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The Gasman Cometh: A Ballad of Unending Domestic Upheaval (It All Makes Work for the Working Man to Do) Lyrics by Flanders & Swann

At the Drop of Another Hat

1956

[FLANDERS, spoken]
Thank you very much, good evening. May I introduce, at the piano, the very distinguished pianist, composer, and linguist, the Enid Blyton of English light music: Donald Swann
[SWANN, spoken]
Thank you, good evening
[FLANDERS, spoken]
I must be Michael Flanders, obviously. We write songs; I write the words, Swann here writes the music. We wrote these songs originally for other people to sing, which they did, not nearly enough. And so, a few years ago we began to sing and talk about them ourselves, and that is what we are here to do tonight. We've been wandering around all over the place since we saw you last. We went to America, New York, we spent two dreadful- delightful years in America entertaining the Americans, whose need, let's face it, is greater even than years. And then, of course, when we're over there we say that the other way around. We went to Canada, and we were in Switzerland, which was quite interesting too. They didn't understand a word, but they loved it. It was very interesting to see the homeland of so many great English actors. This year we've been touring England's depressed areas, and may I say what a pleasure it's been to be here in London, my goodness, it is, isn't it? Hmm?
[SWANN, spoken]
I think so! I concur with every word you say!
[FLANDERS, spoken]
I must say, wandering around-he's trying to get his bit in-wandering around things have come to a pretty... underpass here in England, while we've been to away. It's no wonder to us that satire squats, hoof in mouth, under every bush. The purpose of satire, it has been rightly said, is to strip off the veneer of comforting illusion and cozy half-truth, and our job, as I see it, is to put it back again. Thank you
With this in mind, we offer you some more of our respectable songs for responsible people, under the title of "At the Drop of-
[SWANN, spoken]
Another!
[FLANDERS, spoken]
-Hat." Well done! You got it there, bang on, marvelously. Well don't you say I never let you get a word in, will you. A word in edgewise, like a slice of fish. I think we're all assembled here, double bookings all sorted out, so let's start with the first song
This is a sort of a test piece, it doesn't count, as usual. Swann has moved since we saw him last. As some of you will know, he used to live in Prince Of Wales Drive, Battersea. But since he became a great star, he thought this wasn't really very suitable. He now lives in Albert Bridge Road, Battersea. Not that it matters very much where you live south of the river now, because as you know, under the new London plan, they're lumping all those areas together. They're going to call them Brighton. I still live in what is, I believe, soon going to be known as Kensington, a very pleasant area
And, being at home has its problems. This song is a ballad of unending domestic upheaval. I'm sure you've all had something of the same experience. It's called "The Gas Man Cometh."
[BOTH]
'Twas on the Monday morning
The gas man came to call
The gas tap wouldn't turn
I wasn't getting gas at all
He tore out all the skirting boards
To try and find the main
And I had to call a carpenter
To put them back again!
Oh, it all makes work
For the working man to do
[SWANN]
'Twas on the Tuesday morning
The carpenter came round
He hammered and he chiseled
And he said
[FLANDERS]
"Look what I've found!
Your joists are full of dry rot
But I'll put them all to rights."
[SWANN]
Then he nailed right through a cable
[BOTH]
And out went all the lights!
Oh, it all makes work
For the working man to do
[FLANDERS]
'Twas on a Wednesday morning
The electrician came
He called me, "Mr. Sanderson"
Which isn't quite me name
He couldn't reach the fuse box
Without standing on the bin
[BOTH]
And his foot went through a window
So I called the glazier in!
Oh, it all makes work
For the working man to do
[SWANN]
'Twas on the Thursday morning
The glazier came round
With his blowtorch and his putty
And his merry glazier song
He put another pane in
He took no time at all
[BOTH]
But I had to get a painter in
To come and paint the wall!
Oh, it all makes work
For the working man to do
'Twas on a Friday morning
The painter made a start
[SWANN]
With undercoats
[FLANDERS]
And overcoats
[BOTH]
He painted every part
Every nook and every cranny
But I found when he was gone
He'd painted over the gas tap
And I couldn't turn it on!
Oh, it all makes work
For the working man to do
On Saturday and Sunday
They do no work at all
So it was on the Monday morning
That the gas man came to call!
Credits
Flanders & Swann

Flanders & Swann

About “The Gasman Cometh: A Ballad of Unending Domestic Upheaval (It All Makes Work for the Working Man to Do)” by Flanders & Swann

Read the complete lyrics to "The Gasman Cometh: A Ballad of Unending Domestic Upheaval (It All Makes Work for the Working Man to Do)" by Flanders & Swann from the album "At the Drop of Another Hat" in 1956. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Musicals, Pop.

"The Gasman Cometh: A Ballad of Unending Domestic Upheaval (It All Makes Work for the Working Man to Do)" is performed by Flanders & Swann. from the album "At the Drop of Another Hat" in 1956 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "The Gasman Cometh: A Ballad of Unending Domestic Upheaval (It All Makes Work for the Working Man to Do)", explore more songs by Flanders & Swann using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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"The Gasman Cometh: A Ballad of Unending Domestic Upheaval (It All Makes Work for the Working Man to Do)" is credited to Flanders & Swann. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"The Gasman Cometh: A Ballad of Unending Domestic Upheaval (It All Makes Work for the Working Man to Do)" appears on "At the Drop of Another Hat" in 1956.

Visit the Flanders & Swann artist page at /artist/flanders-and-swann for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.