My friend Fred sang this today at song circle. I thought it should be posted.

On his album, Sunsets I've Galloped Into, Archie Fisher sings "Shipyard Apprentice" and "Over Yonder Banks" together. I'm assuming Archie Fisher wrote "Yonder Banks" - is that correct?

YONDER BANKS
(Graeme Miles)

We lived over yonder banks
Where those tall cranes touch the sky;
Down beside the dockyard wall
Where those terraced houses lie.
And I think we lived at number 4, or was it number 6?
It was such a long, long time ago,
I can't remember which.
We lived over yonder banks, over there.

We played tag on yonder tip
When the watchman was away;
Up and down we used to run
A hundred times a day.
And when the shipyard sirens blew,
We'd chase each other home.
That was quite some time ago,
Some thirty years or so.
We lived over yonder banks, over there.

Well, I'm at the station now,
Waiting for the evening train,
Wondering if by some small chance,
I might pass this way again;
Though I left the town where I was born,
Deep inside I know,
A little will remain with me,
No matter where I go.
Oh, we lived over yonder banks, over there.

THE SHIPYARD APPRENTICE (The Fairfield Crane^^^)

And I was born in the shadow of a Fairfield Crane,
Where the blast of a freighter's horn
Was the very first sound that reached my ears
On the morning I was born.
I lay and I listened to the shipyard sounds
Coming out of the great unknown,
And was sung to sleep by the 'mother tongue'
That was to be my own.

But before I grew to one year old
I heard the sirens scream;
As a city watched in the blacked-out night,
A wandering searchlight beam.
And then at last I awoke and rose
To my first day of peace,
But I've learned the battle to stay alive
Was never going to cease.

I sat and I listened to my father tell
Of the days that he once knew,
When you either sweated for a measly wage,
Or you joined the parish queue.
As times grew harder day by day
Along the riverside,
I oftimes heard my mother say,
"It was tears that made the Clyde."

Now, I've sat in the school frae nine to four,
I've dreamed of the world outside,
Where the riveter and the plater watch
Their ships slip to the Clyde.
I've served my time behind shipyard gates,
And I sometimes mourn my lot;
But if any man tries to mess me about,
I'll fight like my father fought.

We lived over yonder banks, over there.
from http://www.lyrics.com/yonder-banksthe-shipyard-apprentice-lyrics-archie-fisher.html (corrected)

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THE FAIRFIELD CRANE (from the Digital Tradition)
(Archie Fisher / Norman Buchan / Bobby Campbell)

I was born in the shadow of the Fairfield crane
Where the blast of a freighter's horn
Was the very first sound that reached my ears
On the morning I was born
I lay and I listened to the shipyard sound
Coming out of the great unknown
And was sung to sleep by the mother tongue
That was to be my own

But before I grew to be one year old
I heard the sirens scream
As a city watched in the blacked-out night
A wandering searchlight's beam
And then at last I awoke and rose
To my first day of peace
For I'd learned that the battle to stay alive
Was never going to cease

I sat and I listened to my father tell
Of the days that he once knew
When you either sweated for a measly wage
Or you joined the parish queue
As times grew harder day by day
Along the riverside
I oft-times heard my mother say
It was tears that made the Clyde

Now I've sat in the school from nine till four
And I've dreamed of the world outside
Where the riveter and the plater watch
Their ships slip to the Clyde
I've served my time behind shipyard gates
And I sometimes mourned my lot
But if any man tries to mess me about
I'll fight like my father fought

(As sung by Archie Fisher)

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Ray Fisher singing "Over Yonder Banks": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh87kWbrOWc

Click here for a photo of the Fairfield Crane in Glasgow.