THE POLICEMEN'S SONG

Note: The Sergeant sings each line; then the chorus repeats the end of the line. The repeats consist of alternating four and three syllables, and some words are cut in the middle to comply with this pattern.

SERGEANT: When a felon's not engaged in his employment          his employment Or maturing his felonious little plan          little plan His capacity for innocent enjoyment          'cent enjoyment Is just as great as any honest man          honest man Our feelings we with difficulty smother          'culty smother When constabulary duty's to be done          to be done Taking one consideration with another          with another A policeman's lot is not a happy one. ALL: When constabulary duties to be done, to be done A policeman's lot is not a happy one SERGEANT: When the enterprising burglar's not a-burgling          not a-burgling When the cutthroat isn't occupied in crime          'pied in crime He loves to hear the little brook a-gurgling          brook a-gurgling And listen to the merry village chime          village chime When the coster's finished jumping on his mother          on his mother He loves to lie a-basking in the sun          in the sun Taking one consideration with another          with another A policeman's lot is not a happy one ALL: When constabulary duties to be done, to be done A policeman's lot is not a happy one

An unhappy policeman doing his constabulary duty. Sketch by Gilbert

This song is a reminder of Sullivan's early career when he had to recruit men for his church choir from a nearby police station. He wrote: I used to think of them sometimes when I was composing the music for The Pirates of Penzance".

Constabulary: The Constable was originally the Count of the stable. It now refers to a member of the police force or constabulary.
Village Chime: In England almost every little town has a church with a bell in its steeple which is frequently rung.

Coster: A coster is a small apple. It is also used to refer to the person who sells them. A costermonger refers to someone who sells fruits and vegetable. Apparently in Gilbert's time they were thought to be quite a violent lot.

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Revised February 2010
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