Lyr/Chord Req: Worm Forgives the Plough (Boazman)

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chord Req: Worm Forgives the Plough (Boazman)
From: GUEST,Howard Fullbrook
Date: 19 Dec 09 - 10:01 AM

I also meant to say that the Bill Boazman/BMW album is also available via Amazon.

Howard

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chord Req: Worm Forgives the Plough (Boazman)
From: GUEST,Howard Fullbrook
Date: 18 Dec 09 - 10:19 AM

Hi Skipy,

I have the words and chords, they appeared in the very first edition of The Southern Rag in 1979. It was transcribed by Tim Pinton (who, along with myself, accompanied Bill around the clubs and on the recording) who said " Bill's guitar part was bloody good and it is rather difficult to transfer that to a guitar chord symbol - most of the left hand fingerings would not sound good if the guitar was trummed" In the magazine he wrote the chords as close approximations.

I could scan the words and music/chords and send them to you if you let me have an email address. Mine is [e-mail]

Incidentally, Jim Dixon is correct, the BMW/Bill Boazman album IS available now via iTunes. There are 4 tracks by Bill, they are The Worm, Charlie Daniels, Bless These Children and Roll On River. They were recorded in Reading in the Spring of 1977. I also have various other recordings from around that time too.

Best wishes,
Howard Fullbrook

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chord Req: Worm Forgives the Plough (Boazman)
From: alanabit
Date: 15 Nov 09 - 06:00 AM

I had not known that was on general release Jim. I was under the impression that it was just a keepsake for friends and relatives. Bill helped out BMW with some guitar parts and harmonies on those sessions. He used the remainder of the studio time to record "Bless These Children", "The Ballad of Charlie Daniels", "The Worm Forgives The Plough" and "Roll On River". Howard Fullbrook later told me that Pete Morrison (of BMW) had cleaned up the tapes a lot later and put them all together on the CD you named. It is a beautiful record of what Bill could do as a songwriter, but sadly the only one which I know of. I would love to hear really high quality studio versions of "Breaking Even", "Victor Jara" and some of the others.
Whatever he plays, Bill will always be worth listening to. His recent album, "New Tunes and Old Songs", which although it is all covers, is full of virtuoso and execeptionally clean playing and contains an MJH style reading of "CC Rider".

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chord Req: Worm Forgives the Plough (Boazman)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 14 Nov 09 - 01:34 PM

There is a recording of THE WORM FORGIVES THE PLOUGH on "From the Lion to the Plough: The Sun Sessions" by BMW and Bill Boazman (NYPL Records/SongCast, 2008).

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chord Req: The worm forgives the plough
From: alanabit
Date: 13 Nov 09 - 11:17 AM

I saw this one a bit late. Yes, it is by Bill Boazman and it is a good example of what is so special about him. A pat on the back for Joe, who has correctly identified the Blake quote, which gives the song its title. Bill got the idea from a book of the same title and from a time in his life when he worked on a farm in Cornwall. Johnny Coppin recorded this song on "Roll On Dreamer", for which it opened the second side (back in the days of LPs). Paul Downes also recorded it (on "Still Life", I believe) back in the seventies. Good as those recordings are, nothing comes close to the stark beauty and grace of Bill's own version, which was recorded in the Sun Studios in Reading. Sadly that was only ever made available to a few friends along with three other stunning tracks.
Bill no longer performs either this, or any other of his wonderful songs, preferring to develop into an ever finer guitarist. He is a smashing guitarist, but you will forgive me for hoping that he one day writes and sings some more of his own songs.
I can look this up later, but I think that last line should read "The harvest is inside". I think also that line one in verse two should be, "Early in the evening as clouds thicken in the sky", Otherwise, that is a pretty good transcription from Joe.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chord Req: The worm forgives the plough
From: skipy
Date: 12 Nov 09 - 02:14 PM

Hate to admit this! Was going through my song book in the car park @ work today looking for a "funny" that I had been talking about in the morning ( YES! I DO HAVE ONE! ) & found a copy of the chords! Probably printed in the 80s, so I had it all the time. Thanks for all that tried to help, I'll leave you alone now.
Best regards skipy

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chord Req: The worm forgives the plough
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 12 Nov 09 - 06:45 AM

Seeing this reminds of a piece I did called The Cut Worm Forgives the Plow back in the autumn of 2002 as part of my Proverbs of Hell : Sonatas for Crwth & Proximal Continuo. I am thus moved to create a new myspace page to feature such personal vintage forgotten favourites - the first track, of course, is TCWFTP. Be the first to visit!

