Lyr Req: A Lift on the Way (Edwin Waugh)

Subject: Edwin Waugh's 'A Lift on the Way'
From: mikesamwild
Date: 16 Aug 10 - 07:56 AM

Has anyone the lyrics and a tune setting to Edwin Waugh's poem/song. I can't find it on Mudcat or YouTube

I dimly remember The Oldham Tinkers or Harry Boardman singing it somewhere.

EW was born in Toad Lane , Rochdale , where the Co-Op in England was founded and many of his writings express his early brand of socialism and environmentalism.

Subject: RE: A Lift on the Way
From: Chris Partington
Date: 16 Aug 10 - 08:06 AM

"Toad Lane , Rochdale , where the Co-Op in England was founded"
Oooh, controversial, hehe! Follow this (v e r y slow) link to the Co-op website

http://www.thenews.coop/news/Retail%20Societies/1814

Subject: Lyr Add: A LIFT ON THE WAY (Edwin Waugh)
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 16 Aug 10 - 10:38 AM

A Lift On The Way

Edwin Waugh

Come, what's th' use o' fratchin', lads,
this life's noan so lung,
So, iv yo'n gether reawnd,
aw'll try my hond at a sung;
It may shew a guidin' glimmer
to some wand'rer astray,
Or, haply, gi' some poor owd soul—
a lift on the way.
A lift on the way;
A lift on the way;
Or, haply, gi' some poor owd soul—
A lift on the way.

Life's road's full o' ruts;
it's very slutchy, an' it's dree;
An' mony a worn-eawt limper
lies him deawn there to dee;
Then, fleawnd'rin' low i'th gutter,
he looks reawnd wi' dismay,
To see iv aught i'th world can give
a lift on the way.
A lift on the way;
A lift on the way;
To see iv aught i'th world can give
A lift on the way.

Oh, there's some folk 'at mun trudge it
an' there's some folk 'at may ride,
But, never mortal mon con tell
what chance may betide;
To-day, he maybe blossomin',
like roses i' May;
To-morn, he may be beggin' for
a lift on the way.
A lift on the way;
A lift on the way;
To-morn, he may be beggin' for
A lift on the way.

Good-will, it's a jewel,
where there's little else to spare;
An' a mon may help another
though his pouch may be bare;
A generous heart, like sunshine,
brings good cheer in its ray,
An' a friendly word can sometimes give
A lift on the way.
lift on the way
A lift on the way;
An' a friendly word can sometimes give
A lift on the way.

Like posies 'at are parchin'
in the midsummer sun,
There's mony a poor heart faints
afore the journey be run;
Then, lay the dust wi' kindness,
till the close of the day,
An' gi' these droopin' travelers
a lift on the way;
A lift on the way;
A lift on the way;
An' gi' these droopin' travelers
A lift on the way.

Oh, soft be his pillow,
when he sinks deawn to his rest,
That can keep the lamp o' charity
alive in his breast;
May pleasant feelin's haunt him
as he's dozin' away,
An' angels give him, up aboon,
a lift on the way.
A lift on the way;
A lift on the way;
An' angels give him, up aboon,
A lift on the way.

Jog on, my noble comrades,then,
an' so mote it be,—
That hond in hond we travel
till the day we mun dee;
An' neaw, to end my ditty, lads,
let's heartily pray
That heaven may give us ev'ry one
a lift on the way.
A lift on me way;
A lift on the way;
That heaven may give us ev'ry one
A lift on the way.

Notes

A moving old song that is still sung regularly at neetings of the Edwin Waugh Society.
Like most of Waugh's verses the meaning is fairly clear if only one speaks the words carefully. The apparently awkward spelling is simply the best possible phonetic rendition of the words as they sound when delivered in the local dialect (Rochdale, Lancs.). A few of the words have fallen into disuse in other areas and I have tried to indicate their meaning here.
JS
Key words
Fratchin' – fighting
Slutchy-- (glossary missin here - means muddy RC)
Dree—    (glossary also missing for this one - may be equivalent to Scots dreich = miserable RC)
So mote it be—so might it be


Old Poetry website has this and many more of Edwin Waugh's work.

http://oldpoetry.com/oauthor/show/Edwin_Waugh

Ross

Subject: RE: A Lift on the Way
From: mikesamwild
Date: 16 Aug 10 - 10:52 AM

thanks Ross!

