Lyr Req: When First I Came to Caledonia

Subject: lyric req;when first I came to caledonia
From: sidtheferret
Date: 07 Sep 05 - 03:39 PM

I'd be very grateful if anyone could help out.Thankyou!

Subject: RE: lyric req;when first I came to caledonia
From: MMario
Date: 07 Sep 05 - 03:51 PM

This one?

Subject: RE: lyric req;when first I came to caledonia
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 08 Sep 05 - 04:39 AM

A   ' pound of soap ? a cake of tea ? '

Subject: RE: lyric req;when first I came to caledonia
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 08 Sep 05 - 05:13 AM

Some info on the song can be found here:

http://cjtm.icaap.org/content/14/v14art6.html

Subject: RE: lyric req;when first I came to caledonia
From: Paul Burke
Date: 08 Sep 05 - 05:47 AM

What's wrong with a pound of soap and a cake of tea? Soap was sold by the pound in Salford when I were a lad. Tea in cakes was fashionable again a couple of years ago, I got given about half a dozen of them. Impossible to brew with, make a horrible mess, the tea's weak and tasteless, but that's fashion for you.

For train buffs: the caledonia collieries were interesting as one of the last places to operate Hackworth style engines. The great rival to George Stephenson before the Rainhill Trials, his powerful locomotives retained adherents in the coal industry for many years after the Stephenson pattern became the standard.

Here's a rather bad picture of one..

Subject: RE: lyric req;when first I came to caledonia
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 08 Sep 05 - 08:36 AM

Tea cake it was quite a normal way to buy tea in times gone by.
Giok

Subject: RE: lyric req;when first I came to caledonia
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 08 Sep 05 - 10:20 AM

Tea cake as well as "a pair of brochan" (I assume these are "brötchen")? That would just be greedy . . .

Subject: RE: lyric req;when first I came to caledonia
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 08 Sep 05 - 11:54 AM

I think that may be brogues, as in shoes, the Scots Gaelic word for which is brogan, with an accent over the o that I can't do with this keyboard. The gaelic word brochan means I think thin it is mentioned in another thread about thin porridge as in Brochan lom. I think a pair of porridge would be unlikely.

Giok

Subject: RE: lyric req;when first I came to caledonia
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 08 Sep 05 - 12:44 PM

Brogan is still heard as the name for a work shoe in the United States, although it has become rare. Quite common before WW2.
Brogue also was used, but I think it has disappeared. It was applied also to a kind of wing-tip shoe in the States and Canada.

I like the OED definition for brogan:
"A rude kind of shoe, generally made of untanned hide, worn by the inhabitants of the wilder parts of Ireland and the Scotch Highlands."

Subject: RE: lyric req;when first I came to caledonia
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 08 Sep 05 - 01:11 PM

Brogues are certainly still around in Scotland where they are worn with the kilt, often called Ghillie brogues , this name is used generically for stout shoes with a pierced pattern overlay on the toe and heel, sometimes around the lace holes too.
Giok

Subject: RE: lyric req;when first I came to caledonia
From: Compton
Date: 08 Sep 05 - 01:30 PM

Erm...I'm probably talking out of my bottom..but isn;t the song actually Canadian?

Subject: RE: lyric req;when first I came to caledonia
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 08 Sep 05 - 01:45 PM

Yes Cape Breton actually but as they still keep alive Scots traditions there more than they do in Scotland I think we may expect there to be Gaelic words in it.
Giok

Subject: RE: lyric req;when first I came to caledonia
From: GUEST,Chris B (Born Again Scouser)
Date: 08 Sep 05 - 01:49 PM

The correct name of this song is 'When First I Went To Caledonia' and the version by Tony Cuffe on his album of the same name is the only one you'll ever need. There have been other versions since. Forget 'em.

Subject: RE: lyric req;when first I came to caledonia
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 08 Sep 05 - 03:12 PM

See thread 182, one of our oldest. Several variations, depending on singer; the choice is personal.
When First

Subject: RE: lyric req;when first I came to caledonia
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 08 Sep 05 - 04:00 PM

Cape Breton Island is the most western of The Hebrides.
The fact that it lies in Canada does not alter that point. The Men Of The Deeps do many songs about coal mining, this one included.

Subject: RE: lyric req;when first I came to caledonia
From: Compton
Date: 09 Sep 05 - 11:20 AM

The version I rather care for is the Waterson / Carthy one (which was the first admittedly) but Carth's guitar work on that is pretty damn good!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When First I Came to Caledonia
From: GUEST,Gillies
Date: 07 Aug 11 - 04:50 PM

Anyone have the chords for this?

Thanks

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When First I Came to Caledonia
From: Crowhugger
Date: 07 Aug 11 - 05:40 PM

Some more diversion on the word "brochan"...
Growing up in Ottawa in the 60's and 70's, which valley area was much settled by Scots, the word "brogans" (or "brogues" for short)--the g pronounced lightly but still an anglicized ch--meant as John MacKenzie said above (08 Sep 05 - 01:11 PM): "...stout shoes with a pierced pattern overlay on the toe and heel, sometimes around the lace holes too". Throughout Ottawa stores, the pierced pattern was nearly always (rather than sometimes) included around the lace holes. My father wore them to work as a teacher and school principal, and while they were sturdy with very good support, they were not so stout in appearance as to look out of place with a suit. I would expect any shoe seller in Ontario to bring out exactly that kind of shoe if you asked for brogans.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When First I Came to Caledonia
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 07 Aug 11 - 06:14 PM

For good notes on background/interpretation of the song, see the other main thread, especially starting here.

For chords - contributions are welcome here.

~ Becky in Long Beach