Lyr Req: Humpty Dumpty (Tommy Sands)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Humpty Dumpty Was Pushed
From: Cluin
Date: 06 Jan 07 - 05:42 AM

From the liner notes of my copy of Tommy Sands' Singing of the Times:

Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall... was the first "fact" that I learned as a child. If all the "truths" that I was inoculated with since, through education, press and media are anything to go by, then Mr. Dumpty probably was pushed off the wall. This was first performed "live" as part of a play with the same name at Queen's University Festival in Belfast.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Humpty Dumpty Was Pushed
From: okthen
Date: 11 Nov 03 - 03:52 AM

Humpty Dumpty was indeed originally a cannon, sited on the tower of St.-Mary-at-the-Walls church in Colchester and was dislodged during the English Civil War. This church has now been deconsecrated and is home to Colchester Folk Club, every Monday night.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Humpty Dumpty Was Pushed
From: Ditchdweller
Date: 29 Dec 01 - 10:45 AM

To Hasek and Snuffy, Humpty Dumpty was indeed the nick name of a cannon. Placed on St. Mary's tower by the Kings Master Gunner, it caused severe casualties amongst the Roundhead besiegers until Fairfax's artilery blew out the wall from beneath it.

Subject: Lyr Add: HUMPTY DUMPTY (Tommy Sands)
From:
Date: 28 Dec 01 - 06:28 PM


HUMPTY DUMPTY
(Tommy Sands)

Humpity Dumpty was pushed, head over heels all over the wall
Humpity Dumpty was pushed, nobody knew it at all

All the king's horses and all the king's men
Gathered around and kicked him again
Then they sent for the press and a couple of friends
And knelt on the ground and they chanted amen

Humpity Dumpty was pushed, head over heels all over the wall
Humpity Dumpty was pushed nobody knew it at all

The following morning the headlines would tell
Really it was inevitable
Mr Dumpty was drunk, and he fell from the wall
And perhaps a bit cracked and shell-shocked and all

Humpity Dumpty was pushed , head over heels all over the wall
Humpity Dumpty was pushed nobody knew it at all

They wrote in the papers, they wrote in the news
They wrote it in all of the history books
They wrote it in blood and they knew it would stick
And I swallowed it all and I nearly got sick

They took me to hospital, put me in bed
They took off my clothes and examined my head
You're poisoned, you're poisoned, with needles they said
My system rejected the things I was fed

Humpity Dumpty was pushed, head over heels all over the wall
Humpity Dumpty was pushed, nobody knew it at all

They took me from there and they called me insane
The walls they were padded the door it was chained
Then they took me from there and they put me in jail
For electing that life I suffered in shame

I cried every night and I slept every day
And I waited for someone to take me away
Nothing was right and nothing was wrong
Until I was forced for to learn this knew song

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
All the king's horses and all the king's men
……You know the rest……………


Enjoy,

Jack

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Humpty Dumpty Was Pushed
From: Dead Horse
Date: 28 Dec 01 - 04:36 PM

Culverin & Half culverin will soon be replaced by the Euro, as will the British pound.
So no more will our guns pound the ramparts.........

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Humpty Dumpty Was Pushed
From: Snuffy
Date: 28 Dec 01 - 06:31 AM

My dictionary gives a culverin as 'originally a kind of hand gun; later a large cannon, very long in proportion to its bore.'

And a demi-culverin as 'a cannon formerly in use of about 4.5 inches bore.' I'm not sure if a half-culverin is the same as a demi-culverin, though.

Humpty is a childish version of the name Humphrey, so it was probably named after some royalist notable. Hopefully someone will come along with chapter and verse.

WassaiL! V

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Humpty Dumpty Was Pushed
From: Hasek
Date: 27 Dec 01 - 02:38 PM

Hey Sapper , What is a culvern or half of a culvern and why was the culvern named Humpty Dumty ?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Humpty Dumpty Was Pushed
From: Ditchdweller
Date: 27 Dec 01 - 02:34 PM

But in reality, Humpty Dumpty (a half culvern) was blown off the walls of St. Mary's Tower during the siege of Colchester by the Fairfax's artillery during the Civil War. (The original, not the American re-run!!)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Humpty Dumpty Was Pushed
From: Hasek
Date: 27 Dec 01 - 12:02 PM

There is also a song recorded by a tremendous folk duo from the United States known as Aztec Two-Step. Records on Electra , RCA , Flying Fish. Their version called Humpty Dumpty was recorded in 1975 and the last line was Humty Dumpty jumped instead of fell. This duo is still performing and recording today and have been together over 31 years.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Humpty Dumpty Was Pushed
From: mooman
Date: 27 Dec 01 - 07:47 AM

There is a reference to a Tommy Sands songbook containing these lyrics on this old thread if that's any help.

Best regards,

mooman

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Humpty Dumpty Was Pushed
From: mooman
Date: 27 Dec 01 - 07:43 AM

This song was written and recorded by Tommy Sands and first appeared on his 1985 album "Singing of the Times".

If someone doesn't beat me to it I have the album and could transcribe the lyrics but I'm sure they are listed somewhere.

Best regards,

mooman

Subject: Humpty Dumpty Was Pushed
From: cetmst
Date: 27 Dec 01 - 06:29 AM

Who wrote/recorded this song about the truth of Mr. Dumpty's demise and was brainwashed by Authority into accepting the nursery rhyme version ? Where can I find the lyrics ?