Lyr Req: Androids (Ewan MacColl)

Subject: Missing Lyr. to MacColl/Seeger's Androids?
From: Barry Finn
Date: 22 Aug 98 - 11:58 PM

Almost 20yrs ago I got a song from Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger, can anyone fill in some of the words I can't make out. I'll post what I have.

Androids

Has it ever crossed your mind to ask yourself my Mrs T talks funny
Have you ever paused to wonder why the lady's so obsessed with saving cash
Why she hates the working classes more with every day that passes, will she one day up & vanish in a flash

If you have then I will ask you to forgive her
She's only lately come to us from outer space
She's a poor depribed commuter who was built by a computer
She's an android a stranger to the human race

Has your nervous system never been upset by Mrs Thacher's marshall posture
Have you listen to her laying down the law & nodding scared out of your skin
And (her?) (rattle?) in her (saying?) are scaring all our friends & neighbors
She's impatient for the next war to begin

If you haven't show a little understanding
The way that she was programed it was really grim
She was built to man a toll shack in a region called the (coal sack) on the very farthest edge of the galatic rim

Have you ever had occasion to suspect when watching her speak on the teley
Have noticed the occasional wild look & sudden glazing of the eyes
She looks spooked from (....?) (....?) funky yes & lovely like a junkie
As the stuff begins to send one up (the spine?)

If you haven't do not give way unto panic
She doesn't mean to (spare?) you it is just a game
Just remember what you're seeing's not a normal human being
Though I grant you that it rather looks the same

If you're under the impression that our baby faced Lord Chancelor is a (terror?)
Oh but (Hazeltine?) (apprentice?) both belong to homo sapiens you will see
And you suffer from delusions if you think Sir (Keith?) is human
Or behind those bulging pop eyes lurks a brain

They are exiles from a far galatic cluster
They malfunctioned & were thrown out in disgrace
They are made of wire & (things?) & little wheels & bits of string
They are androids, strangers to the human race

Someone asked me about any MacColl/Seeger songs making protest towards the Brittish goverment, & I don't want to give them this incompleted, Thanks to any & all. Barry

Subject: RE: Missing Lyr. to MacColl/Seeger's Androids?
From: Moira Cameron
Date: 01 Sep 98 - 10:05 PM

This sounds great! I wish someone knew the entire lyrics. Barry, have you tried connecting with Peggy Seeger herself via e-mail? She has a webpage at: http://www.pegseeger.com/index.html

Good luck!

Moira

Subject: RE: Missing Lyr. to MacColl/Seeger's Androids?
From: Barry Finn
Date: 03 Sep 98 - 09:57 PM

Hi Moira, I haven't tried e-mail but I've been to her site often & she's says hopefully a song book of theirs/hers/his ? will be out this month, so I'll be keeping a weather eye out & peeling the other eye till I get sight of it (how bad can I get?), thanks. How's yellowknife country doing you must be getting close to winter by now, no? I didn't realize how far north you were except from somethings you mention here & there in the threads, I'm gonna have to find someone who knows of someone who might know where I can get a map of the top of the world. Years ago I heard Ron Thomson (sp?) of the Dry Branch Fire Squad tell a story about looking for Ralph Stanley, after traveling in the car as far as possible thought miles of backwoods country the pavement ended (good thing for 4 wheel) & he continued on, 4 wheels, through progressively rougher terrain, then having to stop & continue on 2 feet for what seemed to be an uphill eternity, as the path got narrower he saw Ralph's mailbox 2 miles below the cliff where Ralph's house stood. Finally getting to the porch he sees a note pinned to the door "Gone to the country, Ralph". Ralph must've been visiting you. May the warm weather last. Barry

Subject: RE: Missing Lyr. to MacColl/Seeger's Androids?
From: Jerry Friedman
Date: 03 Sep 98 - 11:45 PM

It's got to be something like "The rattling of her sabers scaring all our friends and neighbors." Also, Coal Sack is right--it's the name of a nebula that blocks our view of a chunk of the Milky Way and thus looks like a dark patch.

Subject: RE: Missing Lyr. to MacColl/Seeger's Androids?
From: Barry Finn
Date: 04 Sep 98 - 10:34 PM

Thanks Jerry, that sounds good to me, the 2 names after Lord Chancelor I belive were politicans of the time but I have no clue as to who. Any more help, Thanks Barry

Subject: RE: Missing Lyr. to MacColl/Seeger's Androids?
From: Moira Cameron
Date: 08 Sep 98 - 07:41 PM

Barry, I'm very sad to say that autumn has begun. Summer's are always too short here.

(sigh...)Moira

Subject: RE: Missing Lyr. to MacColl/Seeger's Androids?
From: Barry Finn
Date: 17 Jun 06 - 12:52 AM

Just passing by this way again & thinking change a few names & it could be pretaining to the US's present power(full) void.
Still looking to fill in the questions or blanks.
Thanks
Barry

Subject: ADD: The Androids (Ewan MacColl)
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 17 Jun 06 - 02:06 AM

The Androids
words and music by Ewan MacColl,
from The Essential Ewan MacColl Songbook.

