BS: Translate English to American?

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BS: Translate English to American?

19 Feb 00 - 02:08 PM (#181268)
Subject: Translate English to American?
From: MarkS

Always enjoyed the Ewan MacColl song "Champion at Keepin em Rolling", but stumble over some of the lyrics. Can a catter in the UK help me with an English/American translation?

From London to Glascow to the Newcastle KEEL (?) Liverpool, Preston and Bristol SUTTEE (?) The PALLOMS (?) on the road give the thumbsign to me For Champion at Keepin em Rolling.

For the names in caps - have I got them right? and if not a correction would be appreciated. And, oh yes, just what are KEEL, SUTTEE, and PALLOMS?

Thanks MarkS

19 Feb 00 - 02:55 PM (#181276)
Subject: RE: BS: Translate English to American?
From: kendall

Nick Apollonio sings one called I'M CHAMPION AT DRIVING THEM CRAZY" of course it's funny..

19 Feb 00 - 03:09 PM (#181282)
Subject: RE: BS: Translate English to American?
From: McGrath of Harlow

Newcastle Quay
Bristol City
"Polones" - tasty young ladies

19 Feb 00 - 08:15 PM (#181392)
Subject: RE: BS: Translate English to American?
From: MarkS

Much obliged to all! MarkS

20 Feb 00 - 01:34 AM (#181530)
Subject: RE: BS: Translate English to American?
From: GUEST,Bob Bolton('s home computer)

GH'day MarkS,

Let's see:
KEEL = is actually quay.
SUTTEE = is Ewan's pronunciation of city.
PALLOMS = is indeed polones - young girls.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

20 Feb 00 - 02:29 AM (#181546)
Subject: RE: BS: Translate English to American?
From: Terry K

Don't know the song but wonder if the reference to Bristol City has anything to do with the Polones?

20 Feb 00 - 05:05 AM (#181567)
Subject: RE: BS: Translate English to American?
From: The Shambles

Bristol City = 'titty'. Hence 'Bristols'.

20 Feb 00 - 06:44 AM (#181571)
Subject: Lyr Add: CHAMPION AT KEEPING THEM ROLLING
From: GUEST,Bob Bolton('s home computer)

G'day Terry K and Shambles,

The song, by Ewan MacColl doesn't seem to be in the DT (possibly for copyright reasons). There is a parody I'm Champion at Driving Them Crazy, about an Irish piper and set to the same tume The Limerick Rake.

The original is a short song, used in a radio documentary that preceded the Radio Ballads Lorry Harbour, 1949. There are only three stanzas by Ewan MacColl - although the truck drivers have picked it up - and many less presentable verses may still live in the tradition. This is the original version.

Champion at Keeping Them Rolling
I am an old timer, I travel the road,
I sit on me wagon and lumber me load,
My hotel is the jungle, a caf's me abode
And I'm well known to Blondy and Mary.
My liquor is diesel oil laced with strong tea,
And the old highway code was my first A.B.C.,
And I cut my eye-teeth on an old A.E.C,
And I'm champion at keeping 'em rolling

I've sat in my cabin and broiled in the sun,
Been snowed up on Shap on the Manchester run;
I've crawled through the fog with me twenty-two tons
Of fish that was stinking like blazes.
From London to Glasgow to the Newcastle quay, From Liverpool, Preston and Bristol City,
The polones on the road give the phumb-sign to me,
I'm champion at keeping 'em rolling.

You may sing of your soldiers and sailors so bold,
But there's many and many a hero untold,
Who sits at the wheel in the heat and the cold
Day after day without sleeping.
So watch out for cops and slow down at the bends,
Check all you gauges and watch your big-ends,
And zig with your lights when you pass and old friend,
You'll be champion at keeping 'em rolling.

20 Feb 00 - 07:00 PM (#181844)
Subject: RE: BS: Translate English to American?
From: BanjoRay

Polone is a word from Palare (I think) the sort of romany dialect that was used in the superbly funny Round The Horne comedy show on BBC radio in the sixties by Julian and Sandy, the two outrageous gays (played brilliantly by Kenneth Williams and Hugh Paddick)who used to deliver some amazing double entendres that seemed to be totally unnoticed by the powers that be at the beeb. The Palare words like omi-poloni ("man-woman" or homosexual)used to disguise the script, but the audience all cottoned on really quickly. Cheers Ray

20 Feb 00 - 08:37 PM (#181899)
Subject: RE: BS: Translate English to American?
From: MarkS

Dear Guest:

If you can, could you post some of the other stanzas?

MarkS

20 Feb 00 - 09:56 PM (#181933)
Subject: RE: BS: Translate English to American?
From: Bob Bolton

G'day Mark,

My source for the existence of the folk-processed verses is a remark about songs going in and out of a living tradition, made by Ewan MacColl when he took some master classes here in Sydney. I'm a long way from the right place to see if they still live in tradition ... but it would be a very good project for some British based folklorist.

Perhaps it would end like the legendary event when Cecil Sharp set out to collect ALL of The Ball of Kerriemuir. He sat down with pad and pencil around the campfire with a troop of Scottish Highlanders ... around 3.00 am he ran out of paper, patience and writing capability.

Regards,

Bob Bolton (not guesting on this computer)

21 Feb 00 - 12:06 AM (#181989)
Subject: RE: BS: Translate English to American?
From: MarkS

Yes, I,m sure folk songs are like the Energizer Bunny - They just keep going and going and going........... MarkS