Cosmo
A song about the Music Hall strike in London early last century. Would the stars of today go on a picket line because the musicians and crews they were working alongside with were getting shafted by management? They did in 1907! – Cosmo
Lyrics
The year is 1907
A piano player, that’s me
I’ve plied my trade in music halls
From here down to Battersea
I’ve played at the old Hackney Empire
At Gatti’s and Shepherds Bush too
But the syndicates got a bit cheeky
And there was a mighty to-do
The stage-hands down in Holborn
Were already feeling the pinch
And Stoll would always take a mile
If anyone gave them an inch
We’d do one show of an evening
Then suddenly they wanted two
And a matinee for no extra pay
Well strike was all we could do!
Fair London town had never seen it’s like before
It went down in history as the Music Hall War!
The stars come out in the daytime
When we had our first picket line
Marie Lloyd sang her saucy songs
And we had a jolly old time
She said she weren’t there for the money
But she knew the score from her roots
It’s always us lot below stairs
Who lose out to those in the suits
Arthur Roberts, Gus Elen
Added their stardust too
Our more famous contemporaries
Were all out with us too
The boxer Battling Nelson
Him from the US of A
Said he’d rather forgo his 5 grand
Than be a scab any day
Fair London town had never seen it’s like before
It went down in history as the Music Hall War!
The syndicates thought they were clever
And brought scabs to the Halls
That parade of has beens and never-will-bes
Couldn’t get past us all
Then one time at the picket
Belle Elmore tried crossing the line
Marie Lloyd said “Just let her in
She’ll clear the place in no time!”
Back then all working people
Were fighting for our rights
Ben Tillet and Keir Hardie
Both took up our fight
At Somerset Maugham’s suggestion
Talks they were begun
Minimum wage, maximum week –
I guess you could say we won!
Fair London town had never seen it’s like before
It went down in history as the Music Hall War!
Though I’m long dead and buried
My ghost still haunts these streets
And pubs and clubs and stadiums
Wherever people meet
To get some entertainment
To dance their cares away
These problems that we sorted
Are back much worse today
So if you’re a performer
Or working on the crew
A small time shark or corporate suit
Is always shafting you
Call it exploitation
Call it pay to play
When we stand together
We make the bastards pay!
Fair London town had never seen it’s like before
It went down in history as the Music Hall War!