Origins: The Copper's Song (Hamish Imlach)

Subject: Origins of song
From: GUEST,Terry
Date: 10 May 07 - 10:30 AM

Can anyone help me with the origins of a song that is sung locally that starts:
It was midnight in Keswick and district
The gestapo were out on the beat
Looking for murder and arson
etc

I have the feeling that the name "Keswick" can be replaced by other place names.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE COPPER'S SONG (from Hamish Imlach)
From: Effsee
Date: 10 May 07 - 11:52 AM

Is it this one?

It was doon in auld Invertoddie
The Gestapo were oot on their beats
Lookin' for murder and arson
And drunks as they stot doon the street

Noo two of the Chief Constables agents
Had note-books quite full of names
Fourteen men, three women and a dog
For peein' up closes and lanes

It was twelve o'clock when they found it
Lyin' there just like a log
T'was a badly bashed aboot body
Tyre marks scotched up it's physog

They went through the usual procedures
They kicked it tae mak sure it was dead
Then they went through it's pockets and shared oot it's cash
And smoked all it's fags while it bled

They then lifted up this body
One at it's head and it's feet
and they carried it aff tae an alleyway
And dumped it on an ither man's beat

It was four o'clock when they re-found it
Propped up in an old chip shop doo
r It was naked by now with a note roond it's neck
Not wanted on beats three or four.

By Hamish Imlach I believe.

Subject: RE: Origins of song - "it was midnight in. . ."
From: GUEST
Date: 10 May 07 - 02:43 PM

yes - that's the one. So you think it was written by the late, great Hamish? Thanks.

Subject: RE: Origins of song - "it was midnight in. . ."
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 May 07 - 04:49 PM

Based on "Midnight on the ocean," or "Ain't We Crazy, or "Barefoot Boy with Boots On, or...." See threads.

Subject: RE: Origins of song - "it was midnight in. . ."
From: Joe_F
Date: 10 May 07 - 09:59 PM

You know, English bobbies have a pretty good press in the U.S. I rather raised my eyebrows when I first heard "Last Neet". Now this.

Subject: RE: Origins of song - 'it was midnight in. . .'
From: Snuffy
Date: 11 May 07 - 03:44 AM

But these aren't English bobbies, Joe: they are Scots (i.e. Celtic). The English virtues of honesty, tolerance,fair play, good humour, etc are totally alien to such life-forms.

English bobbies would never beat you up, nor fit you up. In fact we in England have some of the best police that money can buy. :-)

Subject: RE: Origins of song - 'it was midnight in. . .'
From: Trevor
Date: 11 May 07 - 08:07 AM

You old cynic you!

Subject: RE: Origins of song - 'it was midnight in. . .'
From: GUEST,BobL
Date: 11 May 07 - 09:56 AM

Joe, the whole point of the joke lies in the total incongruity between the behaviour described in the song, and that of real-life police whose integrity and professionalism is generally above question (occasional and well-publicized exceptions notwithstanding).

Incidentally this song is a favourite when sung by our local copper. Wouldn't be quite the same coming from anyone else.

Subject: RE: Origins of song - 'it was midnight in. . .'
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 11 May 07 - 10:16 AM

BobL

the Americans never seem to grasp 'irony' either mate.... :-)

Subject: RE: Origins of song - 'it was midnight in. . .'
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 19 May 07 - 04:50 PM

Lyrics to this song have been posted at Mudcat at least four times before.

Untitled, beginning "One night down in old Invertochy...."

Untitled, beginning "It was doon in auld Invertoddie...."

THE COPPERS' SONG beginning "It was down in old Invertoty...."

THE POLICEMAN'S SONG, beginning "It was doon in auld Invertoddy...."

Each time it was attributed to Hamisch Imlach.

Subject: RE: Origins of song - 'it was midnight in. . .'
From: Stewie
Date: 19 May 07 - 08:07 PM

The booklet accompanying 'Hamish Imlach: The Definitive Transatlantic Collection' ESM CD622 has the following attribution for the piece: '(Trad. Arr. Imlach) Logo Songs Ltd'.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Origins of song - 'it was midnight in. . .'
From: Stewie
Date: 19 May 07 - 08:10 PM

My previous post should have read 'ESM CD522'.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Copper's Song (Hamish Imlach)
From: GUEST,Ian Donaldson
Date: 26 Dec 13 - 10:55 AM

Guest Terry is right - the name suits a location known to the audience. I heard Hamish sing this at Sussex University in 1968. I imagine he sang Gorbals and District. No one has mentioned the tune, which I've recently discovered is Dick Darby, the Cobbler.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Copper's Song (Hamish Imlach)
From: GUEST,Jim I
Date: 26 Dec 13 - 12:17 PM

According to my notes I have "Collected from Paul Ross (Cumbria) by Muriel Graves (1960's)".

I actually think I got this from Mudcat some years ago. If this is true then perhaps the original poster here had it right after all.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Copper's Song (Hamish Imlach)
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Nov 20 - 04:25 PM

Hi All,
Met the Great man, many years ago.
Does anyone have the chords for the Coppers song.
Cheers Joe

Subject: RE: Origins: The Copper's Song (Hamish Imlach)
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 02 Nov 20 - 05:19 AM

I find that the location changes as I go round. When I learned this song, I was living in west London, and so it was Midnight in Twickenham Junction.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Copper's Song (Hamish Imlach)
From: GUEST,Kenny B (inactive)
Date: 02 Nov 20 - 07:05 AM

Polis of Invertotty

Urban myth suggests that the origin of the song was a body found in the Forth and Clyde canal under a bridge. It was judiciously pushed into the the next police area by the first policeman to be called . Having witnessed a weel kent "hard Man" polis in the 60s disappearing to throw up after having supervised a body removal from the canal I would have some sympathy with the original finder

Subject: RE: Origins: The Copper's Song (Hamish Imlach)
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Oct 21 - 11:50 AM

Hamish Imlach claimed to be allergic to leather because every time he woke up in the morning with his shoes on he had a headache.