Lyr Req: The Railway Fireman (Harry Gordon)

Subject: Lyr Req: The Firemans song?
From: akenaton
Date: 04 Jul 04 - 02:15 PM

When I was an apprentice, I had as a workmate, an old man who was Fireman on the famous steam locomotive "The Flying Scotsman" during the 1930s and 40s.

He had lots of wonderful stories about the world of steam, and the characters who worked with him.

He often liked to sing a little song about the work of a railway fireman....I think it was called " The man that makes the smoke come oot the lum"
I cant remember many of the words,but the song started with "
On the railway engine,
the one who does the work,
Is the man who makes the smoke come oot the lum.

If I remember correctly the chorus went

choochy chooch puff puff ooh ta ta .
I shovel on the coals as they come.
While your sitting by your fender
I'll be standing on the tender,
I'm the man that makes the smoke come oot the lum.

Maybe some of you old steamers can help with the words..Ake

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Firemans song?
From: Kenny B (inactive)
Date: 05 Jul 04 - 07:08 PM

Is this it
From Old blether site

Am the man, ye can see that am the man.
Am the man that mak`s the smoke come oot the lum.
Although am a stoker, ah dinnae need a poker
Fur tae mak the smoke come oot the lum, pum, pum, pum.
Oochie choo, pum, pum, oom, pah, pah, ah shovel on the coal as it comes
Am not sittin` oan the fender, no am standin` oan the tender
Am the man that maks the smoke come oot the lum!

Kenny B

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Firemans song?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 05 Jul 04 - 09:50 PM

Reminds me of a song Pete Coe sings, with the chorus (more or less) :

A loco foreman is my grade
boiling water is my trade.
The driver thinks he runs the show,
but if I'm not there, the train won't go

I don't know if it's one of Pete's songs - if not it might be Dave Goulder.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Firemans song?
From: Gurney
Date: 06 Jul 04 - 03:11 AM

McGrath, I think it's Ewan McColl.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Firemans song?
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 06 Jul 04 - 04:59 AM

Isn't it from "The Ballad of John Axon," the first of the McColl/Parker Radio Ballads ?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Firemans song?
From: Mark Dowding
Date: 06 Jul 04 - 06:35 AM

It's in the DT - The Fireman's Song written by Don Bilston

Cheers
Mark

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Firemans song?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 06 Jul 04 - 06:39 AM

Don Bilston was in the Ian Campbell grouop in the early days as I recall . The song was NOT in 'John Axton' .

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Firemans song?
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 06 Jul 04 - 06:52 AM

Whoops - Sorry.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Firemans song?
From: akenaton
Date: 06 Jul 04 - 07:38 PM

Thanks Mark ...But that is not the song.
Kenny B has the correct song, but just a fragment.
I had already got that from Google.

After my old friend had introduced me to the song, I came across a Beltona 78,it had the song ,interspersed with monologue.
From memory it sounded like Will Fyfe but as the record has long gone I cant be sure
I believe Joe Corrie did some 78s for Beltona and it could have been recorded by him.....Ake

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Firemans song?
From: Mark Dowding
Date: 06 Jul 04 - 08:09 PM

Sorry akenaton - got sidetracked with the mention of that song by Don Bilston.

I've also got a mate who was a signalman on the LMS from the forties onwards until he retired in the eighties after 47 years service. He comes out with some stories as well - I've got a load of them recorded for posterity. I got Stan Ambrose of BBC Radio Merseyside to interview him and he played a load of Dave Goulder's songs to illustrate the stories. A great show.

Cheers
Mark

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Man that Makes the Smoke Come Out...
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 11 Oct 10 - 09:33 PM

Refresh. Looks like we never found the song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Man that Makes the Smoke Come Out...
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Nov 11 - 01:47 PM

don bilston is my great uncle (i take great pride in saying that.lol.) so if anyone wants lyrics,copy of th album, etc just email me cos i know all the songs off by heart, [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Man that Makes the Smoke Come Out...
From: GUEST,Alexander
Date: 10 Jan 13 - 05:39 PM

Ah'm the man ye kin see that ah'm the man, ah'm the man that maks the smoke come oot the lum, although ah'm a stoker, ah never need a poker tae mak the smoke come oot the lum. Oo, oo, ta, ta, ah shovel on the coals as they come, while yer sittin' by the fender, I am standing on the tender, ah'm the man that maks the smoke come oot the lum. Will Fyfe recorded that song around 1928.

