Need songs for, of, and/or about England

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 20 Nov 05 - 07:44 PM

the English folksong and dance soc. used to do a nice little green book with all english songs in.

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: The Walrus
Date: 19 Nov 05 - 09:43 PM

Try Kipling's "A Tree Song" (it works to the tune of "The Seven joys of Mary")

"of all the trees that grow so fair
Old England to adorn..."


W

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: Leadfingers
Date: 19 Nov 05 - 10:14 AM

Leon Rosselsson's 'Procreation'is a lovely dig at the monarchy ( and NOT just of England)

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: breezy
Date: 19 Nov 05 - 09:26 AM

O K sooz you win, I was out as usual


Now this gave me a laugh, - 'Athenry'

hey guest why not sign up

Had a good number for mgas last night , and she really is a good singer with a good selection of songs.

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 19 Nov 05 - 07:53 AM

"Love in England hath taken me..." (Sir Richard's Song, R.Kipling/P.Bellamy)

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: Gurney
Date: 19 Nov 05 - 04:13 AM

Anything written by Cyril Tawney, most sung by him.
A great many sea shanties.

They should take a few years to learn.

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Nov 05 - 11:07 AM

"England" by Ralph McTell

'What is it about you that makes me feel this way?'

Juan #:0]

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 18 Nov 05 - 11:04 AM

Try putting Cantaria into your address bar and you will find a site with English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish and American Folk songs on it.
Best wishes, Mike.

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: Tam the man
Date: 18 Nov 05 - 10:53 AM

I'm a Scot and I like a song called

here's to you sweet lovely England, Jersulem and swing low sweet chariot, I know that last one isn't English however it is now a part of English folk songs.
Tam

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 18 Nov 05 - 10:13 AM

RE: Amazing Blondel - the definitive song of theirs is "Bethel Green Mission"

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: JohnB
Date: 18 Nov 05 - 10:10 AM

The Oxford Book of Carols has all sorts of Christmas stuff in it.
Generally it tells you the country of origin.
JohnB

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: HipflaskAndy
Date: 18 Nov 05 - 09:32 AM

'Shipbuilding' by Elvis Costello, as sung beautifully by Robert Wyatt
Cheers - HFA

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: Mr Fox
Date: 18 Nov 05 - 09:01 AM

'England's Power and Glory' - Robb Johnson
'Wake up England' - Maddy Prior

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: GUEST,Guest saying, "Thanks"
Date: 18 Nov 05 - 08:58 AM

Hey folks, thanks for all the tips. These will certainly get me through and open up some new windows, too.
Happy Holidays to everyone.

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: Fergie
Date: 18 Nov 05 - 08:25 AM

How about The Captains and the Kings by B Behan.

Fergus

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 18 Nov 05 - 08:16 AM

England, my England, Vin Garbutt

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: Tootler
Date: 18 Nov 05 - 07:28 AM

A jingoistic set :-)

Rule Britannia
Land of Hope and Glory
I Vow to thee my Country
Jerusalem

And some real oldies

Westron Wynde
Bryd on a Brere
Agincourt Song

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Nov 05 - 07:07 AM

'England For Me' by Dave Toye of Horsham is here (6th song down).

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: IanC
Date: 18 Nov 05 - 06:36 AM

Andy

Cobblers

:-)

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: andymac
Date: 18 Nov 05 - 06:09 AM

Eh, at the risk of being pedantic..."all the Child ballads"? I mean please rememebr that the vast majority of the Child Ballads are Scottish in origin. Excepting all the Robin Hood ones of course...

Andy

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: David C. Carter
Date: 18 Nov 05 - 05:51 AM

Dirty old town.Mind you,as things are,that song could be about just anywhere.Dylan,s "My heart,s in the Highlands",only takes about 27minutes to get through......

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: Rockhen
Date: 18 Nov 05 - 05:30 AM

Anyone mentioned 'Amazing Blondel' I think they have a site somewhere. They have some good songs that would fit.
Or try writing one. I wrote a song 'Dragonslayer' cos there didn't seem to be many songs about St.George and the Dragon...does anyone know of any...?

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: Stu
Date: 18 Nov 05 - 05:16 AM

Or to capture the spirit of England, try:

Good Ale
Hal an Tow
Pricke Eye Bush
When Jones' Ale Was New
John Barleycorn
Here We Come a-Wassailing

and The Fairest of All Yarrow by Kate Rusby on a more contemporary note.

