Chim chim cher-ee

Chim chiminey Chim chiminey Chim chim cher-ee! A sweep is as lucky As lucky can be!

Chim chiminey
Chim chiminey
Chim chim cher-oo!
Good luck will rub off when
I shake hands with you -
Or blow me a kiss
And that's lucky too!

Now as the ladder of life Has been strung, You may think a sweep's On the bottommost rung. Though I spends me time In the ashes and soot, In this whole wide world There's no happier bloke!

Up where the smoke is All billered and curled, 'Tween pavement and stars Is the chimney sweeps' world.

When there's hardly no day Nor hardly no night, There's things half in shadow And half way in light. On the roof tops of London - Coo, what a sight!

I choose me bristles with pride Yes, I do! A broom for the shaft, And a broom for the flume. Though I'm covered with soot From me head to me toes, A sweep knows he's welcome Wherever he goes!

Chim chiminey Chim chiminey Chim chim cher-ee! When you're with a sweep You're in glad company.

Nowhere is there A more happier crew Than them wot sings "Chim chim cher-ee Chim cher-oo!"

On the chim chiminey
Chim chim cher-ee
Chim cher-oo!

Do you remember the first time you saw the movie Mary Poppins? Did you ever wonder about the mysterious lives of the many chimney sweeps in that movie? The magic of the scene on the rooftops of London, with chimney sweeps dancing precariously close to the roof's edge, thrills audiences of many ages.
Sweeping was begun mostly in England during the 17th or 18th century, where it was the government's wishes that all flues, or chimneys, be swept often. The chimneys of the period were very large, so small boys, usually sold into slavery from orphanages, called "climbing boys" were sent up the flue to brush away the soot by hand. Often, an older more experienced boy followed behind. If the new boy slowed down or stopped, the boy underneath would poke the younger boy's feet with needles. It was because of this and because many children got stuck and died in chimneys that narrowed at the top, that the Queen of England supposedly offered a reward for a better way of cleaning the chimneys. Thus, the rods and brushes that are still used today came into use. It is also said that once, one of England's kings had an incident with his horse, and a chimney sweep gentled the horse and prevented the king from being thrown to the ground. The king returned the sweep with a gesture that all sweeps would get one day off per year, by law.
The traditional outfit of top hat and tails was worn because wealthy undertakers would give their clothes away to the sweeps - a very different outfit from the coverings worn today.

The above lines come from:
http://www.cleanairpro.com/story.htm