Lyr Req: Dancing Days

Subject: Dancing Days
From: Harry Basnett
Date: 22 May 02 - 03:39 PM

Can anyone help with the lyrics for this song? The version I heard many moons ago was by the McCalmans and the chorus went something like:-

The journeyman fiddlers hands are stilled
No more he'll play the rover.
The piper sleeps beneath the hill
The dancing days are over.

Thanks......

Harry.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dancing Days
From: Sorcha
Date: 22 May 02 - 04:37 PM

Lots of McCalman's lyrics here, but nothing by that title. Only thing I found with that title is Led Zepplin and it is not about a fiddler et. al.....

Subject: Lyr Add: DANCING DAYS (John Conolly / Bill Meek)
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 22 May 02 - 05:18 PM

I thought I'd posted it, but was thinking of an entirely different song. So here you are:

DANCING DAYS
(John Conolly / Bill Meek)

Chorus:
The journeyman fiddler's hand is still
No more he'll play the rover
The piper sleeps beneath the hill
And dancing days are over

When we were lads of long ago the dance was all our pleasure
The lively breaks and the friendly face, the music and the measure
'Twas in and out and round about and swing her down the middle
The rousing ranting rattling drum, the music of the whistle

And in the gloomy winter day the sky was like a cinder
My boots along the alleyway, they ran like flint and tinder
I danced to drive the dark away, to break the ties that bound me
And through the mirk and through the rain the sparks they danced around me

The dancing days are dying now, the music loud and crazy
The lads and lassies don't know how to move their bodies easy
There ain't the men to make the tunes, there ain't the boys to play them
A bunch of boys to make a noise and fifty fools to pay them

Five and forty years are gone since we were lads and leaping
The dancing feet are weary now, the smiling eyes are weeping
Where are the dancing Englishmen who sang for celebration
When England learns to dance again she'll prove a wiser nation

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dancing Days
From: Harry Basnett
Date: 23 May 02 - 04:23 PM

Thank you very, very much.

All the best...........Harry.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dancing Days
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 23 May 02 - 04:34 PM

Tune??

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dancing Days
From: GUEST,Harry Basnett
Date: 04 Sep 23 - 01:56 PM

21 years later I’ve actually got around to learning it .. ??

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dancing Days
From: GUEST,watcher
Date: 05 Sep 23 - 06:23 AM

when I read the lyrics I immediately fit them to "Brighton Camp"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB14J57gUnc
I've usually heard it as a morris tune but also at ceilidhs.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dancing Days
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 09 Sep 23 - 12:16 PM

McCalmans " Dancing Days " on Bandcamp https://mccalmans.bandcamp.com/album/side-by-side-by-side-1977

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dancing Days
From: GUEST,Harry Basnett
Date: 04 Sep 23 - 01:56 PM

21 years later I’ve actually got around to learning it .. ??

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dancing Days
From: GUEST,watcher
Date: 05 Sep 23 - 06:23 AM

when I read the lyrics I immediately fit them to "Brighton Camp"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB14J57gUnc
I've usually heard it as a morris tune but also at ceilidhs.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dancing Days
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 09 Sep 23 - 12:16 PM

McCalmans " Dancing Days " on Bandcamp https://mccalmans.bandcamp.com/album/side-by-side-by-side-1977