Lyr Req/Add: Fireman Song

Subject: Fireman Song
From: kai
Date: 06 Mar 01 - 04:42 AM

Hello everybody,

I'm searching for "Fireman song" lyrics..Hope you'll help me&

Thanks in advance&

//kai

Subject: Lyr Add: FIREMAN'S SONG
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Mar 01 - 05:21 AM

Oooh, Kai, I think we may come up with nothing on that unless you can give us a little more help. Do you remember any phrases from the son, where you heard it, what style of music it is? The more you can tell us about a song, the easier it is for us to find it for you.
-Joe Offer-
Is this it? Yeah....I suppose it is....

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FIREMAN'S SONG

Clang, clang, clang,
And the goddamn fire went out.
Oh for the life of a fireman,
To ride on a fire engine red,
To say to a team of white horses,
"Give me head, give me head, give me head!"

My father is a fireman,
He puts out fires.

My brother is a fireman,
He puts out fires.

My sister Sal is a fireman's gal,
She puts out too.

Lyrics found here (click). Recording here (click) (slightly different version).

Also this:

FIREMAN'S SONG
tune: ask around

My father is a fireman.
He puts out fires. Hmmmm.
My mother is a fireman's wife.
She puts out fires. Hmmmm.
My brother is a fireman's son.
He puts out fires. Hmmmm.
My sister is a fireman's daughter.
She puts out.   Hmmmm.

My father is a glassblower.
He blows glass. Hmmmm.
.
.
.
She blows.   Hmmm.

My father is a bricklayer.
He lays bricks. Hmmmm.
.
.
.
She lays. Hmmmm.

My father is a down hill skier.
He goes down hills. Hmmmm.
.
.
.
She goes down.   Hmmmm.

found here (click)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Fireman Song
From: wes.w
Date: 06 Mar 01 - 08:35 AM

I think Ewan McColl wrote a The Fireman's Song with a chorus ending :

The driver thinks he runs the show,
but if I'm not here the train don't go

So another kind of fireman. Come on, give us some kind of clue!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Fireman Song
From: Michael in Swansea
Date: 06 Mar 01 - 08:53 AM

And the Corries sang:

My brother Bill's a fireman
He puts out fires
My brother Bill's a fireman He went to a fire one night
When someone shouted DYNAMITE
Wherever he's gone he'll be alright
He puts out fires

Mike

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Fireman Song
From: GUEST,Roll&Go-C
Date: 06 Mar 01 - 09:10 AM

As an add to "When Jones Ale was New:"

The next came in was a firefighter,
And there was no one brighter,
Yes, there was no one brighter,
For to join in the jovial crew;
And he hauled out his nozzle with all his might,
And it was a totally awesome sight,
And the landlady's daughter squealed in delight...

Not what you're looking for but, hopefully, someone will be amused!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Fireman Song
From: Michael in Swansea
Date: 06 Mar 01 - 09:19 AM

Damn. PROOF READ !!!!!
You all know how it goes anyway.

Moke

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Fireman Song
From: GUEST,pete M at work
Date: 06 Mar 01 - 07:22 PM

Hi Wes

the Fireman's Song was written by Dave Bilston, see earlier post here for words and notes.

Pete M

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Fireman Song
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Mar 01 - 03:46 AM

...and a familiar passage in several blues (eg Hesitation Blues by Gary Davis,Wild about My lovin' by the Levee Breakers) :
"I ain't no fireman, no fireman's son, but I'll keep you warm till the fireman come"
RtS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Fireman Song
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 07 Mar 01 - 03:54 AM

OOPS forgot to sign in! The last unconsidered trifle was me!
RtS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Fireman Song
From: wes.w
Date: 07 Mar 01 - 09:06 AM

Pete M, Thanks, sorry for mis-credit. .. wes

Subject: Lyr Add: THE FIREFIGHTER'S SONG (Ewan MacColl)
From: GUEST,Roll&Go-C
Date: 07 Mar 01 - 09:55 AM

Ewan MacColl did compose another "The Firefighter's Song" © 1963 Stormking Music which is printed in the Ewan MacColl-Peggy Seeger Songbook published by Oak in 1963. The first verse runs:

THE FIREFIGHTER'S SONG
(Words by Ewan MacColl, tune traditional Irish)

It was back in nineteen twenty two when I was twenty three,
I turned my seaman's papers in, said farewell to the sea,
I changed my old blue dungarees for the fireman's livery,
O, cursed be the day, my boys, I lost my liberty.

