Luckie plou'-boy/The lamp-lighter

THE LAMP-LIGHTER.

sung by mr. dibdin.

I'M jolly Dick the Lamp-lighter,
they say the Sun’s my Dad,
And truly I believe it, Sir,
for I’m a pretty lad;
Father and I the world delight,
and make it look so gay,
The difference is, I light by night,
and Father lights by day.
Father and I the world delight, &c.

But Father’s not the like of I,
for knowing life and fun,
For I strange tricks and fancies spy,
folks never show the fun;
Rogues, owls, and bats can’t bear the light,
I’ve heard your wife ones say,
And so, d’ye mind, I see at night
things never seen by day,
Rogues, owls, and bats, &c.

At night men lay aside all art,
as quite an useless task,
And many a face, and many a heart
will then pull off the mask;
Each formal Prude, and holy Wight,
will throw disguise away;
And fin it openly at night,
who fainted it all day. Each formal, &c.

His darling hoard the miler views,
misses from friends decamp,
And many a statesman mischief brews
to his country o’er his lamp;
So father and I, d'ye take me right,
are just on the same lay,
I bare-fac’d sinners light by night,
and he false faints by day,
So father and I, d'ye take me right, &c.