ADD: We Were There (Sandra Kerr)

Subject: Have lyrics, but no author
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Sep 25 - 11:45 AM

I have the lyrics and tune, but can't find any details of the author. Maybe I've got the song title wrong? Any help appreciated.

WE WERE THERE
(Sandra Kerr)

We were there, womankind beheld the earth
We were there, man beside us at our birth
And the world was made for sharing equal giving, equal caring
Learning, growing, doing, daring we were there
Friend and mother, sister, lover we were there

We were there through every strike through every war
We were there, wondering what we’re struggling for
Wondering when our time would come, would brothers, sisters fight as one
Or would we stand alone we were there
Friend and mother, sister, lover we were there

We were there throughout each changing century
We were there but still must write our history
For who heard us when we cried, how many fought how many died
Hand in hand and side by side we were there
Friend and mother, sister, lover we were there

We are here, though the way is long before us
We are here and the world cannot ignore us
We will celebrate our past, and when the future’s ours at last
Who will dare to ask if we were there
Friend and mother, sister, lover we were there

---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7o-RKTHwWA

Subject: RE: Who wrote We Were There
From: Helen
Date: 13 Sep 25 - 01:36 PM

I searched for the first line of the song and it is quoted in full at the beginning of this article.

womankind beheld the earth

For some strange reason the songwriter is not credited as far as I can see but I did not read the article in full. I just quickly looked through it.

The song reminds me very much of the songs written and performed by the amazing Australian woman, Judy Small.

These are my usual questions:

To help with the search could you provide more information, please?

When did you hear the song or see it in written music collections? If it was in written music collections, what sort of collections are you likely to have seen it in?

Was it recorded? Did you hear it on the radio, see it on TV, hear it on vinyl, CD, digital, YouTube, etc?

Did you hear it live?

Singer(s) male, female, a group, solo?
Musicians? what instruments were used?

Lively, haunting, slow, fast, dance tune, etc, etc?

Any more information would be helpful.

Subject: RE: Who wrote We Were There
From: Helen
Date: 13 Sep 25 - 01:42 PM

Also, the main site for that page is for a video and resource company https://www.concordmedia.org.uk so I suggest you could contact them to ask for information on the song.

Please come back into this discussion and let us know what you find out so that we have the answers to the mystery.

Subject: RE: Who wrote We Were There
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 13 Sep 25 - 03:32 PM

Wren Music:
Her Story 2018 - WE WERE THERE by Sandra Kerr

https://youtu.be/y7o-RKTHwWA 2018 - arranged by Sarah Owen

"This video is of a live performance from the Her Story project in 2018.
Her Story is run by Wren Music, one of the UK's leading folk and community arts organisations.
To find out more visit www.wrenmusic.co.uk/our-work/adult-choirs-and-orchestras/choirs/her-story"

Subject: RE: Who wrote We Were There
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 13 Sep 25 - 03:54 PM

I dare say given time lots of mudcatters would have been along with info from their memory banks; but it was a quiet saturday evening for me. ;)

It's wonderful\frustrating how google can come up with so many better results when you chance upon the 'right' extra words to put into a search!
I'd added 'peggy seeger' when the video above came up. Now that we know it's Sandra Kerr there's all sorts of info.

Here's Reinhard's page for the album - 1987
https://mainlynorfolk.info/folk/records/sandrakerr.html#wewerethere

contact page
https://www.sandrakerr.net/contact.html

Subject: RE: Who wrote We Were There
From: Helen
Date: 13 Sep 25 - 04:07 PM

Thanks FreddyHeadey!

Subject: RE: ADD: We Were There (Sandra Kerr)
From: Helen
Date: 13 Sep 25 - 06:39 PM

FreddyHeadey, are you going to reveal your secret? What was the phrase in your successful internet search.

I am also really hoping that the Guest who posted the original question will come back to see the amazingly quick results.

Subject: RE: ADD: We Were There (Sandra Kerr)
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 13 Sep 25 - 07:37 PM

;) - I'd found your Making History\Concord Media page too and gone off to a few dead ends!


Well it was not
https://www.google.com/search?q=%22We+Were+There%22+lyrics
or
https://www.google.com/search?q=%22We+Were+There%22+peggy
but
https://www.google.com/search?q=%22We+Were+There%22+peggy+seeger
to which AI says
"There isn't a well-known Peggy Seeger song titled "We Were There" or a song she co-wrote with that title. Instead, the phrase "We Were There" may be a misunderstanding, as the song "We Were There" is a well-known women's anthem written by Sandra Kerr, not Peggy Seeger."
& had the Wren Music video

,,, Actually
https://www.google.com/search?q=%22We+Were+There%22+folk
finds it on MainlyNorfolk
- but would it have done that six hours ago - or has it been learning ?
;)

Subject: RE: ADD: We Were There (Sandra Kerr)
From: Reinhard
Date: 13 Sep 25 - 07:55 PM

I had been away for a double birthday visit, Freddy, so I only created the song's page We Were There a few hours ago.

Subject: RE: ADD: We Were There (Sandra Kerr)
From: Helen
Date: 13 Sep 25 - 07:58 PM

".. but would it have done that six hours ago - or has it been learning?"

My guess is that you taught it a thing or two. Well done!

Subject: RE: ADD: We Were There (Sandra Kerr)
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Sep 25 - 09:19 AM

I contacted Sandra Kerr directly. She tells me that she wrote "We Were There " in 1984 and it appeared on her album of the same name. It can be heard here: https://mainlynorfolk.info/folk/songs/wewerethere.html
I am not sure, however, why this doesn't come up in an internet search. Google AI spouts some nonsense about the first lines being from a Tennyson poem called The Princess. Sandra said: "As far as I know, Tennyson had nothing to do with it!"
Thanks for all the suggestions though

Subject: RE: ADD: We Were There (Sandra Kerr)
From: Helen
Date: 14 Sep 25 - 12:14 PM

So Guest, did that information answer your question? Or is there something else you need to know?

Subject: RE: ADD: We Were There (Sandra Kerr)
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Sep 25 - 04:16 PM

All solved thanks. Mainly Norfolk now has a page about the song I see, with SistersUnlimited singing it

https://mainlynorfolk.info/folk/songs/wewerethere.html

Subject: RE: ADD: We Were There (Sandra Kerr)
From: Helen
Date: 14 Sep 25 - 05:23 PM

Thanks Guest. Glad we could help you. :-)

Subject: RE: ADD: We Were There (Sandra Kerr)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 Sep 25 - 09:51 PM

So, is there any chance that Sandra Kerr and Nancy Kerr are relatives? Can somebody tell us something about Sandra Kerr?

Subject: RE: ADD: We Were There (Sandra Kerr)
From: Reinhard
Date: 14 Sep 25 - 10:00 PM

Yes, they are mother and daughter.

Subject: RE: ADD: We Were There (Sandra Kerr)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 Sep 25 - 10:21 PM

And both are brilliant.

Subject: RE: ADD: We Were There (Sandra Kerr)
From: GerryM
Date: 15 Sep 25 - 04:11 AM

Joe, check out the Scalene CD, Sandra Kerr, Nancy Kerr, and James Fagan. https://www.discogs.com/release/5002860-Sandra-Kerr-Nancy-Kerr-James-Fagan-Scalene?srsltid=AfmBOooS0VJ0YVZNKn0Uj0IPzfbOUhFfEVVxq