The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #11268   Message #83025
Posted By: Philippa
31-May-99 - 01:02 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Freeborn Man (bluegrass, from J Martin)
Subject: Lyr Add: FREEBORN MAN (by Ewan MacColl)
Have you tried a search at Cowpie?
I saw your request title and didn't look up the message before opening a word-processing document to type from memory the Ewan MacColl song I thought you wanted. Lest my efforts go to waste I submit these lyrics anyway!

FREEBORN MAN by Ewan MacColl
(porbably slightly altered from the original)

I'm a freeborn man of the travelling people
Got no fixed abode
With nomads I am numbered
Country lanes and by-ways were always my ways
I never fancied being lumbered

In the open ground you can stop and linger
For a week or two for time is not your master
Then away you jog with your horse and dog,
Nice and easy, no need to go faster.

Oh we knew the woods and the resting places
And the small birds sang when winter days were over
Then we'd pag our bags and be on the road
Those were good old times for a rover.

Oh I've known life hard and I've known it easy
And I've cursed the life when winter days were dawning
But I've laughed and sung through the whole night long
Seen the summer sun rise in the morning.

I've mended pots and made heather beesoms
I've served my time at tramping and at hawking
And I've lain there spent happed up in my tent
And I've listened to the old folks talking.

And sometimes we'd meet with the other people
Here the news and swap family information,
At the country fairs, you'd be meeting there
All the people of the travelling nation.

All you free born men of the travelling people
Every tinker, rolling stone and gypsy rover
Winds of change are blowing, old ways are going
Your travelling days will soon be over.

PLEASE READ ZORRO'S ORIGINAL REQUEST AND HELP US GET THE WORDS TO THE OTHER FREEBORN MAN SONG1