Lyr Req: Australian Railway Songs online

Subject: Lyr Req: Australian Railway Songs online
From: mark gregory
Date: 29 Nov 08 - 02:12 AM

For over 150 years songwriters, poets musicians and writers have observed and recorded many aspects of Australian railway life. Many of the songs and poems came directly from those who were employed in building or operating national railway systems. Others items came from those who used railways as passengers, or recall trains amongst their earliest memories.

Collecting the experiences of railways recorded by songwriters and poets across thousands of miles of Australian railway tracks remains a huge task.

A number of songs, poems, stories and anecdotes, mainly from the decades of work by Brian Dunnett, have been uploaded along with a request for more such material to be considered for this collection.

The Bush Music Club is preparing a work book of Australian Railway songs and poems that it hopes to publish in time for the National Folk Festival at Easter 2009.

see http://railwaysongs.blogspot.com/

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Australian Railway Songs online
From: Jon Bartlett
Date: 29 Nov 08 - 02:29 AM

Cheers, Mark - a great site.

Jon Bartlett

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Australian Railway Songs online
From: Tangledwood
Date: 29 Nov 08 - 02:57 AM

That's great Mark, thank you!

Railway songs make a welcome change from drovers and bushrangers but the only one I've learned until now is Poison Train. Some enjoyable work ahead methinks!

Mal

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Australian Railway Songs online
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 29 Nov 08 - 10:46 PM

Brian is a retired railway worker & has been collecting railway songs & poems for decades. He's behind the historical display Trains of Treasure that has been enthralling folks since 1988.

He has presented workshops at Folk Festivals & other places on rail history. My favourite story was about the workers at the Redfern sheds who folded a sheet of newspaper to make a hat as they weren't issued any form of head protection. It might have given a bit of protection against grease & dirt, but ... And in those days a busket was the only washing facility! Ah, the good ol' days before worker's rights & Health & safety.

more railway folklore

sandra

Subject: Australian Railway Songs online
From: mark gregory
Date: 19 Jan 10 - 05:17 AM

The three judges for the 2009 RTBU (Rail TraM and Bus Union) Song and Poetry Competition,
declared John Hospodaryk's song Don't Close The Depot Down the winner
out of a total of thirty entries for the $1000 prize.

see

http://railwaysongs.blogspot.com/2009/01/dont-close-depot-down.html

http://railwaystory.com/song/tothint/depot.mp3

Subject: Lyr Add: DON'T CLOSE THE DEPOT DOWN
From: mark gregory
Date: 19 Jan 10 - 05:19 AM

lyrics below

DON'T CLOSE THE DEPOT DOWN
A Song by John Hospodaryk©John Hospodaryk 2009
[Winner of the 2009 RTBU Railway Song Competition]

Two thousand trucks across the Great Divide,
Two thousand truckloads of fuel that will ride
Upon the road when there's a train that can bring it safely to your town,
Safely to, safely to your town.
So all I ask of you is don't you, don't you close that depot down,
Don't you close, don't you close that depot down.

We gotta let that rolling stock stay upon the rail,
It's rolled a hundred years, it has never failed.
Don't wanna see them trucks crowdin' up the whole highway,
Whole, whole, whole highway,
So all I ask of you is don't you, don't you take that train away,
Don't you take that, take that train away.

Carbon footprints are truckin' up 'n' down the road,
Up 'n' down, up 'n' down the road.
One of these days one of them rigs you know is bound to explode,
How can we bear such a heavy load!

They're layin' off the workers, I heard it on the news,
'Cos private contractors is what they wanna use,
You know we gotta get together, people, spread the news all around,
All around, spread the word around. We must demand that they don't,
They don't close that depot down,
They must not close, close that depot down.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Australian Railway Songs online
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 19 Jan 10 - 06:54 AM

Mark - your second link doesn't work -

second link to MP3 of winning song

and here's a link to the story of
the railway paper hat I mentioned above

I missed the Railway Songs concert at the Illawarra Folk Festival last weekend, are all the songs on the site?

sandra

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Australian Railway Songs online
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Feb 10 - 10:30 AM

I recently came accross your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I dont know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

Mario

http://livevideotoday.com

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Australian Railway Songs online
From: GUEST,Allen in OZ
Date: 02 Feb 10 - 05:23 PM

Sandra

It is a pity that you missed the Railway Songs session at the Illawarra Folk Festival as the Bush Music Club performed a number of railway songs. We were led by Brian Dunnett.

We were all vey proud of John Hospodaryk winning the song award and he sang it on the day to a most appreciative audience.

Allen (from the BMC Concert Band )

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Australian Railway Songs online
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 02 Feb 10 - 05:33 PM

so you're THAT Allen!

sandra (who takes all the pics of Concert Party)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Australian Railway Songs online
From: GUEST,Allen in OZ
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 04:48 PM

Sandra

Yes..that Allen

I have sent pictures of John receiving his award at the Illawarra Folk Festival and the Concert Party performing at the Railway session to Bob Bolton for possible inclusion in Mulga Wire

Best wishes

Allen