Lyr Req: Coppers Will Turn into Silver (Jim Smith)

Subject: Lyr Req: The Coppers Will Grow on to Silver
From: HiHo_Silver
Date: 20 Jul 04 - 10:11 AM

I have a tiny scrap of a song remembered from my Father. Unable to come up with lyrics or proper title. Only lines remembered:

"For the coppers will grow on to silver and the silver will grow on to gold
and this you will find very useful to help you my boy when you're old."

Help please.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Coppers Will Grow on to Silver
From: HiHo_Silver
Date: 21 Jul 04 - 09:22 AM

More lines from memory: "For when you have money your friends will come around but when you have none friends are hard to be found.
So keep your head above water my boy if you can and all will go well if you follow my plan".

Subject: Lyr Add: SILVER UNTO GOLD
From: HiHo_Silver
Date: 21 Jul 04 - 09:59 AM

Silver Unto Gold

When I was a young man, and started to roam
My father said son now before you leave home
My advice I will give you, is the best thing to do
Save up a few pennies each week for your pool

Now when you have rambled and been all through life
Don't ever be bashful in taking a wife
For a woman is a comfort to a man I must say
And all will go well if you pull the right way

(chorus )
For your copper will grow unto silver
And your silver will grow unto gold
And in this you will find very useful
To help you my boy when you're old


Now the dear girl you marry, you must not neglect
For she will look on you always with respect
For your troubles and trials you can share with your wife
And all will go well as your journey through life

When you have money your friend's will come round
When you haven't any, they're hard to be found
You may think you have many, but you'll find in the end
Is that your own money will be your best friend.

Now the man who is lazy, I’m sorry to say
For the sake of a penny, someday he will pay
Keep your head above water my boy, if you can
And all will go well, if you follow my plan.

Writer unknown

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Coppers Will Grow on to Silver
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Jul 04 - 06:31 PM

Hi, Ho, Silver -
Where did yu find the lyrics? It's a good one.
I changed the text from allcaps, because it was very hard to read.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Coppers Will Grow on to Silver
From: HiHo_Silver
Date: 21 Jul 04 - 07:47 PM

To Joe Offer:

Stumbled on the lyrics accidentally while researching some song information for a friend. You will find the lyrics here:http://www.kevincollins.ca/long.html

Just a bit of trivia: In the mid 40's it was common in my area for a group of people to ride on the back of a truck on Saturday evening into town and back to do the weekly shopping. On the return trip a sing song would be started and this was one of the many songs that was sung. I had forgetten the lyrics but remembered the melody so I knew it had to have been recorded somewhere, To bad I could not get the melody to you as I know it but cannot write music well enough to copy it down. Nice to Hear from you. The lyrics look nice.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Silver unto Gold
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 22 Nov 11 - 10:40 PM

Kieran McGilligan sings this song under the title YOUR COPPER WILL GROW INTO SILVER on his album "Both Sides of Goodbye" described here.

You can hear it at YouTube.

In the recording, he clearly sings "unto" although the title in the description says "into."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Your Copper Will Grow into Silver
From: GUEST,reef21
Date: 28 Nov 13 - 12:35 PM

The Moonshiners from Goose Cove, Newfoundland recorded this one back in the 80's as well. Definitely my favourite version!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Your Copper Will Grow into Silver
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Nov 13 - 09:03 PM

http://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/18A-1_51.htm

Lyrics at that site. The site is worth bookmarking.

Subject: Lyr Add: COPPER AND SILVER (trad Newfoundland)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 29 Nov 13 - 10:32 AM

Lyrics and footnotes copied from "MacEdward Leach and the Songs of Atlantic Canada" at Memorial University of Newfoundland. (I have added punctuation.):

COPPER AND SILVER

Performed by Frank Knox
Accession # 78-054 NFLD 2 Tape 18A Track 1
Community: St. Shott's
Audio: Yes
Genre: Ballad

1. When I was a youngster and started to roam,
My mother said: "Now, boy, before you leave home,
My advice l will give you on the best thing to do
Is save just a copper each week from the few,

CHORUS: "For your coppers may grow unto silver;
Your silver will grow unto gold.
It's this you will find very useful
To help you, my boy, when you're old.

2. "And when you have travelled and seen all through life,
Don't never be bashful in taking a wife,
For a wife is a comfort to a man, l must say,
And all will go well if you work the right way.

3. "And the dear one you'll marry don't never neglect,
For she will look on you always with respect.
Your trials and troubles you'll share with your wife,
And all will go well on your journey through life.

4. "For when you have money your friends will come 'round,
And when you haven't any, they're hard to be found.
Keep your head above water, my boy, if you can,
And all will go well if you follow my plan.

History: Probably 19th-century sheet music, judging from moralizing tone and musical form.

Text: Mother advises her son to save a copper a week, assuring him that the coppers will turn to silver and then to gold.

Tune: Triple metre, major key. The verse-refrain structure is rare in older Newfoundland repertoires. The verse structure is 'abab'.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Your Copper Will Grow into Silver
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 29 Nov 13 - 11:24 AM

The British Library has sheet music described thus:

COPPERS WILL TURN INTO SILVER.
Author: Jim Smith
Publisher: ©1928.

[It's a shame the BL is so stingy with information. However, a very useful website called 45cat.com contains comprehensive information about a 45-rpm recording from 1988. From an image of the record sleeve:

"Sung at Christmas during the Twenties in every Birmingham [UK] pub, cinema, theatre and dance hall, bookmaker Jim Smith's song helped thousands of needy kids by raising thousands of pounds for the Birmingham Mall Christmas Tree Fund. But it faded away with World War II and the composer's death.

"In 1988, 60 years after being composed, a fluke rediscovered it. Harry Hawkes of The Birmingham Post & Mail … [performed research which] led to Jim Smith's family, including his 91-year-old widow, still living near the city. Through them he located the original Twenties sheet music and with the Christmas Tree Fund celebrating its centenary year, it was decided to revive and record the song.

"With Midland comedian and singer Malcolm Stent providing the vocal, Gordon Giltrap the arrangement and all instrumental backing, and a choir of local children from Grestone Junior School, Handsworth Wood, singing the chorus, the recording was made....

"Every penny from the sale of this record and royalties from its playing will be donated to the Birmingham Mall Christmas Tree Fund."