Has it ever crossed your mind to as why Mrs T talks funny,
Have you ever paused to wonder why the lady's so obsessed with saving cash ?
Why she hates the working classes more with every day that passes,
Will she one day up and vanish in a flash,

If you have then I would ask you to forgive her.
She's only lately come to us from outer space,
She's a poor deprived commuter who was built by a computer,
She's an android, a stranger to the human race.

Has your nervous system ever been upsetby Mrs Thatcher's martial posture,
Have you listened to her laying down the law and not been scared out of your skin,
Heard her rattling her sabre, scaring all the friends and neighbours,
She's impatient for the next war to begin,

If you have, then show a little understanding,
The Way that she was programmed it was really grim,
She was built to man the toll shack in a region called the coal sack
At the very furthest edge of the galactic rim.

Have you never had occasion to suspect when watching her speak on the telly,
And noticed the occasional wild look and sudden glazing of the eye,
She looks spooked, bombed out and funky, yes, and oddly like a junkie,
As the stuff begins to send one up on high,

If you have, then do not give way unto panic,
She doesn't mean to scare you, it is just a game,
Just remember what you're seeing's not a normal human being,
Though I grant you that it rather looks the same.

If you're under the impression that our baby faced Lord Chancellor is a Terran,
Or that Heseltine or Prentice both belong to Homo Sapiens, you're insane,
And you suffer from delusions if you think Sir Keith is human,
Or behind those brooding pop-eyes lurks a brain,

They are exiles from a far galactic cluster,
They malfunctioned and were thrown out in disgrace,
They are made of wire and things and little wheels and bits of string
They are androids, strangers to the human race.

---

There was something strange about the formatting of your message, Eric, so I fixed it - there were lots of blank spaces that didn't need to be there, and they were messing things up.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Androids (Ewan MacColl)
From: GUEST,keberoxu
Date: 16 Mar 25 - 09:07 AM

I heard Peggy Seeger and Ewan MacColl sing this in concert
when they were touring.
Peggy Seeger in particular got her accompanying guitar
to make some delightfully droll noises to illustrate the lyrics.
They had great fun performing it
and the audience loved it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Androids (Ewan MacColl)
From: GUEST,Jon Bartlett
Date: 18 Mar 25 - 11:02 PM

Here's a BC variant, from a galaxy far away in time and space:

THE ANDROIDS

Has it ever crossed your mind to ask yourself why Billy Bennett talks funny?
Have you ever paused to wonder why the Premier’s so obsessed with saving cash?
Why he castigates the teachers as nasty, selfish creatures,
And the welfare state he’d simply like to smash?
    If you have then I would ask you to forgive him -
    He’s only lately come to us from outer space.
    A free enterprise crusader who was fashioned by Darth Vader
    He’s an android, a stranger to the human race.

Has your nervous system ever been upset by Billy Bennett’s pinhead thinking?
Have you listened to him laying down the law and not been scared out of your skin?
Heard him sneer at union workers as an idle bunch of shirkers
While he demonstrates his little nervous grin?
    If you have then show a little understanding -
    The plant where he was built was strictly open-shop
    So he lacks all human passion save the one for union bashin'
    As a caring human being, he is a dreadful flop.

When the House is not in session then there’s no need for these deadbeats to be working -
They just travel round the province shaking hands and boasting just now good things are!
"EXPO, B.C. PLACE and SKYTRAIN" till it gives us all a migraine
And McCarthy’s the most nauseous by far.
    Now Grace McCarthy is indubitably lifelike
    She’s attractively displayed though she has feet of lead
    But just remember what you're seeing's not a normal human being -
    She’s zombie, a creature of the living dead.

They’ve all been taking lessons in displays of human feeling and emotion
And McClelland with his charge card's been researching prostitution in his den
And Jim Neilson took a beating for a secret little meeting -
How he’s starting up a house for battered men.
    Now restraint is what the Premier’s been preaching
    But their interpretation’s going to rock the ship -
    For J. Bob Carter, mean and sinister, doesn’t want to be a minister      
    ‘Cause the job he really wants is that of Socred Whip.

If you’re under the impression that our Health Boss Steven Rogers is an earthling
Or that Waterland and Heinrich both are too, then check yourself, you're getting slow;
And you suffer from delusions if you think McGeer is human -
He sold his brain to research long ago.
    They are exiles from a far Galactic cluster,
    They malfunctioned and were thrown out in disgrace.
    They are made of wire and plastic, frozen snot and used elastic -
    They are SOCREDS, enemies of the human race!

Jon Bartlett/Rika Ruebsaat,/Jim Edmondson/Murray Shoolbraid February 1986

A brief footnote: Billy Bennett was Premier of the province, and the others named in this variant were all ministers. McGeer was a brain scientist at one point; Jim Neilson was alleged to be conducting an affair when he was assaulted by his partner's husband; Carter was rumoured to be into S & M.