Lyr Req: Lookin' the Loan of a Spade (Colum Sands)

Subject: the spade by Tommy Sands
From: Den
Date: 26 Mar 00 - 07:19 PM

A number of years ago I saw Tommy Sands in concert and he did a story about a spade. Does anyone know if that was ever recorded or if anyone can help out with the words. Thanks Den.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: the spade by Tommy Sands
From: alison
Date: 26 Mar 00 - 07:36 PM

I have some of them Den that I wrote down off a TV show....... if no one else gets there first I'll type them in

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: the spade by Tommy Sands
From: alison
Date: 26 Mar 00 - 08:40 PM

here you go... most of it I think.... this song is a dialogue between two people.. and I'm not even attempting to remember who said what........

The spade song

Is that yourself? Indeed it is. Well you're a stranger here,
I dunno when I seen you last it must be more than a year,
How are ye doing? I'm not so bad and what about yourself?
No use complaining I suppose as long as you've got your health. (Repeat)

Where are ye now? I'm still at home it's the brother that went away,
My father he said that if one of us left the other would have to stay
Sure jobs are getting very scarce, the unemployment's a curse.
But still I suppose as the fella says, it's bad and it couldn't be worse. (Repeat)

Terrible weather altogether its never gonna clear,
Do you know what I'm going to tell you though
It's not bad for the time of the year,
Sure a ?sup of rain never did very much harm, the grass could do with a drop
I'd pass no remarks on a ?skiff of two as long as it wasn't a slop. (repeat)

?????
?????
The mountains getting awful close I don't like the look of the sky
The weathermen says that there'll be a change but you mightn't believe them boys (repeat)

????
Nice fire.
good draft.
I think I'll ask him.
About time.

I suppose I'd better be heading on, I've held you back enough
I was clearing up at the back of the house, the garden is fairly rough
I've broke the spade and it's awkward when you've only got a grape
And unless I can get the loan of a spade the garden'll have to wait. (repeat)

Aye a spade's an awful missly thing, there's the sun again
But it's only a patch it'll never keep up, I saw a spit of rain.
Would you be using your spade today? To tell you the truth I'm not.
For I lent it to you a year ago and since then I never saw it. (repeat)

Aw well there's no harm in asking…..

slainte

alison

Subject: Lyr Add: LOOKIN' THE LOAN OF A SPADE (Colum Sands)
From: Ulli
Date: 27 Mar 00 - 01:05 PM

here's a slightly different version (as printed on the sleeve of their LP)

LOOKIN' THE LOAN OF A SPADE
Colum Sands / The Sands Family

Is that yourself - Indeed it is - Well you're a stranger here,
I don't know when I seen you last, it must be more than a year,
How are you doin' - I'm not so bad, and what about yourself -
/: No use complaining I suppose, as long as we've got the health. :/

Where are you now? - I'm still at home, it's the brother that went away,
My father he said that if one of us left, the other would have to stay,
Sure jobs are gettin' very scarce, the unemployment's a curse -
/: But still I suppose as the fella says, it's bad that couldn't be worse. :/

- Terrible weather altogether, it's never going to clear -
Do you know what I'm goin' to tell you though, it's not bad for the time of the year,
Sure a sup of rain never done very much harm, the grass could do with a drop,
/: I'd pass no remarks on a skift or two, as long as there's not a slap. :/

- A slap's the last thing that we need, for our wee meadow's in hay
Do you mind the trade we had last year comin' up thon bit of a brae -
The mountain's comin' very close, I don't like the look of the sky,
/: The forecast talked about a change, but you mightn't believe thon boys. :/

(spoken)I think I'll ask him now . . . I think I'll ask him . . .

- I suppose I'd better be headin' on, I've held you back enough,
I was clearin' up at the back of the house, the garden is very rough,
I broke the spade and it's awkward when you've only got a graip,
/: And unless I can get the loan of a spade, the garden will have to wait. :/

- Aye a spade's an awful missly thing, there's the sun again,
But it's only a pet, it will never keep up, I felt a spit of rain -
Would you be usin' your spade today - To tell you the truth I'm not,
/: For I lent it to you a year ago, and since then I never saw it. :/


(notes on the sleeve) Colum Sands: "When you go to borrow something you don't want to be too cheeky by asking for it right away. It's no harm to talk about other things for a while and then, just as you are about to leave your victim, having exchanged views from every possible angle on the weather, you reveal your real intentions . . ."

an excellent song
I once did a translation/transformation of that song into our local dialect (with the permission of Colum Sands) and I think it also worked
ulli

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: the spade by Tommy Sands
From: Ulli
Date: 27 Mar 00 - 01:12 PM

Sorry DEN, I almost forgot;
the song is/was on the LP NOW AND THEN (The Sands Family)1986 Spring Records, 50 Shore Road, Rostrevor, C,Down
(don't know, of course, whether you could still get the LP from that address, but it might help)
ulli

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: the spade by Tommy Sands
From: Den
Date: 27 Mar 00 - 07:11 PM

Thanks a million Alison and Ulli. I remember Tommy doing this in concert a while back and thought it was great. Ulli my sister lives in Kilkeel about 12 miles from Rostrevor so I'll get her to check out the address and see if she can pick up the album. Thanks again Den.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: the spade by Tommy Sands
From: John Moulden
Date: 28 Mar 00 - 07:00 AM

The address is correct.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: the spade by Tommy Sands
From: alison
Date: 28 Mar 00 - 07:54 AM

lovely part of the world.... we had a caravan at Cranfield, just down the road from Kilkeel......

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: the spade by Tommy Sands
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 21 May 02 - 09:39 AM

I seem to remember hearing a variant of this story about borrowing a fiddle. By the time the borrower gets to the house of the borrowee he has convinced himself that she won't lend it to him - and abuses her as soon as she opens the door! I think it may have been as part of a story by the great Mick Quinn (Michil Ned) of Mullaghbawn.

Regards