Lyr/Chords Req: The Jute Mill Song (any Dundo

Subject: The Jute Mill Song (any Dundonians?)
From: Mikey joe
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 09:11 AM

Anyone got the lyrics/chords to the Jute mill song. I'd really like to learn it esp now that I live in a Jute Mill

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Jute Mill Song (any Dundo
From: MMario
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 09:16 AM

This is in the DT - a search on jute mill showed the lyrics here

and there is a midi attached.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Jute Mill Song (any Dundo
From: Jock Morris
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 09:24 AM

Is that the one you wanted Mickey Joe, or is it Wimmen o' Dundee you're after? If the later I've just bought a CD with it on.

Scott

Subject: Lyr Add: THE JUTE MILL SONG (Mary Brookbank)
From: Ferrara
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 10:28 AM

It was written up in Sing Out, from the singing of the woman who wrote it, and there were a couple small differences that nobody (but me) probably would notice, but here they are:

THE JUTE MILL SONG
(Mary Brookbank)

O, dear me, the mill is running fast
And *the poor wee* shifters canna get nae rest
Shifting bobbins coarse and fine
They fairly make you work for your ten and nine

O, dear me, I wish *the* day were done
Running up and doon the Pass is *no nae fun*
Shiftin', piecin', spinnin', warp, weft and twine
To feed and clothe ma bairnie *offen* ten and nine

O, dear me, the world is ill-divided
Them that works the hardest are *with* least provided
But I maun bide contented, dark days or fine
There's no much pleasure living *offen* ten and nine

Bill D once said he hears the third line, second verse, as "warp and weft entwine." Never saw it written that way, but it makes lots of sense.

When Mary Brookbank sang it, she didn't use exactly the same tune for each verse. Would anyone like to see her tune? I could scan it in. Again, the differences are minor, but I think it has more character her way.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Jute Mill Song (any Dundo
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 02:01 PM

Words, music, and chords are in Nigel Gatherer's 'Songs and Ballads of Dundee', a paperback recently reprinted. Click on 'Publications' on his home page. Click on his homepage from the link on the homepage on my website. www.erols.com/olsonw

Songs #19, 21, 32, 37, 38 (Jute Mill Song), 42, 43, 44, 66 are by or from Mary Brooksbank, who died in 1980. There's about a 1 page bio of her at the end, p. 158.

Subject: Lyr Add: JUTE MILL SONG / TEN AND NONE
From: karen k
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 02:37 PM

The Jute Mill Song was recorded on the Folk-Legacy recording FSI-42, "The New Golden Ring, Five Days Singing", volume II. It was led by George and Gerry Armstrong with Ed Trickett and Joe Hickerson on guitars and a mixed chorus.

The Armstrongs wrote: This song is sometimes called "Ten and None" from the reference in the chorus to the weekly wage of ten shillings and nine pence. It was written by Mary Brooksbank of Dundee, Scotland, who worked in the jute mills around 1920. We learned it from the records of Liam Clancy and the McPeake family.

The words in the booklet are essentially included above with only slight changes.

Oh, dear me, the mill is running fast
And we, poor shifters, canna get no rest.
Shifting bobbins, coarse and fine,
They fairly make you work for your ten and nine.

Oh, dear me, I wish the day were done;
Runnin' up and down the pass is no fun,
Shiftin', piecin', spinnin', warp, weft and twine,
To feed and clothe my babies off of ten and nine.

Oh, dear me, the world is ill-divided;
Them that works the hardest are the least provided.
But I must bide contented, dark days or fine;
There's no' much pleasure livin' off o' ten and nine.

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 15-Feb-03.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Jute Mill Song (any Dundo
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 03:52 PM

Words slightly anglicised in some places there, I think.  Has anybody seen the original text?  I believe it was published in Mary Brooksbank's book of poems, "Sidlaw Breezes".

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Jute Mill Song (any Dundo
From: GUEST,bigJ
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 05:05 PM

Yes, Malcolm, you're right it's on page 41 of 'Sidlaw Breezes', my copy I bought from Mary at the very first Blairgowrie Folk Festival which must be about 30 years ago. Here are the words as printed:-

Oh, dear me, the mill's gaen fest,
The puir wee shifters canna get a rest,
Shiftin' bobbins, coorse and fine,
They fairly mak' ye work for your ten and nine.

Oh, dear me, I wish the day was done,
Rinning up and doon the Pass is no nae (sic) fun;
Shiftin', piecing, spinning, warp, weft and twine,
Tae feed and cled my bairnie affen ten and nine.

Oh, dear me, the warld's ill-divided,
Them that work the hardest are aye wi' least provided.
But I maun bide contented, dark days or fine,
But there's no much pleasure living affen ten and nine.

Wasn't it brought to some degree of prominence when Ewan MacColl recorded on a 10" LP called 'Industrial Ballads' ?

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Jute Mill Song (any Dundo
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 07:18 PM

The text in Nigel Gatherer's book was collected by Maurice Flemming from Mary Brooksbank. Mary also sang it on Topic LP 12T181, 'Festival at Blairgowrie'. [Fleming was also collector of the Stewarts of Blairgowrie.]

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Jute Mill Song (any Dundo
From: Deckman
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 08:25 PM

The late David Spence, of Los Gatos Ca., taught me this song in 1964. (Does anyone remember him?) He was raised in Belfast, and spent a Summer in Scotland as a shiftie. Bob Nelson, Everett Wa. e-mail ... [e-mail]