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I Once Lived in Service Lyrics by Peter Bellamy

The Transports

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I once lived in service to a lady so fine
I've served her by night and by day-o
I've carried the dishes when the lady would dine
And after, I cleared them away-o
Oh dear me, how can it be?
The life of a servant is all slavery
I've made up her bed and I turned down her sheets
I ironed the dresses she wore-o
I've peeled her potatoes, I've roasted her meats
And 'twas I, with me broom, swept her floor-o
Oh dear me, how can it be?
The life of a servant is all misery
I scrubbed her front doorstep, I polished her plate
I put coals in the pan for her bed-o
I've rose before sunlight to black-lead her grate
And at midnight I've laid down my head-o
Oh dear me, how can it be?
The life of a servant is all drudgery
I've carried her water, I've answered her door
I've polished the shoes for her feet-o
And when she went to church, then her prayer book I bore
Behind as she marched down the street-o
Oh dear me, how can it be?
The life of a servant's a penance to me
Now, I met a young man in the village one day
As I run to the shop for her bread-o
He's asked me my name, but I had to away
Lest me mistress should break me poor head-o
Oh dear me, how can it be?
The life of a servant has no liberty
So that night, as I lay in my attic so bare
I resolved that I would run away-o
And all for to honour the wagoner's fare
Some silver spoons took for me pay-o
Oh dear me, how can it be?
The life of a servant is melancholy
Now I lie in prison but I will not weep
Who knows what tomorrow may hold-o
There's some fine lads in here for me company to keep
There's strong arms for to keep me from cold-o
Oh dear me, how can it be?
The life of a convict is all chivalry
Now I've known confinement the most of me years
Small freedom did I ever ken-o
Some prisons, sure, they have no cold iron bars
But some prisons, why, they have no men-o
Oh dear me, how can it be?
The life of a convict's a pleasure to me
Dear me, how can it be?
The life of a servant was never so free
Credits
Peter Bellamy

Peter Bellamy

About “I Once Lived in Service” by Peter Bellamy

Read the complete lyrics to "I Once Lived in Service" by Peter Bellamy from the album "The Transports". 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 Country.

"I Once Lived in Service" is performed by Peter Bellamy. from the album "The Transports" 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 "I Once Lived in Service", explore more songs by Peter Bellamy 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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Frequently asked questions

"I Once Lived in Service" is credited to Peter Bellamy. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"I Once Lived in Service" appears on "The Transports".

Visit the Peter Bellamy artist page at /artist/peter-bellamy for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.