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The Knocker-Up 
The Knocker-Up 
A pal of mine once said to me, Will you knock me up at half-past three?" And so promptly at half-past one, I knocked him up and said, "O John, I've just come round to tell ya I've just come round to tell ya, I've just come round to tell ya, You've got two more hours to sleep!" 
-to the tune of "So Early in the Morning". In the days before alarm clocks, working people often had someone with a long pole come and knock on their window to wake them up for (shift) work. This person was called a "knocker up." 
From fragments collected by Rowland Kellett, English Dance and Song JB 
JB apr96