Uploaded January 2011 | Updated September 2026, 5 hours ago

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This song refers to the fact that poor families could not afford to bury their dead infants and would put them in the sewers instead.

A Muvver's Lament Lyrics:-

A muvver was washin'er baby one night,
The youngist of ten an'a delicate mite.
The muvver was poor an'the baby was fin,
'twas naught but an skelin'ton covered with skin.

The muvver turned 'round for the soap off the rack.
She was only a moment but a wen she turned back
Her baby had gorn, an'in anguish she cried,
"Oh, where 'as my baby gorn?" The angels replied:

Oh, your baby 'as gorn down the plug 'ole.
Your baby 'as gorn down the plug.
The poor liddle fing was so skinny an'fin,
It should 'ave been washed in a jug, in a jug.

Your baby is perficly 'appy;
It won't need a bath anymore.
It's a-muckin' about with the angels above,
Not lorst but gorn before.