The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #59155 Message #1215314
Posted By: Mark Dowding
28-Jun-04 - 03:39 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Lancashire - Short Time (Foster parody)
Subject: Lyr Add: SHORT TIME COME AGAIN NO MORE
Following an appeal I made for information about recordings of the BBC North West programme "Ballad of the North West" from 1973-75, Pat Ryan has given me copies of a dozen of the programmes that she recorded on a cassette recorder at the time. One of these programmes was called "Panic in Lancashire" which was about the cotton famine brought about by the blockade of the Southern ports of America. This song is featured at the end of the programme and whilst the quality of the recordings that Pat made are not Dolby 5:1 surround sound stereo they are listenable to and I've transcribed the song below. Not sure if there were any more verses but here's the three that were sung by Canny Fettle:
SHORT TIME COME AGAIN NO MORE
Let us pause in life's sorrows and count its many tears, While we all sup sorrow with the poor; There's a song that's going to linger forever in our ears, Oh, short time, come again no more.
Chorus: It's the song of the factory operatives, Short time come again no more; For we can't get our cotton from the old Kentucky shore;
And we've been building roads and digging holes to get a bit of bread And we've all been to school every day But we're glad that we're all back in the weaving sheds again It's far better for to draw a full week's pay
Now this cotton famine is over and the wars are done at last And America's slaves are all free Short time, short time will never come again And we'll all see a new prosperity