Chris P, isn't Ripponden really in Lancashire? Anyway I am Spartacus!

Subject: RE: A Lift on the Way
From: mikesamwild
Date: 16 Aug 10 - 11:02 AM

Reading the words they suggest the same tune as T' Dog and Gun, where the missus taunts the errant husband with her passion for the old postman..

I'd still like to know what they sing EW's lyrics to.

As I understand it Waugh did suggest 'Sung to a traditional air' for some of his writings, as Burns did. So they wre not just meant as poems.

Some of his poems were set to music by others but some of his poems feel like songs and I assume being who he was and where he lived he knew traditional songs.

Subject: RE: A Lift on the Way
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 16 Aug 10 - 01:20 PM

You could try attending a meeting:-

http://www.edwinwaughdialectsociety.com/

or contact them direct.

Ross

Subject: RE: A Lift on the Way
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 16 Aug 10 - 05:52 PM

Waugh was indeed familiar with trad song. I have one of his prose books which is littered with snatches of song, including a trad version of 'Holmfirth Anthem' before it became 'Holmfirth Anthem'.

Subject: RE: A Lift on the Way
From: GUEST,Dave Mc
Date: 16 Aug 10 - 08:49 PM

There were at least two different tunes for 'A Lift On The Way' published: one by C.E.Rowley and the other by Robert Jackson.

Copies of the individual sheetmusic and bound anthologies turn up fairly frequently in second hand bookshops in the North West and the Lancashire Authors' Association archive (housed at Accrington Library and accessible by permission) is likely to have copies.

Subject: RE: Edwin Waugh's poem/song: A Lift on the Way
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 17 Aug 10 - 06:21 AM

Practically everything Waugh ever wrote is here. Check out the various 'sheet music' sections, you'll find what you're looking for there - and the songs (with music) are all downloadable.

Subject: RE: Edwin Waugh's poem/song: A Lift on the Way
From: GUEST,Sid
Date: 18 Aug 10 - 12:39 PM

Most commonly used tune is Robert Jackson's and that's the one we use at the start of every meeting of the EW Society. I have copies of both his and Rowley's music and a recording of the song in a concert I staged at last year's Traditions festival - fifteen of Edwin Waugh's songs performed to the original music by a variety of singers.

I'll have the CD's with me at the football club at Whitby every night of the festival or you can order it from my website www.sidcalderbank.co.uk.

Hope that helps -- SID

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Lift on the Way (Edwin Waugh)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 20 Aug 10 - 01:53 AM

You can see the original text in Lancashire Songs by Edwin Waugh (London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co., 1865), page 66.

It says: "Air—"Come, sit down, my cronies."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Lift on the Way (Edwin Waugh)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 20 Aug 10 - 04:21 PM

COME SIT DOWN MY CRONIES is better known as SAE WILL WE YET. Unfortunately, there is no tune posted in the DT for SAE WILL WE YET, but there are several samples at Amazon that you can listen to.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Lift on the Way (Edwin Waugh)
From: mikesamwild
Date: 23 Aug 10 - 07:20 AM

Thanks to all, I phoned the Secretary of the society and she kindly sang it to me beautifully ! and sent me the dots and words for the poem and Robert Jackson's setting.

Also she pronounced his name a bit like Worf. Any additional info on the pronunciation in his day and what it means?

Steve I too did notice a version of Pratty Flowers.

There is a lovely story about Besom Ben that has lots of snatches of trad songs. one was a Stringy Mutton Pie snatch.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Lift on the Way (Edwin Waugh)
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Nov 19 - 04:52 AM

John Pye
Has anyone done the guitar chirds for the song?
I have a copy of the sheet music if that helps.

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