wears cor blimey trousers And he lives in a council flat He looks a proper narner In his great big hobnail boots He’s got such a job to pull ’em up That he calls them daisy roots

The song reached number one in the British, Irish, Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand singles charts in 1960.

Lyrics:

Now here's a little story
To tell it is a must
About an unsung hero
That moves away your dust
Some people make a fortune
Others earn a mint
My old man don't earn much
In fact he's flippin' skint

Oh, my old man's a dustman
He wears a dustman's hat
He wears cor blimey trousers
And he lives in a council flat
He looks a proper narner
In his great big hobnail boots
He's got such a job to pull 'em up
That he calls them daisy roots

Some folk give tips at Christmas
And some of them forget
So when he picks their bins up
He spills some on the steps
Now one old man got nasty
And to the council wrote
Next time my old man went 'round there
He punched him up the throat

Oh, my old man's a dustman
He wears a dustman's hat
He wears cor blimey trousers
And he lives in a council flat

I say, I say Les' (yeah?)
I 'er, I found a police dog in my dust bin
(How do you know he's a police dog?)
He had a policeman with him

Though my old man's a dustman
He's got an 'eart of gold
He got married recently
Though he's eighty-six years old
We said "'ere, 'ang on dad
you're getting past your prime"
He said "well when you get to my age"
"It helps to pass the time" (oi!)

My old man's a dustman
He wears a dustman's hat
He wears cor blimey trousers
And he lives in a council flat

I say, I say, I say (huh?)
My dustbin's full of lillies
(Well, throw them away then!)
I can't, Lilly's wearing them

Now, one day while in a hurry
He missed a lady's bin
He hadn't gone but a few yards
When she chased after him
"What game do you think you're playing"
She cried right from the heart
"You missed me, am I too late?"
"No, jump up on the cart!"

My old man's a dustman
He wears a dustman's hat
He wears cor blimey trousers
And he lives in a council flat, I say I say, I say (not you again!)

My dustbin's absolutely full with toadstools
How do you know it's full?
'Cause there's not mushroom inside!

He found a tiger's head one day
Nailed to a piece of wood
The tiger looked quite miserable
But I suppose he should
Just them from out the window
A voice began to wail
He said "oi, where's me tiger's head?"
"Four foot from 'is tail!"

Oh, my old man's a dustman
He wears a dustman's hat
He wear cor blimey trousers
And he lives in a council flat

Next time you see a dustman
Looking all pale and sad
Don't kick him in the dustbin
It might be my ole dad!

Written by: BEVERLEY THORN, LONNIE DONEGAN, PETER BUCHANAN

Lyrics © T.R.O. INC.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

Video Link: My Old Man’s A Dustman

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