Help Please - Lyrics to Martha's Lament

Subject: Help Please - Lyrics to Martha's Lament
From: GUEST,Neil
Date: 30 Sep 12 - 11:59 AM

Wonder if anyone can help. I'm trying to find the lyrics
of Martha's Lament. I heard it sung on the radio many years ago by Billy Fane. I saw Billy playing in a Working Mens Club in Durham and requested he sing the song, but I never managed to catch the title.

The internet is a wonderful thing and by searching with what little I could remember I finally managed to find title and even bought a copy from Amazon.

For anyone who has not heard it, listen to it and I'm sure you will be impressed.

Anyway if anyone can help I would appreciate it.

Regards
Neil

Subject: RE: Help Please - Lyrics to Martha's Lament
From: GUEST,Dave (Bridge)
Date: 30 Sep 12 - 01:58 PM

I will have them for you tomorrow. Got to go out to folk club.

Subject: RE: Help Please - Lyrics to Martha's Lament
From: GUEST,Dave (Bridge)
Date: 30 Sep 12 - 02:02 PM

Google it Neil. You will hear my group singing it and there is a bit about Malcolm Collins who wrote it aka Little Billy Fane. Otherwise I will post the lyrice tomorrow as promised.

Subject: RE: Help Please - Lyrics to Martha's Lament
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Sep 12 - 03:29 PM

Thanks Dave,

Have been trying google with every combination of names and titles I can think of but with no success. Will be grateful if you can post them.

Cheers

Neil

Subject: RE: Help Please - Lyrics to Martha's Lament
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Sep 12 - 06:31 PM

I will. I just googled the title Martha's lament

Subject: RE: Help Please - Lyrics to Martha's Lament
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 01 Oct 12 - 02:39 AM

MARTHA'S LAMENT, recorded by Little Billy Fane, appears on a CD: "From Quay to Coast/Geordies Hear," which consists of 2 LPs from the 1980's reissued as one CD in 2000, part of the series called The Northumbrian Anthology."

You can see a description of the CD and hear excerpts from the songs on this page:

http://www.mawson-wareham.com/product.php?prodid=61

You can hear the entire song at Spotify, but since it is in the Geordie dialect, it would be very difficult for me to transcribe.

Subject: RE: Help Please - Lyrics to Martha's Lament
From: GUEST,Dave (Bridge)
Date: 01 Oct 12 - 05:18 AM

Martha's Lament - Malcolm Collins aka Little Billy Fane.
Written as a result of listening to his next door neighbour coughing violently while Malcolm was trying to get to sleep.
Whole song can be heard by Christine Savage of Beeswing by going to bridgefolkclub.co.uk, hitting the Beeswing link and then to Myspace link. Enjoy. I have tried to make it more English where possible.

Chorus and first verse.
Haway son, wor Geordie,come cuddle up close
The bairns will all miss you, but I'll miss you most
Haway son, wor geordie come cuddle up tight
I'll put me arms round you and kiss you goodnight

Aye Geordiedo you mind the day we were wed
The ale that was drunk and the tears that were shed
Me own bonny pit lad, so fine and so young
before all that coal dust clogged up your lungs

ch

Aye Geordie called Martha, as she held his frail frame
How many more lads will that dirty pit claim
How many more pit lads digging for coal
Are going to pay with their lives or pay with their soul

ch

And Geordie thought Martha, as she gave a sigh
She was holding back tears as they brimmed in her eye
She thought of the happy years and how they had fled
As the moon cast long shadows on that grimy pit head
So why must a man work down that black hole
Why must he breath, dust from the coal
So shovel your coal on, but take time to pray
For the man who works, where there is no night or day
Aye and think about Martha and her little bairns
Think about Geordie and how he met his end
Think about Hartley*, the miners who dided
And tell me do you still like your flickering fireside

ch

Martha held Geordie close to her breast
And Geordie he struggled for his final breath
Geordie passed on and she held him tight
And for the very last time, Martha kissed him goodnight

*Hartley was the site of the worst pit disaster where 204 men and boys from the same village lost their lives when the beam broke and fell down the shaft entombing them.

Hope this helps Neil. You can contact me through the bridge website.

Subject: RE: Help Please - Lyrics to Martha's Lament
From: GUEST,Neil
Date: 01 Oct 12 - 06:22 AM

Thanks Dave,

Absolute magic. About 1986,I was at Framwellgate Moor and Pity Me Working Mens Club just outside Durham and Billy was the Saturday night "turn". I requested he sing this song which he did. I thought his whole show was great but surprisingly the locals (I'm from Edinburgh) paid very little attention and talked all the way through his spot. Must be very disheartening but he carried on like a trooper. His voice is excellent.

Again thanks for the lyrics and the explanations.

Cheers

neil

Subject: RE: Help Please - Lyrics to Martha's Lament
From: GUEST,Dave (Bridge)
Date: 01 Oct 12 - 11:00 AM

Glad to be of assistance. Malcolm is now retired and does not want to perform anymore which is a shame as he still has a lot to offer, I think.