Songs about the British Motor Industry

Subject: ADD: The Ballad of Tiny Newman (Alasdair Clayre)
From: GUEST,Young Buchan
Date: 16 Jul 07 - 09:05 AM

The rest of the Tiny Newman song mentioned by Eric the Red:

THE BALLAD OF TINY NEWMAN
(Alasdair Clayre)

They called him Tiny Newman because he was so small,
No higher than a lampost, not so broad as he was tall,
His job was fitting motor tyres, he did it with his hands,
And he took some home when his ma made jam, to use for elastic bands.

CHORUS:
Where are you Tiny Newman, come rain and hail and snow?
Where are you Tiny Newman when the morning hooters blow?
Turn left at number Fifteen Gate and that's where Tiny stands.
He's got motor tyres all round him and he's fitting them with his hands.

One day there was a powercut – the fuel supply was low.
The engines started running down and the line was creeping slow.
Tiny turned it all by hand and the line went thundering past
Till a copper came and ran him in for driving them all too fast.

One day they brought in a machine to do our Tiny's job.
They said, 'Just pull the lever and press that little knob."
When he pulled the lever the whole machine keeled over on the floor;
When he pressed the knob he clocked himself off in the Pressed Steel works next door.

Scientists from all the world are gathering in crowds
To see why flying saucers keep appearing from the clouds.
They tell you they're phenomena only science understands –
But they're Tiny Newman's rejects going hurtling from his hands.

I never shall forget the day that Tiny Newman died –
The tyres on the Hearse all went and burst from the weight there was in side.
But the off-back door swung open and a voice came from behind
"I'll change these four but no bloody more till we get to the other side."

My scout when I was at Oxford had worked at Morris and swore the bloke was for real!

Clayre wrote another song called The Old Man's Song based on quotes he had from a Morris worker.

---

First verse added from Erik's post above, chorus from Buchan's post below. Hope I did it right. -Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Folklore: Songs about the British Motor Industry
From: GUEST,Young Buchan
Date: 16 Jul 07 - 09:14 AM

Missed the chorus:
Where are you Tiny Newman, come rain and hail and snow?
Where are you Tiny Newman when the morning hooters blow?
Turn left at number Fifteen Gate and that's where Tiny stands.
He's got motor tyres all round him and he's fitting them with his hands.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Songs about the British Motor Industry
From: greg stephens
Date: 16 Jul 07 - 09:22 AM

I do wonder if the BBC still have the tapes of the Clayre Radio Ballad(s). Anybody know if there were more than one? The legendary Wymond Symes sang on the Cowley Ballad, but I'm not sure if he sang the Tiny Newman song.
Young Buchan: how do you know those words? You dont have an original recording do you?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Songs about the British Motor Industry
From: GUEST,Young Buchan
Date: 16 Jul 07 - 10:34 AM

To Greg Stephens: I learnt it from 'A Cold Wind Blows' on which Clayre himself sang it. I had the recording until the last time I moved at which point I suspect it went into the Great Vinyl Press in the sky.

To everyone: I have been trying to remember The Old Man's Song; all I can manage (I never liked it very much) is the last verse:
The young men now they dress so fine;
They don't know how we fought for this line.
They're getting too young to know my face;
And their work comes to me at the Devil's pace.
And I reckon I've served my time.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Songs about the British Motor Indust
From: Susan of DT
Date: 16 Jul 07 - 11:39 AM

Tiny Newman is in the DT as The Tyre Fitter

Subject: ADD: Old Man's Song (Alasdair Clayre)
From: GUEST,Young Buchan
Date: 31 Aug 07 - 08:02 AM

OK. Finally found the words of The Old Man's Song:


The Old Man's Song
(Alasdair Clayre)

When I was young and married my wife
You couldn't get a job to save your life;
With my wife and son at either hand
For two long years I travelled the land:
And I reckon I've served my time.

