The Ungrateful Nailmaker's Apprentice
People sometimes come up to me and say they’ve got an idea for a song that I might like to do. I’ve come up with quite a few songs that way.
This idea was given to me by Marge Hammond. She suggested I ought to write a song about some of the awful things which happened to children in Black Country during the early days of the Industrial Revolution. Not only did she come up with the idea, she also researched it for me and copied a section out of a book which told the story of how they used to nail apprentices ears either to the work bench or to a wooden post if they mis-behaved or were slow to learn. They also did other things for "fun" such as throwing ashes at the children, to see them yell and jump.
This song was written at the same time that Margaret Thatcher was preaching for a return to Victorian Values.
Bring back the nails and let’s have a bit of gratitude
An old nailmaker in Sedgely town
Had desires to be richer
He took to him a crippled child
To be a nail maker
But first he had to teach the boy
They said he beat him cruelly
His cries were heard into the night
As he suffered with the bully
Chorus
See the sparks flying
Hear the bellows sighing
There is no use denying
He'll be the best in Sedgley Town
He sweated hard against the fire
He felt his flesh was burning
The day a spark set fire his hair
He was struck to stop his crying
One day a mood as black as hell
Came over the old nailmaker
He saw the nails were not quite true
And he vowed to make them straighter
chorus
He seized the boy and pushed his head
Down upon the counter
And struck a nail through his left ear
And laughed as his screams grew louder
Now you will watch and watch me good
Said to old nailmaker
And before this day is through
You'll learn to make nails straighter
chorus
One thousand nails were made that day
The boy never moved his head
Until he was freed to show his skill
Or be pinned back down instead
Each nail he made was true
None could make nails straighter
He became the best in Sedgely town
But never thanked the old nailmaker
chorus