Everybody Works but Father - Misplaced Pages

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"Everybody Works but Father" is a popular song published in 1905, with words and music by Jean Havez. It is sung from the point of view of the son, lamenting that he, his sister and his mother all work, while his father lounges all day: "Everybody works at our house but my old man." The song was introduced and recorded by blackface performer Lew Dockstader.

The song was sufficiently popular that it inspired a "sequel" titled "Uncle Quit Work Too", about a mooching relative who "sits around the house with about a half a souse and he never does a doggone thing."

Another inspired sequel was "Father's Got a Job", recorded by Maidie Scott.

It was recorded by artists of the day including Billy Murray. It was in the repertoire of Groucho Marx, who would include the song with a segment he performed about fathers.

In The Worst Journey in the World, Apsley Cherry-Garrard remembers that some of the men on the Terra Nova expedition would sing it as a joke about Victor L. A. Campbell, the only father aboard and one who was generally found hard at work.

References

Cohen-Stratyner, Barbara, ed. (1988). Popular Music, 1900-1919: An Annotated Index to American Popular Songs. Gale Research Inc. p. 87. ISBN 0-8103-2595-0. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
"Nellie Wallace & Maidie Scott: Mother's Advice", Windyridge CD liner notes. Retrieved 13 April 2021

External links

v t e Billy Murray
Songs	"Ain't It Funny What a Difference Just a Few Hours Make" "Alexander's Ragtime Band" "Always Leave Them Laughing When You Say Goodbye" "Any Little Girl, That's a Nice Little Girl, Is the Right Little Girl for Me" "At the Moving Picture Ball" "Be My Little Baby Bumble Bee" "Because I'm Married Now" "Blue Feather" "Bon Bon Buddy" "Charley, My Boy" "Cheyenne" "Clap Hands! Here Comes Charley!" "College Life" "Come Josephine in My Flying Machine" "Cordelia Malone" "Cuddle up a Little Closer, Lovey Mine" "Daddy, Come Home" "Dear Sing Sing" "Dixie" "Don't Bring Lulu" "Everybody Works but Father" "Forty-five Minutes from Broadway" "Gasoline Gus" "Give My Regards to Broadway" "Harrigan" "He'd Have to Get Under – Get Out and Get Under (to Fix Up His Automobile)" "He Goes to Church on Sunday" "He May Be Old, But He's Got Young Ideas" "Hello, Hawaii, How Are You?" "I'm Afraid to Come Home in the Dark" "In My Merry Oldsmobile" "In the Good Old Summer Time" "In the Land of the Buffalo" "In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree" "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" "It's the Same Old Shillelagh" "It Takes the Irish to Beat the Dutch" "I've Been Floating Down the Old Green River" "I've Got My Captain Working for Me Now" "I've Got Rings On My Fingers" "I Want to Go Back to Michigan" "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now" "K-K-K-Katy" "Moonlight Bay" "Oh! By Jingo" "Oh, You Beautiful Doll" "On the 5:15" "On the Old Fall River Line" "Over There" "Play a Simple Melody "Pretty Baby" "Pride of the Prairie" "School Days" "Shine On, Harvest Moon" "Some Sunday Morning" "Tipperary" "Under the Anheuser Bush" "The Worst Is Yet to Come" "The Yankee Doodle Boy" "You'd Be Surprised" "You're a Grand Old Flag"

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