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30 Sep 12 - 11:59 AM (#3412163) Subject: Help Please - Lyrics to Martha's Lament From: GUEST,Neil Wonder if anyone can help. I'm trying to find the lyrics of Martha's Lament. I heard it sung on the radio many years ago by Billy Fane. I saw Billy playing in a Working Mens Club in Durham and requested he sing the song, but I never managed to catch the title. The internet is a wonderful thing and by searching with what little I could remember I finally managed to find title and even bought a copy from Amazon. For anyone who has not heard it, listen to it and I'm sure you will be impressed. Anyway if anyone can help I would appreciate it. Regards Neil |
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30 Sep 12 - 01:58 PM (#3412198) Subject: RE: Help Please - Lyrics to Martha's Lament From: GUEST,Dave (Bridge) I will have them for you tomorrow. Got to go out to folk club. |
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30 Sep 12 - 02:02 PM (#3412201) Subject: RE: Help Please - Lyrics to Martha's Lament From: GUEST,Dave (Bridge) Google it Neil. You will hear my group singing it and there is a bit about Malcolm Collins who wrote it aka Little Billy Fane. Otherwise I will post the lyrice tomorrow as promised. |
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30 Sep 12 - 03:29 PM (#3412232) Subject: RE: Help Please - Lyrics to Martha's Lament From: GUEST Thanks Dave, Have been trying google with every combination of names and titles I can think of but with no success. Will be grateful if you can post them. Cheers Neil |
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30 Sep 12 - 06:31 PM (#3412289) Subject: RE: Help Please - Lyrics to Martha's Lament From: GUEST I will. I just googled the title Martha's lament |
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01 Oct 12 - 02:39 AM (#3412409) Subject: RE: Help Please - Lyrics to Martha's Lament From: Jim Dixon MARTHA'S LAMENT, recorded by Little Billy Fane, appears on a CD: "From Quay to Coast/Geordies Hear," which consists of 2 LPs from the 1980's reissued as one CD in 2000, part of the series called The Northumbrian Anthology." You can see a description of the CD and hear excerpts from the songs on this page: http://www.mawson-wareham.com/product.php?prodid=61 You can hear the entire song at Spotify, but since it is in the Geordie dialect, it would be very difficult for me to transcribe. |
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01 Oct 12 - 05:18 AM (#3412443) Subject: RE: Help Please - Lyrics to Martha's Lament From: GUEST,Dave (Bridge) Martha's Lament - Malcolm Collins aka Little Billy Fane. Written as a result of listening to his next door neighbour coughing violently while Malcolm was trying to get to sleep. Whole song can be heard by Christine Savage of Beeswing by going to bridgefolkclub.co.uk, hitting the Beeswing link and then to Myspace link. Enjoy. I have tried to make it more English where possible. Chorus and first verse. Haway son, wor Geordie,come cuddle up close The bairns will all miss you, but I'll miss you most Haway son, wor geordie come cuddle up tight I'll put me arms round you and kiss you goodnight Aye Geordiedo you mind the day we were wed The ale that was drunk and the tears that were shed Me own bonny pit lad, so fine and so young before all that coal dust clogged up your lungs ch Aye Geordie called Martha, as she held his frail frame How many more lads will that dirty pit claim How many more pit lads digging for coal Are going to pay with their lives or pay with their soul ch And Geordie thought Martha, as she gave a sigh She was holding back tears as they brimmed in her eye She thought of the happy years and how they had fled As the moon cast long shadows on that grimy pit head So why must a man work down that black hole Why must he breath, dust from the coal So shovel your coal on, but take time to pray For the man who works, where there is no night or day Aye and think about Martha and her little bairns Think about Geordie and how he met his end Think about Hartley*, the miners who dided And tell me do you still like your flickering fireside ch Martha held Geordie close to her breast And Geordie he struggled for his final breath Geordie passed on and she held him tight And for the very last time, Martha kissed him goodnight *Hartley was the site of the worst pit disaster where 204 men and boys from the same village lost their lives when the beam broke and fell down the shaft entombing them. Hope this helps Neil. You can contact me through the bridge website. |
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01 Oct 12 - 06:22 AM (#3412461) Subject: RE: Help Please - Lyrics to Martha's Lament From: GUEST,Neil Thanks Dave, Absolute magic. About 1986,I was at Framwellgate Moor and Pity Me Working Mens Club just outside Durham and Billy was the Saturday night "turn". I requested he sing this song which he did. I thought his whole show was great but surprisingly the locals (I'm from Edinburgh) paid very little attention and talked all the way through his spot. Must be very disheartening but he carried on like a trooper. His voice is excellent. Again thanks for the lyrics and the explanations. Cheers neil |
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01 Oct 12 - 11:00 AM (#3412559) Subject: RE: Help Please - Lyrics to Martha's Lament From: GUEST,Dave (Bridge) Glad to be of assistance. Malcolm is now retired and does not want to perform anymore which is a shame as he still has a lot to offer, I think. |