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24 Mar 99 - 03:46 AM (#65568) Subject: Lyr Add: SCHOOLDAYS OVER (Ewan MacColl) From: Ian Paul - Schooldays Over, Ewan MacColl. At last I've got round to writing it down. This is the version we sing, though it's probably part of the way into the folk process! Schooldays over, come on then John Time you were getting your pitboots on On with your sack and moleskin trousers Time you were on your way Time you were learning a pitman's job And earning a pitman's pay Come on then Jim, it's time to go Time you were working down below Time you were handling a pick and shovel You start at the pit today Time you were learning a collier's job And earning a collier's pay Come on then Dai, it's nearly light Time you were cutting the anthracite The morning mist is in the valley It's time you were on your way Time you were learning a miner's job And earning a miner's pay If you don't know Britain, the verses use words from different mining communities around the UK. In the recession of the early '90s and while pits were being closed everywhere, we sang an extra verse: Schooldays over, come on then Rob Time you were getting a steady job The dole queue's stretching around the corner Time you were on your way Time you were learning some kind of job And earning some sort of pay |
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25 Mar 99 - 03:45 AM (#65798) Subject: RE: Schooldays over - Paul M From: skw@worldmusic.de [1966:] Also from a radio documentary by Ewan MacColl, 'The Big Hewer'. The inevitable end-point of a boy growing up in a mining village was to go down the local pit. Ewan manages to express something here of the accepted, because inevitable, symbol of manhood. (Norman Buchan, notes 'The Fisher Family') As far as I can make out the words Ian sent are the ones sung by Dick Gaughan. Thanks, Ian! - Susanne |
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27 Mar 99 - 05:22 PM (#66355) Subject: RE: Schooldays over - Paul M From: bigJ Ian, in the first verse it's 'sark' (shirt), not sack, (or was that just a misprint). |
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29 Mar 99 - 06:51 AM (#66648) Subject: RE: Schooldays over - Paul M From: Ian Well, it's "sack" as we sing it. It's probably part of the folk process but I'm not sure. Geordies don't use "Sark" (I'm not sure who does since 1066) but McColl's Scottish accent makes "sack" sound a bit like that, so listen for yourself and see. Before they could afford a shirt, colliers did wear sacking to keep them warm. They quite often couldn't afford a shirt either - note, for example, the verse from "Byker Hill" When first to this pit, I came I had no shirt unto my name Now I've got me 2 or 3 The Walker Pit's done well for me I personally like what the folk process does to songs anyway and wouldn't want to sing it "correctly" Cheers! Ian |
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21 Oct 01 - 01:37 PM (#576797) Subject: RE: Schooldays over - Paul M From: IanC Just listened to the original Radio Ballads version of this again, and noticed that Louis Killen, who sings it on this, is saying "on with your SHIRT". Since it was originally written for The Radio Ballads, I'd suggest this was the definitive version, and perhaps it should be corrected in DT.
Cheers! |
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25 Feb 05 - 07:41 PM (#1421135) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Schooldays Over (Ewan MacColl) From: BrujaHa Hi all - I also wrote a new verse for this song, to help make the miners' lot poignantly contemporary for young folks: Come on then, Kim, it's almost dark - Time you were off to the Wal-Mart. Time you were pushing the sweatshop clothing, You start on swing shift today Time you were learning a retail job, And earning minimum wage. (Tina Fields) |
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25 Feb 05 - 08:55 PM (#1421162) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Schooldays Over (Ewan MacColl) From: John Routledge For historic background - Sark is north of the border for shirt. Shirt in Geordie is often pronounced short. Hence the folk process. The "Geordie" verse is no 1 The "Scots" verse is 2 The "Welsh" verse is 3 The song is in the best 5% of MacColl's 300+ output and in this context my semantics are pretty unimportant :0) |
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26 Feb 05 - 05:17 AM (#1421338) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Schooldays Over (Ewan MacColl) From: Dave Hanson The Essential Ewan MacColl Songbook [ Peggy Seeger ] gives ' sark ; sack makes no sense. eric |
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26 Feb 05 - 05:18 AM (#1421339) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Schooldays Over (Ewan MacColl) From: Dave Hanson Incidently it's ' School Days End ' |
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27 Feb 05 - 12:03 AM (#1422037) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Schooldays Over (Ewan MacColl) From: Sandy Paton MacColl definitely sang "sark" (shirt). |
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28 Feb 05 - 11:39 PM (#1423548) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Schooldays Over (Ewan MacColl) From: Jim Dixon According to allmusic, the title is given as SCHOOLDAY'S OVER, COME ON THEN, JOHN on the album "The Big Hewer," 1959. |
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11 Aug 06 - 04:12 AM (#1807020) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Schoolday's Over (Ewan MacColl) From: Dave Hanson I doesn't matter what allmusic calls it, Ewan MacColl called it ' Schooldays End ' he should know, he wrote it, check with ' The Essential Ewan MacColl Songbook ' edited Peggy Seeger, Oak Publications. eric |
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28 Feb 07 - 08:52 AM (#1981698) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Schoolday's Over (Ewan MacColl) From: GUEST |
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28 Feb 07 - 08:56 AM (#1981702) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Schoolday's Over (Ewan MacColl) From: Scrump I've found the info on allmusic.com is riddled with errors, especially for folk artists. I've found some real howlers on it - best not to take anything you read on it as gospel, and cross-check elsewhere. (I can't think of any examples right now, but if I remember I'll post here). |