I am a chimbley, a chimbley sweep
No bed to lie, no shoes to hold my feet
Upon the rooftops in dead of night
You'll hear me cry, I'll shake you from your sleep

To hear me weep
"Your day will come indeed
For I am a poor and a wretched boy
A chimbley, chimbley sweep."

I am an orphan, an orphan boy
I've known no love, I've seen no mother's joy
A dirty doorstep my cradle laid
My fortune's made, I'll shake you from your sleep

To hear me weep
"Your day will come indeed
For I am a poor and a wretched boy
A chimbley, chimbley sweep."

"O lonely urchin!" the widow cried,
"I've not been swept since the day my husband died."
Her cheeks are blushing, her legs laid bare
And shipwrecked there, I'll shake you from your sleep

To hear me weep
"Your day will come indeed
For I am a poor and a wretched boy
A chimbley, chimbley sweep."

For I am a poor and a wretched boy
A chimbley, chimbley sweep


Lyrics submitted by sendthestars

The Chimbley Sweep Lyrics as written by Colin Meloy

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

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The Chimbley Sweep song meanings
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37 Comments

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  • +2
    General Comment

    This song makes me want to dance on a rooftop with an accordion. :]

    ILYhahajkon December 17, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I just finished reading "Under Milk Wood" by Dylan Thomas about five minutes ago and I was laughing out loud. For real.

    This song, and "Billy Liar" both come from "Under Milk Wood"- Billy Liar being about the character "Nogood Boyo" and this song is based on a song sung at the end of the story by a drunken man.

    I love it.

    jxnarcoticzon July 25, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Oh I forgot too...the line "And shipwrecked there, I'll shake you from your sleep"... This is from part of a poem in the book. The Captain says to his dead whore/lover:

    "I'll tell you no lies The only sea I saw Was the seesaw sea With you riding on it. Lie down, lie easy. Let me shipwreck in your thighs."

    jxnarcoticzon July 25, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I think the lyric: "'Oh, lonely urchin!' the widow cried 'I've not been swept since the day my husband died'" is actually "'I've not been swived since the day my husband died.'"

    It never sounded quite like "swept" to me and I thought that was a pretty weak euphemism from The Decemberists anyway. And then today a friend pointed out to me that "swived" actually rhymes with "cried" and "died" and the verb means "to copulate with" so... Yeah. I think that's actually the correct lyric.

    LycanthropicLionon December 29, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I too love the widow's voice. It's hilarious. Also, the voice of the mariner's mother in 'The Mariner's Revenge Song' is a good 'un.

    dog-on-wheelson October 12, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    well, i like cheese

    alaynaon August 29, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    love love this song...it has such a great energy and makes me want to tap my foot.

    CountMyCrowson October 19, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I love The Decemeberists.

    hermajestyon December 05, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    hahaha but you cant even spell their name.

    thegreatcreatoron February 01, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    ..How embarrassing. Oops. :X And that's even worse since their name is all over the freaking page.

    hermajestyon April 02, 2005   Link

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