Lyr/Tune Req: Fincairn Flax (Hasson-Collins)

Subject: LYR/TUNE REQ: Pincairn Flax?
From: MMario
Date: 01 Jan 00 - 10:27 PM

Wonder if anyone can help on this....I heard this about 4 years ago at Georgia Ren-faire, I THINK by wine women and song, but it's not on the tape I have of them....

I believe the title was PinCairn Flax - but not sure of the spelling. roughly the verses were about the making of linen and the growing of flax, the chorus was about washing and washing to rid oneself of the smell of the retting flax.

any help would be appreciated...

MMario

Subject: RE: LYR/TUNE REQ: Pincairn Flax?
From: fulurum
Date: 02 Jan 00 - 06:13 PM

Fincairn Flax (Hasson-Collins)

its like a thousand years ago i first left out me pen with brogan boots and wrinkled coat i went to join the men. for one and six a day we worked and broke our backs pulling feilds of lint to make the fincairn flax. we wash our hands and faces and we disinfect our clothes we scrub behind our kneecaps and we clean betwwen our toes we douse our hair with hair oil and run it down our backs but sure as hell you still can smell the fincairn flax. we steeped it and we spread it and we dried it in the sun and we lifted it and tied it and the work was never done we only wanted rest, for we were dropping in our tracks, but the ladies wanted hankies made of fincairn flax. we wash our hands and faces and we disinfect our clothes we scrub behind our kneecaps and we clean between our toes, we douse our hair with hair oil and run it down our backs ut sure as hell you still can smell the fincairn flax. well our hands were cut and blistered our knees were all in red and the achin' in our muscles ah you might as well be dead but the farmer stood and glowered as we built the linten stacks and he thought about the money from the fincairn flax. we washed our hands and faces and we disinfect our clothes we scrub behind our kneecaps and we clean between our toes we douse our hair with hair oil and we run it down our back, but sure as hell you still can smell the fincairn flax. and when we meet st. peter he'll say come right thru for its pointless giving penance to a man who worked liked you to ask you to do penance is too ask you to relax for hell is fun compared with working fincairn flax.we wash our hands and faces and we disinfect our clothes we scrub behind our kneecaps and we clean between our toes we douse our hair with hair oil and run it down our backs but sure as hell you still can smell the fincairn flax.

this is off an old barley bree album titled no mans land. its not in the best of shape so i may have misunderstood some of the words. hope it helps you.

Subject: RE: LYR/TUNE REQ: Pincairn Flax?
From: arkie
Date: 02 Jan 00 - 06:15 PM

Fincairn Flax is on Shanachie 52012 which is by Barley Bree. The title of the recording is No Man's Land. I'll try to get the words later tonight. Am no good at posting tunes however.

Subject: Lyr Add: FINCAIRN FLAX (Hasson-Collins)
From:
Date: 03 Jan 00 - 11:17 AM

With line breaks, capitals, and punctuation:

It's like a thousand years ago I first left out me pen.
With brogan boots and wrinkled coat I went to join the men.
For one and six a day we worked and broke our backs
Pulling fields of lint to make the Fincairn flax.

CHORUS: We wash our hands and faces and we disinfect our clothes.
We scrub behind our kneecaps and we clean between our toes.
We douse our hair with hair oil and run it down our backs
But sure as hell you still can smell the Fincairn flax.

We steeped it and we spread it and we dried it in the sun,
And we lifted it and tied it and the work was never done.
We only wanted rest, for we were dropping in our tracks,
But the ladies wanted hankies made of Fincairn flax. CHORUS

Well, our hands were cut and blistered, our knees were all in red,
And the achin' in our muscles, ah, you might as well be dead.
But the farmer stood and glowered as we built the linten stacks
And he thought about the money from the Fincairn flax. CHORUS

And when we meet St. Peter, he'll say, "Come right through,
For it's pointless giving penance to a man who worked liked you.
To ask you to do penance is too ask you to relax,
For hell is fun compared with working Fincairn flax." CHORUS

Subject: RE: LYR/TUNE REQ: Pincairn Flax?
From: MMario
Date: 24 Apr 03 - 11:27 AM

*sigh* still no tune...

Subject: RE: LYR/TUNE REQ: Pincairn Flax?
From: michaelr
Date: 24 Apr 03 - 10:20 PM

Any info on the authors (Hasson/Collins)?

Subject: RE: LYR/TUNE REQ: Pincairn Flax?
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Apr 03 - 08:07 AM

I suspect the Hasson half of the writing team might be Gemma Hassan, a singer from Derry who was pretty active during the 70s and 80s. She recorded at least one album and I'm pretty sure that this song was part of her repertoire.

Subject: RE: LYR/TUNE REQ: Pincairn Flax?
From: MMario
Date: 13 Nov 03 - 10:10 AM

refresh - hoping for tune....?

Subject: RE: LYR/TUNE REQ: Pincairn Flax?
From: GUEST,Ballyholme
Date: 13 Nov 03 - 10:46 AM

Guest,

You're right in saying that the song was in the repertoire of Gemma Hasson. I remember seeing her quite a few times - live and on TV - and she always sang that song. A fine singer. Whatever happened to her? Dunno anything about the Collins person.