Lyr ADD: Rainbow Waistcoat (Bill Caddick)

Subject: Rainbow Waistcoat
From: The_one_and_only_Dai
Date: 12 Mar 01 - 11:46 AM

This was performed by Brass Monkey fairly recently, I think, but I just can't make out half the lyrics. Garry or Wolfgang, do you have a crib for this? Anybody else?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rainbow Waistcoat
From: The_one_and_only_Dai
Date: 14 Mar 01 - 11:41 AM

Oops, it was Home Service. Sorry chaps.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rainbow Waistcoat
From: Noreen
Date: 14 Mar 01 - 12:00 PM

Not heard of it, sorry....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rainbow Waistcoat
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 14 Mar 01 - 04:20 PM

Not heard of the song, but I have the waistcoat and trousers to match.......

LTS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rainbow Waistcoat
From: The_one_and_only_Dai
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 03:38 AM

Well, one of the verses definitely goes:

It's fifteen shilling for a sealskin cap
- ? Get down Dan, let your daddy in -
And a rainbow waistcoat on me back
- Down on the Western Railway

That, along with the mentions of 'Mister Isambard' asking one to build a railway to the sea, makes it a navvy shanty in my book.

FYI the ostentatious waistcoat and expensive cap were the favoured badges of occupation for navigators during the 1830s'-40's, partly I suppose to set them apart from mere labourers. So, all I need is a lyric...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rainbow Waistcoat
From: The_one_and_only_Dai
Date: 23 Mar 01 - 09:57 AM

refresh

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rainbow Waistcoat
From: The_one_and_only_Dai
Date: 11 Apr 01 - 10:07 AM

reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-fresh

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rainbow Waistcoat
From: Snuffy
Date: 11 Apr 01 - 07:26 PM

I'm sure I've seen this in another thread a couple of monthd ago - try the forum search

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rainbow Waistcoat
From: The_one_and_only_Dai
Date: 01 Aug 01 - 11:52 AM

Okay, let's rewind here a mo'. Has anybody actually heard this song, or is my copy an elaborate hoax?

Anybody care to execute a joint effort in speculative lyrical interpolation?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rainbow Waistcoat
From: IanC
Date: 01 Aug 01 - 12:27 PM

Well, here's the "Home Service" album on which it appears Wild Life, so it probably does exist. Presumably it was a reference to navvies as (from here)

[Their] distinctive clothing included "...moleskin trousers, double-canvas shirts, velveteen square-tailed coats, hobnail boots, gaudy handkerchiefs, and white felt hats with the brims turned up. They would pay fifteen shillings, a great price, for a sealskin cap, and their distinct badge was the rainbow waistcoat."

Can't tell youy any more though ...

Cheers!
Ian

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rainbow Waistcoat
From: nutty
Date: 01 Aug 01 - 01:07 PM

There is an incomplete set of lyrics if you scroll down the list here...... on the Greame Taylor site

RAINBOW WAISTCOAT

Subject: ADD: Rainbow Waistcoat (Bill Caddick)
From: The_one_and_only_Dai
Date: 02 Aug 01 - 04:56 AM

Wha-hey! Result! Thanks for that link nutty. I have made soem additions and post them here for comment. Unclear Caddick-ese is phonetically spelled and framed in query marks...

Rainbow Waistcoat (© Bill Caddick, 1995)

Mister Isambard he says to me:
Get down ¿Dan? and let your daddy in
"Go and build me a railway to the sea"
Down on the Western Railway

Well if the ¿shant? is good and the wages well
Get down ¿Dan? and let your daddy in
Then I'll build you a railway down to hell
Down on the Western Railway

Blasting, building, tunneling away
Get down ¿Dan? and let your daddy in
Twenty tons of dirt in a day
Down on the Western Railway

But if you dig that ¿lip? just a little to tall
Get down ¿Dan? and let your daddy in
You'll be buried deep 'neath the ¿ship and the? fall
Down on the Western Railway

? sound ? we let the ?
Get down ¿Dan? and let your daddy in
A blackbird died 'neath the barrow runs
Down on the Western Railway

It's fifteen shilling for a sealskin cap
Get down ¿Dan? and let your daddy in
And a rainbow waistcoat on your back
Down on the Western Railway

Tribes of Israel on the track
Get down ¿Dan? and let your daddy in
At the end of the line the ?
Down on the Western Railway

Don't go on a ? pay
Get down ¿Dan? and let your daddy in
I won't come back till the Judgement day
Down on the Western Railway

