The Gypsy Lad

Alan A. Bell
February 1976

© Tamlyn Music Ltd

I'm a gypsy lad, aye, a rovin' lad,
Of no fixed abode, one of the family.
Down the lanes I walk, wi' me horse and cart,
Knowing all men's hearts are against me.

Chorus
Now my caravan is my only home,
And the fire is always burning.
From the sunny south to the frozen north,
My wagon keeps on rolling.

When the cold winds blow, the winter snow
Makes life hard and we go hungry.
Then it's off I run with me dog and gun,
To shoot the hare and feed my family.

Chorus

In the early Spring when the small birds sing,
And the sleepers stir in the hedgerow,
Then it's off we ride through the countryside,
For to seek new work and a place to go.

Chorus

In a summerland, parked on a golden sand,
Where the sun does shine on a grey sea,
At the hawking trade, with the pegs we've made,
And the fortune tellin' makes life easy.

Chorus

But they move us on, and tell us begone,
Your way of life is over.
You're not welcome here for people fear,
The strangeness of a rover.

Chorus



In his notes, Alan Bell writes:

"The Pleasure Beach at Blackpool is an open air palace of entertainment attracting millions of people every year. It is hard to imagine that it all came about due to the travelling people of over one hundred years ago, pitching their tents in the sand dunes by the beach. With their horses, fortune telling, and general presence they attracted sightseers in the growing holiday town of Blackpool. Many of their families stayed, and formed the Carriage trade still operating today along the promenade."