Lyr Req: Down Our Street

Subject: Down Our Street
From:
Date: 23 Nov 99 - 07:38 PM

I'm looking for the lyrics to Down Our Street (?title?). It has the following words in the chorus: Down our street, there are ???? and ladies fair Dancing free (?) in the midnight air And a couple of jawbones missing there

Thanks! Bob

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Down Our Street
From: Alice
Date: 23 Nov 99 - 08:31 PM

Hi, Bob, it's Alice Flynn here. You are amazingly the first person who actually knows me to visit the Mudcat Cafe and post a message.

I'm sure you searched the lyrics database before the query. I checked myself and didn't find it there. I'm sure someone here has it... Big Mick? Frank McGrath? alison? Liam's Brother? Please help my friend Bob.

alice flynn

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Down Our Street
From: Alice
Date: 23 Nov 99 - 09:39 PM

In looking for "Down Our Street", which I found recorded by the Black Family, I also found a website for Adge Cutler and the Wurzels, with "Down Our Street" credited to Sammy King. Some Mudcatter must have these lyrics.

alice

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Down Our Street
From: WyoWoman
Date: 24 Nov 99 - 01:10 AM

I think it's
there are gentlemen and ladies fair,
dancing wild in the midnight air,
and sev'ral jawbones missing, where?
down our street.

I've got it out in the car and will check tomorrow. If you haven't gotten the words by then,let me know and I'll write them down...

WyoWoman

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Down Our Street
From: Bob
Date: 24 Nov 99 - 10:23 AM

Alice, It's good to hear from you, and thanks for investigating this for me. See you at the session.

WyoWoman, That's the song. In addition to acquiring the lyrics, I would be interested to know who has recorded it.

Bob

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Down Our Street
From: WyoWoman
Date: 24 Nov 99 - 11:16 AM

OK, Bob. I actually have the tape right here on my desk. It's the Black Family, courtesy to me by another Mudcateer. I'll transcribe the words and get back at'cha.

Are you another Mudcatter in our neck o' the woods? (A large region, I know.)

Best, WyoWoman

Subject: Lyr Add: DOWN OUR STREET (sung by Rosie Stewart)
From: bigJ
Date: 24 Nov 99 - 05:21 PM

Down Our Street.
as sung by Rosie Stewart on her CD 'Farewell to Lovely Garrison'
Spring Records (SCD 1041)
Her source for this song, which she describes as
'American Music Hall' was John Lyon from Newmarket on
Fergus.

The only other recording of this that I have was made on a cassette called 'Sweet Liberty'by the Liverpool
group Garva (1993). A group that included Shay Black;
where the song is sung by Terry Coyne.

There have been ructions everywhere,
Down our street.
Would you like to know what the whole world says
Down our street.
All the gang are on the booze,
We're all out on a big caroose (carouse),
There's skin and whiskers flying loose,
Down our street.

Chorus.
Down our street,
There are married men and ladies fair,
Dancing mad in the midnight air,
There are jaw-bones missing everywhere, (And there's several jawbones missing - where?) (from the Garva cassette)
Down our street.

A policeman once he hit Muldoon,
Says Muldoon, We'll have a funeral soon.
They took off their coats to have a round,
And when Muldoon got off the ground,
A policeman's cap was all they found.

The Salvation Army came last night,
They came to teach us wrong from right.
The ladies all began to moan,
The parson spoke in a snuffled tone,
He got hit on the head with a stale ham-bone.

The collector does a lively trade,
All have bought but none have paid,
When he comes to collect his own,
He's dead before he can even moan,
Sure, we're building a graveyard of our own.

The landlord rarely gets his rent,
When he comes the money is spent,
He says he won't come round again,
He'll have the bailiffs in before ten,
There'll be lots of houses to rent by then.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Down Our Street
From: Bill
Date: 24 Nov 99 - 05:44 PM

I see you already have the lyrics. I have a recording of that song by Tommy Mulvahillon his Emerald Roots album by Rego Records and Tapes, Inc Box 872, Elmhurst, NY 11373

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Down Our Street
From: Bob
Date: 24 Nov 99 - 06:25 PM

Thanks, BigJ! One member of the band in which I play has been humming this tune for a couple of weeks but couldn't find the lyrics. I'll surprise her at practice tonight.

I guess I'm all set now, WyoWoman. Thank you for your offer.

Bob

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Down Our Street
From: Bob
Date: 24 Nov 99 - 06:27 PM

Thanks to you, too, Bill!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Down Our Street
From: Bugsy
Date: 25 Nov 99 - 02:20 AM

It's a song by Mike Hardin - it's on the album "The Rochdale Cowboy Rides Again (RUB005)(I Think) it was on Rubber Records. Sorry I can't supply the words but The turntable's on the blink.

CHeers

Bugsy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Down Our Street
From: WyoWoman
Date: 25 Nov 99 - 12:41 PM

Glad I checked this -- I had just sat down to transcribe the words.