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 18 Nov 05 - 04:03 AM

Hah! Somebody beat me while I was fiddling with links . . .

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 18 Nov 05 - 04:01 AM

Maggie Holland's 'A Place Called England'
Sweet England
Billy Bragg's The Few

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: IanC
Date: 18 Nov 05 - 03:49 AM

If you're theming England, then I'd forget about "Black and Tans", "Fields Of Athenry" and "Bard Of Armagh".

Drinking songs are a good bet - "Drink Old England Dry" or "Fathom The Bowl". Military or recruiting songs like "Rout of The Blues", "High Germany". Rural idylls like "Foggy Dew" (not the Irish rebel song) and "Pratty Flowers". Old broadsides like "Maria Marten" or "Jack Hall". The list is endless ...

You could even sing some traditional Norfolk songs like "The Black Velvet Band" or "The Wild Rover"

;-)

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: Sooz
Date: 18 Nov 05 - 03:44 AM

A place called England by Maggie Holland (got in there before Breezy!)

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: Bert
Date: 18 Nov 05 - 01:21 AM

There'll always be an England
England Arise
Old Father Thames
London Pride
While London Sleeps
Streets of London
Devon, Glorious Devon
Down in Sunny Old Somerset

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: Clontarf83
Date: 18 Nov 05 - 12:24 AM

Sweet thames flow softly--ewan mccoll
Lish young buy a broom--clannad recorded it. lyrics in mudcat resource
home boys home--many versions around
liverpool lou--dominic behan
leaving of liverpool--many versions
geordie--great version by joan baez
leaving london-tom paxton
fiddlers green--many versions
manchester rambler--ewan mccoll
shoals of herring--ewan mccoll
foggy dew--many versions--not the irish rebel song though!!
all the child ballads
do a rolling stone song like ruby tuesday or lady jane, or play with fire
chelsea morning--joni mitchell
many many more

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 17 Nov 05 - 11:08 PM

Poverty Knocks.
Benbow.
Anything rude about the French.
Almost anything Martin Carthy ever recorded.
Byker Hill.
Colonel Bogie.
Any Child's Ballad.
Over the Hills and Far away.
Sweep.
The Gay Fusilier.
The Princess Alice.
Rigs of the Times.
The Nutting Girl.
Anything from the Copper Family.
A fox-hunting song - preferably not John Peel.
A song about transportation to the Antipodes (Watersons do a number of them)

I'm sure I could go on, but my insomniac episode may be waning...

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 17 Nov 05 - 10:56 PM

Well, you know, I really don't have very many "songs" that are truly about England - it's more a song from "wherever" with a story attached that is about, or concerns England.

Here's what I've got so far:
House At Pooh Corner (along with the story about the gentleman from
                      the house of commons who appealed to the U.S.
                      congress to get Pooh and the other animals
                      returned to England - he failed)
Ambletown
Fires Of Calais
My Bonnie (which may not be English but is associated with England)
Blacks and Tans (with an explaination about who they were, etc.)
Old Carrion Crow (Scottish actually, but originally a political song
                   about the crown and a religious sect)
Fields Of Athenry (along with a bit of Irish/English history)
John Riley         (either Irish or English - I've heard both)
Bard Of Armagh      (with long history story of the origins of this
                     song and it's off-shoots)
London Homesick Blues (home with the armadillo - it's about London!)
All of these tunes can be related to England, but I'm looking for
something more,...??? Hey, I know, "I'm Henry the VIII I am, Henry
the VIII I am, I am. I got married to the girl next door,...." I'll be doing some Christmas songs, too, and I haven't looked at those yet, so maybe I'll have enough. I'll still take any help, though.
Thanks.

Subject: RE: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: Snuffy
Date: 17 Nov 05 - 09:02 PM

To save duplication of effort, give us a clue about what you've already got, please

Subject: Need songs for, of, and/or about England
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 17 Nov 05 - 07:43 PM

I've got a couple of gigs coming up where the focus of the performance is to be England - any era, any time frame and any aspect of her culture, society, etc. I've got some songs lined up but cannot help but believe that there are more out there that I do not know about - even Christmas songs. This is such a great site and I thought you all might be helpful. Thanks a bag full.