Lyr ADD: Centurion (Harvey Andrews)

Subject: Lyr Req: Centurion (born in 1900...)
From: jojofolkagogo
Date: 05 Mar 10 - 03:15 PM

Hi there, cant find the words to this song anywhere, looked on Go Ogle, Harvey's own web site, all over the place, so ...
has anyone got the words to this fantastic song?

I was born in 1900, Victoria was Queen ...

will pop back in a bit, thanks folkies !!

Jo~Jo

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Centurion (born in 1900...)
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 05 Mar 10 - 07:15 PM

Give me a day or two! It's in the sleevenotes for 'The Journey' (1997), which should still be available, from Harvey himself at any rate.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Centurion (born in 1900...)
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 06 Mar 10 - 10:56 AM

Here they are, from the liner notes:

THE CENTURION
(Harvey Andrews)

I was born in nineteen hundred, Victoria was Queen
The first of seven children, only three made sweet sixteen
It was hard but I was happy, it was roses around the door
Till we all saluted father as he went off to the war
I was a tea boy in the factory the day the news arrived
Making mother one more widow, but together we survived

Now the century's near over
I've watched it wax and wane
And as I recall it
All in all
It's a life I'd live again

At eighteen I was courting, Mary filled my heart with pride
Twenty saw us married, stepping out there side by side
The work was never easy but we did it day by day
Saving halfpennies and farthings till we'd ten pounds put away
Then the slump took jobs and savings and I had a lot of time
So I learned the old mouth organ - Buddy, can you spare a dime?

With two sons fast a-growing, nineteen twenty-five
Mary wanted so a daughter, but her health it didn't thrive
She died that distant summer but our daughter made it through
Until the influenza took her at the age of two
In the Thirties I was busy like all other folk deprived
Picking coal from off the slagheaps, my two sons and me survived

Thirty-six and I met Lucy, we were married in the spring
The boys were new apprenticed and we didn't fear a thing
It was hard but I was happy, it was roses around the door
Till we both saluted my sons as they went off to the war
I lost one in the navy, a convoy in the Med
Once again for King and Country our name numbered with the dead

The other lad was lucky and in nineteen forty-five
Me and Lucy lit a candle giving thanks he was alive
I turned fifty then and wondered what the future held in store
I'd work on to the pension if we all avoided war
Soon my son walked down the aisle with a sweet girl as his bride
She made me think of Mary as she stood there by his side

Now the century's near over
I've watched it wax and wane
And as I recall it
All in all
It's a life I'd live again

I retired in the Sixties to a bungalow downtown
Did the gardening with Lucy till her years just wore her down
I lost her then with sorrow but remember her with joy
And I'll take her flowers tomorrow when I go there with the boy
For he is a fine great grandson, wears his cap the wrong way round
And what I bought with a farthing seems to cost the kid a pound

And he asks me have I really, really lived the century
And I wink and whisper, Nearly, and that's good enough for me

I was born in nineteen hundred, Victoria was Queen
The first of seven children, only three made sweet sixteen

Subject: Lyr Add: THE CENTURION (Harvey Andrews)
From: GUEST,harvey andrews
Date: 07 Mar 10 - 08:15 AM

Here's the lyric the way I sing it now;

THE CENTURION
(Harvey Andrews)

I was born in nineteen hundred, Victoria was Queen
The first of seven children, only three made sweet sixteen
It was hard but it was happy, it was roses around the door
Till we all saluted father as he went off to the war
I was a tea boy in the factory the day the news arrived
Making mother one more widow, but together we survived

Now the century's near over
I've watched it wax and wane
And as I recall it
All in all
It's a life I'd live again (repeat after each verse)

At eighteen I was courting, Mary filled my heart with pride
Twenty saw us married, stepping out there side by side
The work was never easy but we did it day by day
Saving halfpennies and farthings till we'd ten pounds put away
Then the slump took jobs and savings, I had a lot of time
So I learned the old mouth organ - Buddy, can you spare a dime?

With two sons fast a-growing, nineteen twenty-five
Mary wanted so a daughter, but her health it didn't thrive
She died that distant summer but our daughter made it through
Until the influenza took her at the age of two
In the Thirties I was busy like all other folk deprived
Picking coal from off the slagheaps, my two sons and me survived

Thirty-six and I met Lucy, we were married in the spring
The two boys new apprenticed, we didn't fear a thing
It was hard but it was happy, it was roses around the door
Till we both saluted my sons as they went off to the war
And I lost one in the navy, a convoy in the Med
Once again for King and Country our name numbered with the dead

The other lad was lucky and in nineteen forty-five
Me and Lucy lit a candle giving thanks he was alive
I turned fifty then and wondered what the future held in store
I'd work on till the pension if we all avoided war
Soon my son walked down the aisle with a sweet girl as his bride
And she made me think of Mary as she stood there by his side


I retired in the Sixties, a bungalow downtown
Did the gardening with Lucy till the years just wore her down
I lost her then with sorrow but remember her with joy
And I'll take her flowers tomorrow when I go there with the boy
For he is a fine great grandson, wears his cap the wrong way round
And what I bought with a farthing seems to cost this kid a pound

And he asks me have I really lived the century
And I wink and whisper, really, and that's good enough for me

I was born in nineteen hundred, Victoria was Queen
The first of seven children, only three made sweet sixteen

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Centurion (Harvey Andrews)
From: jojofolkagogo
Date: 09 Mar 10 - 08:05 AM

Oh, thanks SO VERY MUCH to both of you, but especially to you Harvey, this is such a wonderful song, makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.... there's not many of THOSE around !!!

Hope to catch you somewhere, some time, I have never seen you perform.

regards
Jo~Jo

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Centurion (Harvey Andrews)
From: breezy
Date: 02 Mar 22 - 04:09 PM

so I sang this at a zoom tonight and it was well received , but dont tell Harvey.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Centurion (Harvey Andrews)
From: GUEST,Susanne (skw)
Date: 14 Mar 22 - 05:25 AM

Why not, breezy?

Anyway, does anyone know how Harvey is doing?