Hey all. Since I started this, I ought to say, it still amazes me how easy it sometimes is to find the actual source on the internet, and, how I still fail to think of it as the first source. I've searched for these lyrics for about 30 years. When I finally gave up, and chose to transcribe them myself, it never occurred to me that they, that is, Dave himself, was that close.

So, sorry for creating the tempest, but, at least, I hope the renewed interest sparks others to seek out these songs, which as I've said, are the best train songs ever.

from rafflesbear: "hope this is coming over in a positive light - I'm not trying to demolish the work that went into the transcription."

Couldn't be more positive. I'm not surprised at the place names that I failed to catch, actually pleased with myself at the few I got right, but shocked and chagrined at the number of now obvious typos and simple missed hearings. Normally, I am more careful, but I don't always do two whole albums at once, and sadly, this time I was not.

So, yes, quite positive, and thankful, and extremely appreciative of your corrections, which are to me of far more value than my original transcriptions. Note that a couple of the songs, Bacup, and Sidings, I found already done by others, and produced here as is. I should have verified them with a close listen to the songs first too.


As Dave himself notes above, getting them right is very important, and in every song lyric search I've done, which seems like thousands, that has been my primary goal. I have not always succeeded, since sometimes even the performer does not know whether or not the words they sing are correct, and sometimes the original writer will often sing variant versions of their own songs. Sometimes the origin of the song is lost in time, and the best we can do is a helpless guess as to the original lyric.

Where the writer is still around, thank God for him, we can seek them out for correction. Or, as in this case, we hope to see an actual songbook produced. This is always more preferable than my best transcriptions.

Eventually, all songs of great lasting value will find themselves subject to the folk process, perhaps to their ultimate detriment, in some cases, but without which they might be lost in their entirety.

Anyway, I am perfectly ok with taking down the lyric dump I posted. It had too many errors to have been left up anyway. Thanks to all who posted replies, your corrections are greatly appreciated. I hope to see these songs preserved forever. May my descendants find my long lost LPs and love them as much as I have.

Lastly, [licensing leeches rant deleted]

Instead, I'll leave with a little song written to the tune of a probably recognizable Mouse song, written by a luminary friend of mine who requests he be identified as Justin O'Thereditor.

(this was written after ASCAP went after the Girls Scouts of America for royalties from little girls singing the Macarena around a campfire)

---
Who controls the music from "c-sharp" to shining "c"?
       A-S-C-
       A & P
       A-S-C-A-P!
Who's got Woody Guthrie spinning in the cemet'ry?
       A-S-C-
       A & P
       A-S-C-A-P!
Pay it up! (shout: "Pay it up!")
Pay it up! (shout: "Pay it up!")
Forever let 'em get a royalty! (shout: "Tee! Hee! Hee!")
They got all the lawyers 'cause they got the dough-re-mi.
       A-S-C-
       A & P
       A-S-C-A-P!

So be sure to pay your dues, by Royalty Decree,
       A-S-C- (etc.)
So They can send more lobbyists to Washington D.C.
       A-S-C- (etc.)
As - Cap! (Duck solo: "BMI!")
As - Cap! (Duck solo: "BMI!")
You never get to sing without a fee! (big bass solo shout: "Fie! Foe! Fum!")
(slower:)
Now it's time to say goodbye to all our revelry.
(real slow:)
       A - S - C - - -
       (spoken solo:) "See you in court!"
       A - and - P - - -
       (spoken solo) "And please pay promptly"
(Full orcestration, five part harmony, and all kinds of things:)
A - - - S - - - C - - - A - - - P - - - !


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Note: I once had someone track down john Roberts and Tony Barrand and ask them what the line in "Come and I will sing you" was, that sounded to me like "Eight of them are the filly shine white". The answer was, that is exactly it. No idea what it means or references to.