Mister Isambard he says to me:
Get down ¿Dan? and let your daddy in
"Go and build me a railway to the sea"
Down on the Western Railway

Well if the ¿shant? is good and the wages well
Get down ¿Dan? and let your daddy in
Then I'll build you a railway down to hell
Down on the Western Railway

When the westbound train drive through your land
Get down ¿Dan? and let your daddy in
Raise a glass to a happy man
Down on the Western Railway

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rainbow Waistcoat
From: Ralphie
Date: 02 Aug 01 - 09:36 AM

Yes indeed...a wonderful Bill Caddick song recorded in the Half Moon Putney many years ago, and released on the "Live" (post Tams) Home Service album.
As the man who recorded the gig, I'm afraid I can't remove the ? marks...!
Must tell Bill to sing more clearly, or, nobody will be able to nick his songs!!
Ralphie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rainbow Waistcoat
From: The_one_and_only_Dai
Date: 02 Aug 01 - 09:39 AM

Cheers Ralphie - I had no idea it was recorded in the Half Moon, where I've spent many a happy hour (and pound). If you see Bill, tell 'im...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rainbow Waistcoat
From: Ralphie
Date: 02 Aug 01 - 09:45 AM

Dai...Will do!!
To be completist, If anyone wants to try and decipher the words, The CD is called Wild Life on Fledg'ling records (FLED 3001).
And the Half Moon gig was on 30th August 1992 (Jeez...! that's nine years ago almost to the day!!)
Ralphie

Subject: Lyr Add: RAINBOW WAISTCOAT (Bill Caddick)
From: Mr Fox
Date: 14 Oct 05 - 11:51 AM

Numerous listenings and an interest in industrial history and I reckon this is more or less right:

RAINBOW WAISTCOAT (c Bill Caddick, 1995)

Mister Isambard he says to me:
Get down, Dan, and let your daddy in
"Go and build me a railway to the sea"
Down on the Western Railway

Well if the shanty's* good and the wage as well
Get down, Dan, and let your daddy in
Then I'll build you a railway down to hell
Down on the Western Railway

Blasting, building, tunnelling away
Get down, Dan, and let your daddy in
Twenty tons of dirt in a day*
Down on the Western Railway

But if you dig that lip just a little too tall
Get down, Dan, and let your daddy in
You'll be buried deep 'neath the shit and the fall
Down on the Western Railway

By the sounding arch* we left Long John
Get down, Dan, and let your daddy in
Old Blackbird died 'neath the barrow runs*
Down on the Western Railway

Paid fifteen shilling for a sealskin cap
Get down, Dan, and let your daddy in
And this rainbow waistcoat on my back
Down on the Western Railway

Tribes of Israel on the tramp*
Get down, Dan, and let your daddy in
At the end of the line we'll strike our camp
Down on the Western Railway

I'll go on the randy* with my pay
Get down, Dan, and let your daddy in
And I won't come back till the Judgement day
Down on the Western Railway

Mister Isambard he says to me:
Get down, Dan, and let your daddy in
"Go and build me a railway to the sea"
Down on the Western Railway

Well if the shanty's is good and the wage as well
Get down, Dan, and let your daddy in
Then I'll build you a railway down to hell
Down on the Western Railway

When the westbound train runs through your land
Get down, Dan, and let your daddy in
Raise a glass to the navvy man
Down on the Western Railway

*shanty = Navvy's accommodation. As the name implies, pretty basic.
*Twenty tons of dirt in a day = What a navvy was expected to shift. Miners only(!) had to shift sixteen
*Sounding arch = Maidenhead bridge over the Thames. Several navvies were drowned when a scaffolding gave way while building it.
*Barrow runs = a (very dangerous) way of getting earth from the bottom of a cutting to the spoil-heap. Long John and Old Blackbird are navvy's nicknames.
*on the tramp = wandering the countryside looking for work
*on the randy = a drunken binge

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rainbow Waistcoat (Bill Caddick)
From: GUEST,SLC
Date: 02 Jan 18 - 06:02 PM

This is so many years after but I was looking for these lyrics. Great, great song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rainbow Waistcoat (Bill Caddick)
From: GMGough
Date: 03 Jan 18 - 02:02 PM

Rainbow Waistcoat is included in the 2002 double CD set "Unicorns", a selection of songs written by Bill Caddick and on this set performed by the man himself.

The sleeve says "Working Joe Music Ltd 2002"
Hope you can find a copy.