Sedayne - Histories & Heresies

Subject: ADD: Proverbs of Hell (William Blake)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 12 Nov 09 - 03:54 AM

I think it's worth posting Blake's work:

Proverbs of Hell
by William Blake (1757-1827)

From "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell"


In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.
Drive your cart and your plow over the bones of the dead.
The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom.
Prudence is a rich ugly old maid courted by Incapacity.
He who desires but acts not, breeds pestilence.
The cut worm forgives the plow.
Dip him in the river who loves water.

A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees.
He whose face gives no light, shall never become a star.
Eternity is in love with the productions of time.
The busy bee has no time for sorrow.
The hours of folly are measur'd by the clock, but of wisdom: no clock can measure.

All wholsom food is caught without a net or a trap.
Bring out number weight & measure in a year of dearth.
No bird soars too high, if he soars with his own wings.
A dead body, revenges not injuries.
The most sublime act is to set another before you.
If the fool would persist in his folly he would become wise.
Folly is the cloke of knavery.
Shame is Prides cloke.

~

Prisons are built with stones of Law, Brothels with bricks of Religion.
The pride of the peacock is the glory of God.
The lust of the goat is the bounty of God.
The wrath of the lion is the wisdom of God.
The nakedness of woman is the work of God.
Excess of sorrow laughs. Excess of joy weeps.
The roaring of lions, the howling of wolves, the raging of the stormy sea, and the
   destructive sword, are portions of eternity too great for the eye of man.
The fox condemns the trap, not himself.
Joys impregnate. Sorrows bring forth.
Let man wear the fell of the lion, woman the fleece of the sheep.
The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship.
The selfish smiling fool, & the sullen frowning fool, shall be both thought wise, that
   they may be a rod.
What is now proved was once, only imagin'd.
The rat, the mouse, the fox, the rabbit: watch the roots; the lion, the tyger, the horse,
   the elephant, watch the fruits.
The cistern contains; the fountain overflows.
One thought, fills immensity.
Always be ready to speak your mind, and a base man will avoid you.
Every thing possible to be believ'd is an image of truth.
The eagle never lost so much time, as when he submitted to learn of the crow.

~

The fox provides for himself, but God provides for the lion.
Think in the morning. Act in the noon. Eat in the evening. Sleep in the night.
He who has suffer'd you to impose on him knows you.
As the plow follows words, so God rewards prayers.
The tygers of wrath are wiser than the horses of instruction.
Expect poison from the standing water.
You never know what is enough unless you know what is more than enough.
Listen to the fools reproach! it is a kingly title!
The eyes of fire, the nostrils of air, the mouth of water, the beard of earth.
The weak in courage is strong in cunning.
The apple tree never asks the beech how he shall grow, nor the lion, the horse,
   how he shall take his prey.
The thankful reciever bears a plentiful harvest.
If others had not been foolish, we should be so.
The soul of sweet delight, can never be defil'd.
When thou seest an Eagle, thou seest a portion of Genius, lift up thy head!
As the catterpiller chooses the fairest leaves to lay her eggs on, so the priest
   lays his curse on the fairest joys.
To create a little flower is the labour of ages.
Damn, braces: Bless relaxes.
The best wine is the oldest, the best water the newest.
Prayers plow not! Praises reap not!
Joys laugh not! Sorrows weep not!

~

The head Sublime, the heart Pathos, the genitals Beauty, the hands &
   feet Proportion.
As the air to a bird of the sea to a fish, so is contempt to the contemptible.
The crow wish'd every thing was black, the owl, that every thing was white.
Exuberance is Beauty.
If the lion was advised by the fox, he would be cunning.
Improvement makes strait roads, but the crooked roads without Improvement,
   are roads of Genius.
Sooner murder an infant in its cradle than nurse unacted desires.
Where man is not nature is barren.
Truth can never be told so as to be understood, and not be believ'd.
Enough! or Too much!