There was also a bit of dialogue. He supposedly approaches a minister and asks him if he has a trunk in the luggage carriage, to which the man of the cloth says, "Yes, and it's filled with very important information". Will Fyfe replies, "Well, your information is leaking".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Man that Makes the Smoke Come Out...
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 10 Jan 13 - 07:06 PM

The University of Guelph, Ontario, has a 78-rpm record described thus:

THE RAILWAY FIREMAN : THE MAN THAT GARS THE SMOKE COME OOT THE LUM
Sung by Harry Gordon with Orchestra Accompaniment
Written by Harry Gordon & J Holden
England : Beltona, [19--?]

[Jack Holden was Harry Gordon's "straight man."]

Subject: Lyr Add: THE MAN WHO TURNS THE DAMN THING OFF...
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 11 Jan 13 - 09:20 AM

THREAD DRIFT:

Shel Silversteen apparently "updated" on the theme. One might wonder if the subject song might have been inspiration ???? :

Artist: Shel Silverstein lyrics
Title: THE MAN WHO TURNS THE DAMN THING OFF AND ON

The world's not what it used to be
In love or war or industry.
We face the harsh reality
That this sweet land of liberty
Now contemplates eternity
Plugged into electricity
And programmed by technology
For maximum efficiency.
For instance, see
What happened to me...

When I went down to the factory,
I said, "Hey, you got any job for me?"
They said, "Son, the days of the workin' man Are dead and gone.
"They said, "Computer now does everything
But there does happen to be one opening
For the man who'll turn the damn thing off and on."

Now I'm the man who turns the damn thing off and on.
I give it a twist in the evening like this
And a little bitty flick at dawn.
I know I should be overjoyed.
I'm the only one in town employed.
I'm the man who turns the damn thing off and on.

So, feelin' exhausted from my first day's labor,
I went home to see my baby.
She was lyin' in bed with a smile on her face,
And I heard a buzzin' sound.

She said, "I don't need no mortal men.
This vibrator does the work of ten,
But since you're so in love with me,
I'll let you stick around
And be the man who turns the damn thing off and on.

"I give it a twist in the evening like this
And a little bitty flick at dawn.
I know I should be gratified...
She lets me lie here by her side
And be the man who turns the damn thing off and on.


AND NOW BACK TO THE MOVIE ...

John

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Man that Makes the Smoke Come Out...
From: Jason Xion Wang
Date: 22 Sep 17 - 05:57 AM

Bob Gibson, when singing live, added one more verse to the vibrator song that John mentioned...

Well, I just got a call from Washington.
They said, "Son, heard of the job you've done
With the dildo and computer, so we're askin' you ter
Save the world from doom.
You can put your feet on this Pentagon desk,
You can eat, sleep, read, watch TV or rest,
But keep your finger on this little red button
In case you gotta make it go boom,

"'Cause you're the man who turns the damn thing off and on.
Give it a push just one time, son, and your job is done!"
So I'm eatin' fried chicken and I'm watchin' TV,
My fingers all covered with gravy and grease:
I'm the man who turns the damn - Oops! I'm sorry about that!
I'm the man who turns the damn thing off and on!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Railway Fireman (Harry Gordon)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 09 Oct 17 - 09:20 AM

You're supposed to be able to play "The Railway Fireman Pt 1 & 2 (The man that gars the Smoke come oot the Lum)" Beltona M13100 1601 at this web page:

https://www.78rpmcommunity.com/beta/music/album/140/harry-gordon --but it doesn't work for me.

Anyway, there is an image of the record label.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Railway Fireman (Harry Gordon)
From: Gallus Moll
Date: 11 Oct 17 - 06:47 PM

I have Harry Gordon's autograph on my late grandfather's membership programme of events for The Glasgow Ploughman's Association; Harry was performing at one of their evening entertainments.
(My grandfather had left the farm to join the Glasgow police.)
One of the rules of the club was that they could not enter a ploughing competition until they had been 'ten years away from the farm' (so they had no unfair advantage?)
I remember being taken to some Stirlingshire ploughing matches in the early '50s, seeing my grandfather ad his friends carefully watching how each competitor steered his pair of horse, guided the plough, how straight the lines were - then picking up clods from the ploughed bit to see how well the earth held together.

