Lyr Req: Take the Children and Run (Don Lange)

Subject: Take the Children and Run
From: Pete
Date: 06 Jun 99 - 02:48 PM

Does anyone know this song? It starts something like:

"Telephone rang, have you heard the news, carion crows coming home to roost down at the plant something went wrong take the children and run."

I don't know anymore. Anyone know the singer, the rest of the lyrics, anything.

Thanks, Pete

Subject: RE: Take the Children and Run
From: Art Thieme
Date: 06 Jun 99 - 03:03 PM

Don Lange wrote this song. He had it on one of his albums for Flying Fish. Don lives in Oregon now. Makes wine & spends his time tending grapes.

I don't have the lyrics; sorry, thought I did.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Take the Children and Run
From: Pete
Date: 07 Jun 99 - 11:21 AM

Art,

Thanks for this, a big step forward in my search.

Pete

Subject: RE: Take the Children and Run
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 07 Jun 99 - 05:38 PM

The song was inspired by Three Mile Island, the nuclear power plant almost-disaster near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania a few years ago. I remember hearing Don Lange singing it live many years ago.

--Charlie Baum

Subject: Lyr Add: TAKE THE CHILDREN AND RUN (Don Lange)
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 07 Jun 99 - 06:47 PM

Telephone rang, Have you heard the news
Carrion crows are coming home to roost
Over at the plant something went wrong
Take the children and run
Take the children and run
Take the children and run

They say they'll fix it if we just stay calm
Go back to your factory, go back to your farm
Don't get angry, don't lose your cool
And the bosses will share their power with you
Take the children and run ...

Doctor Atomic, lying through his teeth
Says there's nothing to fear but fear itself
He visits the plant in a lead-lined suit
It comes out looking like courage on the evening news
Take the children and run ...

You're on the Commission, you're sixty years old
Made a deal with the devil, see the profits unfold
Twenty years down the line that little child
Is in the prime of her life, then her blood cells run wild
Take the children and run ...

I saw the reactor through an April haze
It looks like a blunderbuss aimed at the skies
It's your friendly atom raging out of control
While scientists pray for Lady Luck's smile
Take the children and run ...

And run, and run ...

Subject: RE: Take the Children and Run
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 07 Jun 99 - 06:49 PM

The following may be interesting as well:

[1997:] [Long ago] I was energy editor of the 'Guardian' and visited nuclear power stations. I remember two things most vividly. At Sellafield, the local fishmonger advertised his wares by declaring proudly 'None of our fish is locally caught'. At another, surveying the big arrows pointing the way to the emergency exits, officially called the 'Criticality Run', I was told that the alarm was not a sudden noise going off over the loudspeakers, but a permanent noise over the loudspeakers that would suddenly stop if there was disaster. They could not afford a disaster if the alarm didn't work so false alarms were preferable.

I thought of both these things watching 'Home Ground: A Nuclear Dustbin' [on TV]. It's about a time when the noise stopped at the Dounreay nuclear establishment, and an awful silence descended. There was an explosion on 20 May, 1977, down an old pipe where nuclear waste was crudely dumped. It was a serious explosion, but the authorities said it was a minor, unimportant explosion that posed no danger at all. There's some film of the plant's then director lying blithely through his teeth as he assures everyone that it was just a run of the mill, common or garden explosion that could happen anywhere; this is matched by the establishment's present director confirming by his embarrassed silences and nervous pauses that in fact the explosion was dangerous and possibly still is. And the cover-up was even more dan-gerous, with scientific bodies that investigated a local increase in leukaemia being given false information. No wonder 'nuclear' is an obvious anagram for 'unclear'. (Peter Hillmore, Observer, 18 May)

Subject: RE: Take the Children and Run
From:
Date: 08 Jun 99 - 02:26 PM

Susanne, Thank you, thank you very much. Really appreciate your help. Am already sorting out the chords - luckily I can remember the melody. Thank you again. Pete

Charlie, Thanks for your comments too, I wasn't sure about this, good to have it confirmed. Pete

Subject: RE: Take the Children and Run
From: GUEST,Geoffrey
Date: 24 Sep 10 - 09:51 PM

Hi Pete,

I haven't played this song for many years now but used to in the 80's, I did it as an A minor, A minor 9/G root, F, E or E7. The verses had a chord per 4/4 bar, I think the chorus was 2 chords per bar, ie Take the (Am)children and (Am9/g) run.

If it wasn't A minor it was close to it and you could use a capo.

Let me know how you go.

Geoffrey

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Take the Children and Run
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 26 Sep 10 - 09:59 AM

Geoffrey, thanks for your help, but Peter hasn't posted since so I doubt he'll still be following the Mudcat. Someone else may feel tempted to try this song, though, which unfortunately is becoming topical again - here in Germany at any rate, where the Conservatives have reneged on terminating the use of nuclear power and are trying to extend the lives of existing stations for the benefit of the industry. Ugh!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Take the Children and Run (Don Lange)
From: GUEST,Guest - Lin
Date: 29 Sep 10 - 01:16 AM

I read the post about Don Lange living in Oregon now and making wine. Just wondering if he ever plays at any folk venues in Oregon from to time or involved in music in any way at all?
I thought he was a great singer/songwriter and it would be nice to hear him again!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Take the Children and Run (Don Lange)
From: scouse
Date: 29 Sep 10 - 11:50 AM

Peter.. If you can get hold of it try and lay your hands on the version by Iain McIntosh.. It's frightening.

As Aye,

Phil.