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29 Feb 16 - 12:35 PM (#3775767) Subject: Lyr Add: TURNING STEEL (THE FACTORY LAD) From: mg can't come up with it. michael P. of BC CA sings it. turning steel how do you feel as in the chuck you spin if you felt like me you'd turn right out and never turn back in OOPS I FOUND IT GREAT SONG Turning Steel (The Factory Lad) A song by Colin Dryden ©Colin Dryden 1969 You wake up in the morning, the sky's as black as night, Your mother's shouting up the stairs, you know she's winning the fight, You hurry to the breakfast table and grab a bite to eat, Then out the door and up the road, and through the factory gate. Chorus: Turning steel how do you feel, as in the chuck you spin. If you felt like me you'd roll right out and never roll back in. Cold and dark the morning as you squeeze in the gate. As you clock in, the bell will ring - eight hours is your fate. Off comes the coat and up go the sleeves and "right lads" is the cry. With one eye on the clock, the other on your lathe, you wish that time could fly. But time can't fly as fast as a lathe, and work you must - The grinding, groaning spinning metal, the hot air and the dust. And many's the time I'm with me girl and we're walking through the park, While gazing down at the spinning steel or the welder's blinding spark. Well, old Tom, he left last week - his final bell did ring. His hair as white as the face beneath his oily sunken skin. But he made a speech and he said "good-bye" to a life time working here, As I shook his hand, I thought of hell - a lathe for forty years. When my time comes, as come it must, why then I'll leave this place. I'll walk right out past the chargehand's desk and never turn my face. Out through the gates, into the sun, and I'll leave it all behind, With but one regret for the lads I've left, to carry on the grind. |
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29 Feb 16 - 01:47 PM (#3775776) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about turning steel or wheel From: maeve Here it is sung by Barrie Davis. |
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29 Feb 16 - 02:41 PM (#3775782) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about turning steel or wheel From: mg what a great voice....i just had to hear this song today. have not thought of it for years or heard it. needs about 100 singing on chorus though. |
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29 Feb 16 - 03:01 PM (#3775791) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about turning steel or wheel From: GUEST,Musket Vin Garbutt sings a great version of this. I thought he wrote it but there you go. Wrong again Musket lad. |
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01 Mar 16 - 08:31 AM (#3776006) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about turning steel or wheel From: GUEST,Brian Grayson I have tapes of Colin singing 'Factory Lad' and others of his - now if only I can master the blue clicky-link thing I'll post them here! |
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01 Mar 16 - 08:31 AM (#3776007) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about turning steel or wheel From: GUEST,Brian Grayson I have tapes of Colin singing 'Factory Lad' and others of his - now if only I can master the blue clicky-link thing I'll post them here! |
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01 Mar 16 - 09:07 AM (#3776017) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about turning steel or wheel From: Jim Carroll Hi Brian Your name sprang to mind when I saw the title of this thread Jim Carroll |
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01 Mar 16 - 08:46 PM (#3776154) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about turning steel or wheel From: GUEST,Gerry There's a discussion of this song on another thread here, with a link to a recording of Colin Dryden singing it (but, Brian, the more, the merrier!). |
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02 Mar 16 - 01:50 AM (#3776188) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about turning steel or wheel From: Sandra in Sydney Gidday, Brian! Colin Dryden - memoir by his niece with links to songs article about Colin Dryden by the late Dermott Ryder and I have a copy of that very rare LP Extradition & the re-release on CD 2003. Shayna Carlin who also appeared on Extradition will be at the 50th Australian National Folk Festival at Easter. It is always a pleasure listening to her beautiful voice. article about Colin Dryden by the late Dermott Ryder |
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02 Mar 16 - 02:00 AM (#3776189) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about turning steel or wheel From: Sandra in Sydney Extradition |
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02 Mar 16 - 02:52 AM (#3776196) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about turning steel or wheel From: Joe Offer Here's an Australian group called "Loosely Woven" singing the song, with a large chorus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkv8q7z0K_M Great song, isn't it? -Joe- |
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02 Mar 16 - 06:54 AM (#3776228) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about turning steel or wheel From: Sandra in Sydney Turning steel is a great song. Loosely Woven has that name because performances depend on which singers & musicians are available for a production. They produce a number of concerts a year which they take to community venues around the metropolitan area & even around the state, & perform for charitable organisations. I'd attended several before I realised some old friends were part of the group! Did I mention they are fully acoustic? No ampplification or sound for them. sandra |
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02 Mar 16 - 05:10 PM (#3776330) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about turning steel or wheel From: JHW My preference of those linked here is Colin himself on Soundcloud. I do like Robin Dale singing it. |
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02 Mar 16 - 05:11 PM (#3776332) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about turning steel or wheel From: Little Robyn There are many threads here on Factory Lad and almost every version is full of Mondegreens or deliberate changes, some which make no sense - blueing steel? A chemical process in a welding shop?? Sandra's link to the article has Colin on soundcloud and that is the way we always sang it. Robyn |
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02 Mar 16 - 06:32 PM (#3776338) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about turning steel or wheel From: Sandra in Sydney same here, because Sydney singers knew Colin & heard him sing it. Margaret Walters, organiser of many Sydney singing sessions & concerts & other interesting musical events was a major source of info for Colin's niece. sandra |
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03 Mar 16 - 05:05 AM (#3776419) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about turning steel or wheel From: Hrothgar A favourite memory of Colin is the time he did "The Ryebuck Shearer" at a Numeralla Folk Festival - must have been 1978 or 1979, I think. He did it as a blues, and it lasted for nearly 20 minutes. Nobody in the audience even thought of leaving. |
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03 Mar 16 - 07:41 AM (#3776442) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about turning steel or wheel From: Sandra in Sydney sometime late last century, someone was going to put out an album of his work (was it his niece?) I think Folk fed was going to be involved, I wonder if Margaret remembers more than I do? I'll ask her. sandra |
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04 Mar 16 - 04:32 AM (#3776610) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about turning steel or wheel From: Bruce D David Alexander sang a good version of the Factory Lad, The first I heard this song, was when Vin Garbutt sang it at a concert for the old "Sydney Festival" around January 1980 or 1981, from memory he did "the Chemical Workers Song" in the same concert. Bruce D |
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23 Feb 19 - 01:02 AM (#3978450) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Turning Steel / The Factory Lad (Dryden) From: Daniel Kelly Does anyone know if the CD project got off the ground? I've been looking for recordings of Colin's songs and they are sadly absent from iTunes and YouTube (except for Factory Lad). It would be good to know if anyone has a contact for his estate. I've just finished a short playlist of his songs. Would happily record them properly and add them so some other recordings to make a digital album. I think it is tragic that Colin's music isn't better known. |