This song was adapted from a Australian urban renewal protest song to support a successful moratorium referendum in Portland-Maine to help preserve the City's working waterfront. I had the honor of singing this version to Denis Kevans in the Blue Mountain town of Blackheath back in 2001.

CONCRETE AND GLASS

(New words by Charlie Ipcar - 1985
Adapted from Denis Kevans' & Seamus Gill's
Australian parody of "All for Me Grog"
© 1973)

Oh, me name it is Fred,
In Portland born and bred,
And the Old Port used to be me home, boys
But 'tis caused me heart to grieve,
For I've had to take me leave,
Now across them western suburbs
I must roam, boys!

Chorus:

In concrete and glass,
Portland's disappearing fast;
'Tis all gone for profit and for plunder;
Though we really want to stay,
They keep forcing us away,
Now across them western suburbs we must wander!

Now, where is me house,
Me old three-decker house?
'Tis all gone for profit and for plunder;
For the wreckers of the town
Just come up and knocked it down;
Now across them western suburbs we must wander!

And where is me pub,
Me Irish Village Pub?
'Tis all gone for profit and for plunder;
Now when you walk in the door,
You'll find carpets on the floor,
And you'll have to wear a tie to get your beer, boys!

And where is me port,
Me old working port?
'Tis all gone for profit and for plunder;
Now when you walk down the dock,
All ye'll hear is disco rock;
And ye'll have to dry ye nets in a laundromat, boys!

Now, before the city's wrecked
Them developers must be decked;
For 'tis plain to see they do not give a bugger,
And if them bandits have their way
We soon shall see the day
That we'll all be driving in from Madawaska*!

* A town in far northern Maine that would take 6 hours to reach.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble