Poverty Knock

Catlow’s Patent Dobby Power Loom

"This work song dates back to the early Dobby power looms. Owing to low wages and the slow dreary “knock-ity knock” sound of the looms, weavers were called “Poverty Knockers”.
The tempo should be slow 3/4, but strongly accentuated."
Original note by Tommy Daniel

Tommy said he had picked up the song at the first mill he worked at on leaving school.

About verse 5, ‘Sometimes a shuttle flies out ’, Tommy explained the point of it was that the weavers were on piecework (paid wages according to the amount produced) and could not afford to stop working to help an injured workmate.

Listen to Mick singing Poverty Knocks, recorded by Ray Padgett in Whitby, 2006.

MP3 file hosted on The Yorkshire Garland Group Song Database

1. Up every morning at five,
A wonder that we keep alive.
Tired and yawning
On a cold morning,
Back to the old weary drive.

Chorus

Poverty, poverty knock,
My loom is a-saying all day;
Poverty, poverty knock,
Gaffer's too skinny to pay:
Poverty, poverty knock,
Keeping one eye on the clock;
I know I can guttle
When I hear my shuttle,
Go poverty, poverty knock.

2. Oh dear! We're going to be late,
Gaffer is stood at the gate.
We're out of pocket
Our wages they dock it,
We have to buy grub on the slate.

3. Oh, how my poor head sings,
I should have woven three strings
But threads are breaking
My back is aching
Oh dear, I wish I had wings.

4. We have to wet our own yarn,
Dipping it into the tarn
It's wet an' soggy
Makes us feel groggy,
With mice in that dirty old barn.

5. Sometimes a shuttle flies out,
Gives some poor weaver a clout;
There she lies bleeding,
Nobody's heeding,
Who's going to carry her out?

6. Tuner should tackle my loom,
He'd rather sit on his bum;
He's much too busy
A courtin' o'r Lizzie,
I cannot get him to cum'.

7. Lizzie is easily led,
They say that he takes her to bed;
She used to be skinny
Now just look at her pinny
It's just about time they were wed.

Tommy Daniel

Cartwright's Power Loom

The first power loom was designed and patented by Edmund Cartwright in 1785. It was the first machine designed to automate the weaving industry, and its invention transformed the making of textiles from a cottage industry into a mechanised one.
It made the weaving process faster and more efficient, a single machine could replace up to thirty hand operated ones.
It was less labour intense than earlier handlooms, replaced the need of specially trained operators required to manually weave fabric and drastically increased the speed of textile production.

About Mick

Mick Haywood is a traditional folk singer & folk song collector who has run and organised folk clubs and festivals for many years. He now lives in Whitby, North Yorkshire.

Poverty, Poverty Knocks

The life and songs of Tommy Daniel of Batley

Poverty Knock

About Mick

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