In frill and feather, spic and span,
A gallant is asking for thee;
I told him to go,
But he wouldn't take "no" -
Oh, he is such a nice young man!

We told him to go,
But he wouldn't take "no" -
Oh, he is such a nice young man!

Oh yes, I know that nice young man!
He travels in coffee and tea;
And if you're not in,
Leaves behind him a tin
Or a packet of bad Bohea.

Oh, we all of us know that nice young man
Who travels in coffee and tea,
And if you're not in,
Leaves behind him a tin
Or packet of bad Bohea,
Of bad Bohea, of bad Bohea.

Oh, sir, he's such a handsome youth!
The nicest I ever did see!
To tell thee the truth
I have never seen youth,
Who was quite such a youth as he! (Exit DORCAS.)

To tell thee the truth
We have never seen youth,
Who was quite such a youth as he!

Oh yes, I know this self-same youth!
He dabbles a bit in the arts;
He wants you to hire
What you'll never require,
In a series of monthly parts.

He's partial to hours both dark and late,
He has a quick eye for the spoons,
And long will he wait
With his foot in the gate,
In the dusk of the afternoons.
The afternoons, the afternoons.

Good Gen'ral Monk, with others therein nam'd,
Hath entered London and the King proclaim'd.
And by his order I am here to claim
This ancient manor, in King Charles's name!
Dost thou surrender?

Nothing! I have said!

So be it, sire; thy blood be on thy head!

Summon my bodyguard! I fear me, friends,
Some evil to my person this portends.

Why this disorder? this rebellious mien?
Where are your books? and why are ye so clean?

Bother our books!
We all intend
Our evil looks
And ways to mend.
We mean to do just what we like,
So we have all come out on strike!
Eight hours we'll moan -
Eight hours we'll sigh -
Eight hours we'll groan -
Eight hours we'll pry -

But for sixteen we will be free!

And so say I!

And so say we!

We have thought the matter out
And we know what we're about,
And whatever thou mayst do or say,
We intend to sing in chorus
With the gallants who adore us,
And to merry-make the livelong day!

Singing, Tra, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,
Tra, la, la, la,
Sing, Tra, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,
Tra, la, la, Tra, la.
Tra, la, la, Tra, la.
Tra, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,
Tra, Tra, la, la, la la.

To a word of warning hark,
Ere you recklessly embark
On an undertaking so inane
As to dedicate to Cupid
That particularly stupid
And peculiarly weak refrain

Known as Tra, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,
Tra, la, la, la,
Sing, Tra, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,
Tra, la, la, Tra, la.
Tra, la, la, Tra, la.
Tra, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,
Tra, Tra, la, la, la la.

From the point of view of wit,
We are open to admit
It's a silly sort of thing to say;
But when musically treated
And sufficiently repeated,
It's effective in its simple way!

So sing, Tra, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,
Tra, la, la, la,
Sing, Tra, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,
Tra, la, la, Tra, la.
Tra, la, la, Tra, la.
Tra, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,
Tra, Tra, la, la, la la.