- There Bogle'ha Bowling Club in Dunoon hosts a 'Harry Gordon Cup' competition every year -- guess he donated the cup? Probably entertained in the town at the Cosy Corner in the glory days o' doon the watter>

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Railway Fireman (Harry Gordon)
From: Bugsy
Date: 13 Oct 17 - 03:21 AM

I'd like to find the words of a "once heard"song 40 years ago,
ALL I remember i


? is a fireman bold
He puts out fires.

Not much to go on, eh?

Cheers

Bugsy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Railway Fireman (Harry Gordon)
From: akenaton
Date: 13 Oct 17 - 05:21 AM

Vey popular in the Scottish folk clubs circa 1960.
My freen John's a fireman bold,
he pits oot fires!
He's only twinty wan years old,
He pits oot fires!
He went tae a fire the other night,
when somebody shoutit DYNAMITE!
Wherr he is no, he'll be awright,
He pits oot fires!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Railway Fireman (Harry Gordon)
From: akenaton
Date: 13 Oct 17 - 05:29 AM

Ah the good old days of audience participation.

Folk music committed suicide at the end of the twentieth century....and nae wonder.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Railway Fireman (Harry Gordon)
From: Bugsy
Date: 14 Oct 17 - 11:44 PM

Thanks for that Ankerton.

Are there any other verses that you remember?

Cheers

Ugsy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Railway Fireman (Harry Gordon)
From: Gallus Moll
Date: 15 Oct 17 - 04:13 PM

Ma brither Bill's a fireman bold - he pits oot fires
He's only twenty-fower years old - he pits oot fires.
He went tae a fire the ither night - som'body shouted 'dynamite'!
Whaurever he is he'll be a'right - he pits oot fires!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Railway Fireman (Harry Gordon)
From: GUEST,#
Date: 04 Apr 21 - 03:59 PM

"· Full text is probably “Am the man, ye can see that am the man.
Am the man that mak`s the smoke come oot the lum.
Although am a stoker, ah dinnae need a poker
Fur tae mak the smoke come oot the lum, pum, pum, pum.
Oochie choo, pum, pum, oom, pah, pah, ah shovel on the coal as it comes
Am not sittin` oan the fender, no am standin` oan the tender
Am the man that maks the smoke come oot the lum!” N.M.’s Editor "

That is from

http://www.scottishhills.com/html/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=182463

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Railway Fireman (Harry Gordon)
From: GUEST,Dave McC
Date: 08 Aug 21 - 08:15 AM

(I had the recording of this for years. Here's all the words)

Now on the railway engine the man that does the work
Is the man that maks the smoke come oot the lum.
He's grimy and he's greasy but he's never known to shirk
the man that maks the smoke come oot the lum.

The driver disna meddle though he switches on the power
Cause when ye go on holiday to England for a tour
Wha maks the engine hop along at 50 mile an hour?
the man that maks the smoke come oot the lum!

And ah'm the man, ye can see that ah'm the man
Ah'm the man that maks the smoke come oot the lum.
Though ah'm a stoker ah never need a poker
tae mak the smoke come oot the lum

Shoogie shoo chuff chuff ooh ta ta
Ah shovel on the coals as they come
While ye're sitting by the fender
Ah'll be standin on the tender
Ah'm the man that maks the smoke come oot the lum

(then it goes into the spoken spiel: Aye, ah'm the man that keeps the poaty bilin'. An if ye only saw the engine - Ah think it was built before Stephenson was born. . . etc) then finishes with:

Ah'm the man, ye can see that ah'm the man
etc etc...
Ah'm the man that maks the smoke come oot the lum
TOOT! TOOT!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Railway Fireman (Harry Gordon)
From: GUEST,Dave McC
Date: 08 Aug 21 - 08:21 AM

Extra fact:
The 78 rpm record label is titled "The man that gars the smoke come oot the lum" but Harry Gordon always sings maks, never gars. Don't know why.