Source: poets.org

Subject: ADD: The worm forgives the plough (Boazman)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 12 Nov 09 - 02:13 AM

Well, I downloaded the song, and this is what I hear:

THE WORM FORGIVES THE PLOUGH
(by Bill Boazman, also known as Sonny Black)

Oh, the worm forgives the plough
It's part in the order of life
Man's gift to nature in flight

Oh, the worm forgives the plough
Striking open the earth to the sky
See the blade turn the furrows in line (?)

Early in the morning, when the mist lies on the ground
And the sun is breaking gently, while she rolls away the clouds
Dawn of creation, and yet it happens every day
There is no song or word to match the mystery

Oh, the worm forgives the plough
Barren land now is bursting with life
The struggle's over, the harvest in sight.

Early in the evening, there's cloud cities in the sky,
And the red rays of the sunset point their fingers to the heart (?)
Turning the circle, and yet it happens every day
And there is no song or word to match the mystery

Oh, the worm forgives the plough
It's part in the order of life
Man's gift to nature and flight
The struggle's over, the harvest in sight.



There are a lot of parts I'm having trouble with. Help is appreciated.
Beautiful song, though.

-Joe-

Subject: Lyr Add: WORM FORGIVES THE PLOUGH (Boy Least...)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 12 Nov 09 - 01:52 AM

So, here's the song recorded by the group called "the Boy Least Likely To."

THE WORM FORGIVES THE PLOUGH
Songwriter: ???

In my heart I can still feel
Every turn of the tractor wheel
But as furrows cut across the hillside
Over the fields in the sunshine
And it hurt but I still grew
With every clumsy punch I threw
Up in anger at the empty summer sky
I saw the world from the underside
And when the worm began to turn
As it squirmed in the palm of my hand
I began to understand
Why it is the worm forgives the plough

In my heart I can still feel
Every turn of the tractor wheel
As we cower in the shadow of the plough
Chewing us up and spitting us out
As we fall our way back down
Into the earth and underground
I discover that even a little worm
Has its ways of taking revenge on the world
And when the worm began to turn
As it squirmed in the palm of my hand
I began to understand
Why it is the worm forgives the plough
Why it is the worm forgives the plough


Source: http://www.sing365.com
Artist: the Boy Least Likely To

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chord Req: The worm forgives the plough
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 11 Nov 09 - 09:28 PM

"The cut worm forgives the plough" is one of the PROVERBS OF HELL by William Blake.

That poem (if you can call it that; it's really just a list of proverbs) was one of my favorite objects of contemplation in my youth.

It's from Blake's book "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell"

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chord Req: The worm forgives the plough
From: ClaireBear
Date: 11 Nov 09 - 05:33 PM

Is it this one then? "The Worm Forgives the Plough "

If so, MP3 download is 99 cents here in the U.S. A sound sample is available.

I hope that link works. If not, go to Amazon.com (the U.S. site is where I looked) and search for (artist) "the boy least likely to" and (album) The Law of the Playground.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chord Req: The worm forgives the plough
From: ClaireBear
Date: 11 Nov 09 - 05:10 PM

I am rather relieved to hear it -- quite dreadful really.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chord Req: The worm forgives the plough
From: skipy
Date: 11 Nov 09 - 04:59 PM

Thanks CB, sadly (or thankfully) that is soo the wrong song, but thank you for trying on my behalf,
Regards Skipy

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chord Req: The worm forgives the plough
From: ClaireBear
Date: 11 Nov 09 - 04:53 PM

Here's a youtube of a song by that name being sung by someone named Thomas Western. It sounds to me as though you could get the words from that, although it's not especially fun to listen to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIfox6Cmys8

Subject: RE: Chord Req: The worm forgives the plough
From: skipy
Date: 11 Nov 09 - 04:32 PM

Thanks Joe, it is a great song, I searched google for it but nothing. I know that I will get flak for being in here but I really do want to perform it ( at home alone that is ).
Skipy

Subject: RE: Chord Req: The worm forgives the plough
From: Joe Offer
Date: 11 Nov 09 - 04:22 PM

Looks like the lyrics have never been posted here, and I don't see them on Google. If somebody could post them, that would be nice.
-Joe-

Subject: Chord Req: The worm forgives the plough
From: skipy
Date: 11 Nov 09 - 04:14 PM

Has anyone got the chord for "the worm forgives the plough"?
Bill Boazman I believe, recorded by the great J Coppin.
Thanks in advance.