The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #35974   Message #676919
Posted By: Jim Dixon
26-Mar-02 - 06:27 PM
Thread Name: Come All Ye Gallant Drivers/Drivers' Song-MacColl
Subject: Lyr Add: JUST A NOTE (Ewan MacColl)
"Come All Ye Gallant Drivers" was written by Ewan MacColl, and performed by Bob Davenport at the Newport Folk Festival. It is included in "Newport Broadside: Topical Songs at the Newport Folk Festival" Vanguard VSD-79144, LP (1963). (The Vanguard Records site, which Nutty linked to, misspells Ewan's name!)

Amazon.France had a sound sample from which I transcribed the following words:

"…through the snow and wind and rain,
Built atomic power stations, more dams than I can name.
We have cut through rock and swampland, moved mountains by the load.
Now you're goin' nice and steady, boy, a-plowin' of the road."

I wasn't able to find any more words. However, the song has at least one phrase in common with "Just a Note," also written by Ewan MacColl, and performed by Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight on "A Bed of Roses," Topic TSCD 505, 1999: Did Ewan plagiarize himself? I post it here in case it is helpful.

Copied from http://wwwmcc.murdoch.edu.au/~gillard/watersons/bed.html#just

JUST A NOTE
(Ewan MacColl)

Just a note for time is short, dear.
Hard the work, and long the day.
But I'm thinking on you, Mary,
Though you're many's the mile away.

Kiss the children for me, Mary.
Do not let them pine nor grieve.
Tell them that I'm working for them
And why our home I have to leave.

Building dams, airfields and factories,
Shifting mountains by the load,
I'll be with you in September
When I'm finished with the road.

[Repeat first verse.]