Thanksgiving Song (1892)
LABOUR SONGS.
For this and all thy blessings make us truly thankful.
DEDICATED TO PASTOR BUCHANON.
With a thousand a year just to snuffle and preach,
He points out to workers the sin of their ways ;
When the devil assails them he stands in the breach,
And blocks the arch tempter--as long as it pays.
He'll stand in the pulpit, and snuffle and whine
'Tis a sin not to work when the wages are low.
Work for six bob a week--if your tucker costs nine,
It will chasten your souls when you're called on to go.
For the Lord has ordained it--he utters the lie,
With the added insult of a crocodile tear ;
And he snuffles some cant of the sweet by and bye,
And the crosses he bears with his thousand a year.
* * *
It is lucky Old Nick has no standing account
In the bank to fall back on, and use his will,
For each parson would draw on his soul the amount
It is worth to Old Nick ; would he honour the bill,
For the soul of the average clerical snob,
Who entreats the Creator to pander to rank
Would be risky, supposing he closed at five bob
With the chance of indictment for robbing the bank.
REG. A. FINNEGAN.
Notes
From the Wagga NSW newspaper the Worker Saturday 24 September 1892, p. 4.