If you're interested I'll post the rest of the verses.

Subject: Origins: Fireman Song
From: John M.
Date: 25 Apr 05 - 03:50 PM

 

1. Does anyone sing 'The Fireman's Song'?
2. If so when/where did you learn it?
3. Would you mind singing it over the phone to me so that I can get a recording of the tune?   I can make the recording anonymous....                

 

FIREMAN'S SONG

Clang, clang, clang,
And the goddamn fire went out.
Oh for the life of a fireman,
To ride on a fire engine red,
To say to a team of white horses,
"Give me head, give me head, give me head!"

My father is a fireman,
He puts out fires.

My brother is a fireman,
He puts out fires.

My sister Sal is a fireman's gal,
She puts out too.

Any help is appreciated.

Sincerely,

John Mehlberg
[e-mail]
~
Evenings:     314.647.3883
Afternoons:  314.381.0492
~
My, mostly traditional, bawdy songs, toasts and recitations website: www.immortalia.com
 

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Fireman Song
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 25 Apr 05 - 09:41 PM

I seem to remember an old song/poem "Fireman save my child"

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Fireman Song
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 26 Apr 05 - 02:51 AM

And of course there is Pete Seeger's song about the 9.11 firefighters.

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Fireman Song
From: open mike
Date: 26 Apr 05 - 07:05 PM

pete seeger? you might mean tom paxton's song about the brave ones
"they ran up the stairs while others were running down"

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Fireman Song
From: GUEST,terry redd
Date: 11 Jun 10 - 11:10 AM

help i am trying to locate the lyrics and tune to "the firefighters song" by Ewan MacColl 1952

Subject: ADD: Firefighter's Song (MacColl)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 11 Jun 10 - 01:15 PM

THE FIREFIGHTER'S SONG
(Ewan MacColl)

It was back in nineteen twenty-two when I was twenty-three,
I turned my seaman's papers in, said farewell to the sea;
I changed my old blue dungarees for the fireman's livery,
O, cursed be the day, my boys, when I lost my liberty.

Each day I rose before the dawn and did the daily chores;
I swept and scoured and polished the brass and scrubbed out miles of floors.
I worked at the pumps and drilled and drilled and climbed the ladder so high,
And when there wasn't a job to do, they kept me standing by.

The work was hard, the hours were long and measly was the pay;
I became a slave to a lousy bell that rang by night and day.
It slaughtered many a sleep for me with its horrible, raucous cries,
And sent me slithering down the pole with the sleep still in my eyes.

I've fought more tires than I can count, I've fought 'em early and late,
I've breathed more smoke than the devil in hell, more steam than a boilerman's mate.
My hands have been frozen to the branch when the night was cold and chill,
And many's the time I've slowly fried like bacon on the grill.

I fought the fires in the London blitz when the bombs came fast and free,
I've put my branch on many a house and blazing factory.
I've fought the smoke and the poison fumes to keep the names at bay,
But now I'm in the union, boys, and fight for better pay.

All honour to Jim Bradley and the lads of wide renown,
Who fought our early battles and who would not be put down.
There's still a pinch in the old top boot as anyone will allow,
But things are going better, boys, we've got the union now!


MacColl wrote the song in 1952, when he was one of a number of folk singers who were guests at a national trade union conference of British firemen.

The tune is a variant of the traditional Scots tune "Sleepytoon" - the tune was also used for MacColl's song, "Twenty-One Years."

From The Essential Ewan MacColl Songbook, page 78

I'll post a tune later. It reminds me of Bachgen bach o dincar, but it's not the same tune.

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Click to play