My name once was Alice Grace,
The flower of my town
All the boys used to turn and stare
They still do that now
I once had a lover
and he was strong and kind and true
or at least I thought he was
but he were all I knew
(he were all I knew)

My name once were Alice Grace
the fallen lady in my town
the boys well they turned away
though they’re blummin staring now.
And when me mother died
it broke me father’s heart in two
within ten days, he’d passed away
and they were all I knew
(they were all I knew)

My name once were Alice Grace
the beggar in my town
I couldn’t pay me rent, and so I got turned out
But this kind hearted butcher he wouldn’t see me on the street
he gave me a bacon box and a scrap of food to eat
(a scrap of food to eat)
Old Alice in the bacon box
That’s what they called me
lived off the kindness of strangers in my box upon the green
and though the workhouse in Shardlow
tried to take me for its own
I’d pull out of my shoe a bright penny and two
and they’d have to send me home.
(they’d have to send me home)
(have to send me home)
(have to send me home)

One day the copper caught me,
with no thrupence to my name
and he carted me off to Shardlow
I ne’er saw me box again.