My shoes were out. My coat was torn.
And then we had our daughter born.
But I found this job and I earned our bread,
Clothes for our back, a roof for our heads:
And I reckon I've served my time.

They were cut-throat years - you were fighting your mate
With another man waiting for your job at the gate.
If the foreman didn't like your face that day
You got no work,you got no pay:
And I reckon I've served my time.

Then we joined the Union and learned to strike.
It was six hard weeks but we won that fight.
Work to our hands and a worthwhile wage _
We were waking up a golden age:
And I reckon I've served my time.

But the young men now they dress so fine;
They don't know how we fought for this line.
They're getting too young to know my face;
And their work comes to me at the Devil's pace.
And I reckon I've served my time.

---

Songwriter name added according to informatation posted above. I hope I understood it correctly.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Folklore: Songs about the British Motor Industry
From: Mark H.
Date: 31 Aug 07 - 08:25 AM

The Mini Waltz
Isle of Capri
The Joe VX4/90 Theme
Viva Espana
The Estate I'm In
Bits and Pieces
Shaking All Over
Anything by Van Morrison or Tom Plaxton, or on the Victor label
Derek & the Dominoes: Leyland
Commer Chameleon

Subject: RE: Folklore: Songs about the British Motor Indust
From: stallion
Date: 31 Aug 07 - 08:50 AM

"Suicide" Bill Newton's "Knackered shock absorber waltz"

Subject: RE: Folklore: Songs about the British Motor Industry
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 19 Sep 07 - 05:50 AM

Hi there, this is a message for Greg Stephens :

I saw your above post (dated 16 July 07) about the Cowley Ballad etc.
What really caght my eye was the

Subject: RE: Folklore: Songs about the British Motor Industry
From: GUEST,Guest: Alan Symes
Date: 19 Sep 07 - 05:58 AM

Message for Greg Stephens:

Hi Greg,
I saw your above post dated 16 July 2007 about the Cowley Ballad etc. What really caught my eye was that you mentioned the name Wymond Symes. Wymond was my father who sadly passed away in 1987. He was a great ballad singer and I would love to hear from you if you have any information on when and where you heard him sing.

Regards from Alan Symes.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Songs about the British Motor Industry
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Sep 07 - 09:22 PM

Hi, The songwriter of Khaki and Grey is Ian Macintosh, a.k.a. 'The Pump', lead squeezebox in the Wheeze and Suck Band. The album is in fact 'Elsie Marley's Mates', not as erroniously suggested in my last contact, 'Vincent Street'.

Subject: RE: Songs about the British Motor Industry
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Apr 14 - 07:23 AM

Hi Gurney,

while attending Fircroft college in Selly Oak in 1972 I met a guy who allegedly wrote "The Motor Trade Worksrs" - he went under the pseudonym of "Dom Perrygrove". Lyrics exactly as your posting.

Geordie Len

Subject: RE: Songs about the British Motor Industry
From: GUEST,Rog Peek
Date: 04 Apr 14 - 05:13 PM

Stephen Roche, a regular attender of sessions and rambling houses around the Sliabh Luachra area sings a very amusing song he wrote about his first car which was a Ford Anglia Deluxe. Afraid I don't have the lyrics.

Rog

Subject: RE: Songs about the British Motor Industry
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 04 Apr 14 - 07:02 PM

Andrew Dwyer wrote a song about making segregated buses for the south African market back in the 1970's.

Andy was a working class brummy kid in an era when being a folksinger meant wearing a granddad shirt and singing about what a bastard it was to die in the Crimean war. abit like now really.

and so winning the melody maker solo folk/rock award for a couple of years running never got him a decent festival spot or any gigs.

when will the folk music world be ready for real folks?

Subject: RE: Songs about the British Motor Industry
From: GUEST,Louise Fellows
Date: 15 Feb 16 - 01:08 PM

I have the recording, the record and a book of the song written about my father's Uncle who was Tiny Newman!
I was very excited to find out about it! I am now searching for any more information about him (photographs etc)
Louise Fellows