Thanks, BigJ

Uh... what's a ruction? I don't think we have those in Wyoming...

WW

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Down Our Street
From: Bob
Date: 25 Nov 99 - 03:06 PM

Actually, I remember quite a few ructions in and outside of the bar at Woods Landing, WY. The bar once sported a sign asking that all guns be checked. Wyoming just may be the ruction "epicenter" of the west, though Montana might give you a run for your money.

Bob

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Down Our Street
From: Barbara
Date: 25 Nov 99 - 03:57 PM

Wyo woman, "ruction" is just western slang for any general disturbance and rowdiness. As in "Them cowpokes raised quite a ruction down at the Bar W Saloon."
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Down Our Street
From: bigJ
Date: 25 Nov 99 - 04:03 PM

As in 'Raise a Ruckus', I suppose.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Down Our Street
From: Alice
Date: 25 Nov 99 - 04:17 PM

It seems like we have more than one song called Down Our Street in this discussion.... one by Sammy King, one by Mike Hardin. Any clarification here as to the author? The one the Black Family recorded is, I think, written by Sammy King.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Down Our Street
From: Martin _Ryan
Date: 25 Nov 99 - 04:46 PM

Rosie's source would be John Lyons, brother of the equally famous Tim! Both fine singers, originally from Cork, now living in the west of Ireland.

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Down Our Street
From: WyoWoman
Date: 25 Nov 99 - 10:47 PM

Well, they lyrics posted are the same I have on my tape by the Black Family, "What A Time." Is there another song, or simply different recordings by various artists?

Ah, a RUCKUS? Now that, I do agree, would be something with which Wyoming would be most familiar. "Them's fightin' words..." is considered a *good* thing here.

Right now, the wind has been blowing 70 mph for two straight days, down my street, and I'm getting a smidge grumpy. My little dog needs a saddlebag full of big rocks just so he doesn't end up getting blown into Nebraska...I can't even consider letting the cat out.

WW

Subject: Lyr Add: DOWN OUR STREET (version by Mike Harding)
From: Timbobbin
Date: 27 Nov 99 - 11:47 AM

I have a book by Mike Harding, “Napoleon’s Retreat from Wigan” which includes his version of “Down Our Street.” He says it is based on a traditional song which he learned from Davey Brennan, a bodhrán player with the Liverpool Ceilidh Band.

(D) Do you want to hear what the wide world says?
Down our street.
Strangers there they end up dead.
Down our street.
Me mam and dad and the (G) gang of fools
(D) They've all gone out (A&) on the booze.
There’s (D) skin and (G) whiskers (D) flying (A7) loose
Down our (D) street.

The Salvation band came round last night,
Trying to teach us wrong from right.
And when the sisters began to moan,
The captain sang in a snuffled tone.
He was hit on the head by a big hambone.

The landlord never gets his rent.
When he calls, we haven't a cent.
He says that he won't call again.
He'll have the bailiffs round by ten.
There'll be lots of houses to let by then.

A copper once he hit me dad.
Says me dad, “There'll be a funeral, lad.”
They took their jackets off to fight one round,
And when me dad got off the ground,
A copper’s nose was all they found.

The tallyman does a belting trade.
Everyone's bought but no-one's paid.
And when he tries to get his own,
He’s dead before he hits the ground.
We’re starting a graveyard of our own.

When winter comes, it's very cold.
We burn the doors 'cos we've got no coal.
And when the cupboard it gets bare,
They say that tomcat tastes just like hare.
The Alsatians all walk round in pairs.

The sambone men they never call.
With an old pig’s bladder we play ball.
If you look out o'er our window sill,
If it weren't for the gasworks and the mill,
You could see all the way to Cheetham Hill.

The schoolboard man came round one day.
The kids they upped and ran away.
Down the street he chased the lads,
And Albert Iggins grabbed his tash.
In the canal he made a splash.

The bedbugs they're all ten feet tall.
They eat the paper off the wall.
They bite the women and they thump the men.
And if you're not in bed by half past ten,
They come downstairs and fetch you then.

CHORUS

(D) Down our (A7) street
There are (D) married men and (G) women there
(D) Dancing mad in the (A7) midnight air
(D) Lots of (G) jawbones (D) missing (A7) where
Down our (D) street

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 27-Feb-02.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Down Our Street
From: WyoWoman
Date: 27 Nov 99 - 01:04 PM

Oh, Timbobbin, thank you so much. I can actually PLAY all those chords, too!

Way cool.

WyoWoman

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Down Our Street
From: Alice
Date: 05 Aug 01 - 11:41 AM

It seems we could dig a little deeper on the origins of this song (and its many versions), a song so easy for folk to process into variatons.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Down Our Street
From: Matthew Edwards
Date: 05 Aug 01 - 11:50 AM

Judging by the Liverpool Irish connection with this song: Garva, Terry Coyne, Davey Brennan and the Black family, a good start for seaching would probably be to ask Shay Black (currently running sessions in San Francisco I think), or the Coynes.