Lyr Add: The Young Man on the Railway (H Clifton)

Subject: Lyr Add: THE YOUNG MAN ON THE RAILWAY (H Clifton)
From: Artful Codger
Date: 19 May 10 - 09:00 AM

THE YOUNG MAN ON THE RAILWAY
or THE MAIL TRAIN DRIVER
   Written and sung by Harry Clifton [1865]
   Composed by W.H. Brinkworth

1
I sing a song so sorrowful my heart's fill'd with woe,
My misery's so powerful wherever I may go,
Like a "hollyhock in a garden" beat down by the rain,
Thro' a young man on the railway who drives the mail train.
   Chorus:
   Oh my misery's so powerful I shall ne'er meet again,
   That young man on the railway who drives the mail train.
2
In his suit of silver moleskin he was "muskiler" and strong,
"Mustarchers" like a "horficer" and his whiskers were long
Standing six feet in his wellingtons of him I was vain,
Oh that young man on the railway who drove the mail train.
3
I met him at a "semberley" some two years ago,
Attention so "pertikiler" to me he did show,
I was dress'd like a "marshoness" in muslin de laine,
By the young man on the railway who drove the mail train.
4
He told me that he "woshipp'd" me and said too beside,
In a year and a quarter he'd make me his bride;
And never would do anything to cause my heart pain,
Oh the young man on the raliway who drove the mail train.
5
One day there came a postman with double rat tat,
It made my poor heart beat with a pity-ty-pat,
For it said "I am married, so farewell! Ann Jane."
Oh the young man on the railway who drove the mail train.
6
Oh! where'er shall I wander, oh! where shall I fly,
My heart is like a "water pump" all "chok'd up" and "dry"
Or a "biler near a bustin" with misery's and pain,
Thro' that young man on the railway who drove the mail train.


Source: Sheet music issued by Clifton's primary publisher.
Transcribed by Steve Gardham.
MIDIs prepared by Artful Codger.


Notes by Steve Gardham:

Cover:
THE YOUNG MAN ON THE RAILWAY
or THE MAIL TRAIN DRIVER
To Mr Thomas Newbound of Leeds
Sung by Harry Clifton at his Concerts in England, Scotland and Ireland
Composed by W. H. Brinkworth
London, Hopwood & Crew 42 New Bond Street, W.
Litho by Concanen and Siebe is of Clifton looking rather fetching as a young country lass in a large gingham dress and apron. She looks rather forlorn, and on the ground in front of her is an opened envelope and letter.
The copy I got from the BL ref H1772 d 31

Inside
Written and sung by Harry Clifton             Composed by W. H. Brinkworth
Serial number H&C 703 (dated 1865 in 'The Era' sent in by Sminky)

---

Click to play (melody)

Click to play (full)

To play or display ABC tunes, try concertina.net

Subject: Tune Add: THE YOUNG MAN ON THE RAILWAY (H Clifton)
From: Artful Codger
Date: 19 May 10 - 09:04 AM

ABC transcription of the melody.

X:1
T:The Young Man on the Railway
T:or The Mail Train Driver.
C:Written by Harry Clifton, 1865
C:Composed by W. H. Brinkworth
S:Sheet music from Hopwood & Crew, Clifton's primary publisher.
N:Serial number H&C 703
N:Sheet music scans provided by Steve Gardham, from music in the Bodleian Library.
N:Last beat of right-hand measures cut off in original scan.
Z:by Artful Codger
%%MIDI program 73 1
%%MIDI gchordoff
M:3/4
Q:1/4=100 " Moderato"
L:1/8
K:Eb
%
%   Piano introduction
B2 | e3 (fga) | b2 g2 e2 | (fe)c2c2 | c3 zb2 | c'd'e'2 c'2 |
%
%                              Verse
(be'd'c'ba) | (ga)g2f2 | e4 || B,2 | E3 F G A | B2 G2 E> E |
w: ||||* I sing a song so sor-row-ful my
%
(FE) C2 C2 | C2 z2 B2 | c d e2 c2 | B B G2 B2 | c d e2 c2 |
w: heart's* fill'd with woe, My mi-se-ry's so pow-er-ful wher-ev-er I may
%
B4 B c | _d e d2 B B | (c_d) c2 A2 | (FG) A2 F2 | (E2 D) B B2
w: go, Like a "hol-ly-hock in a gar-*den" beat down* by the rain,* Thro' a
%
(BG) E2 e> c | (BG) E2 (FG) | B2 F2 G2 | E4 ||
w: young* man on the rail-*way who* drives the mail train.
%
%   Chorus
"^Chorus." |: B> c | _d> e d2 B2 | c> _d c2 A A |(FG) A2 F2 | (E2 D2) B2
w: Oh my mi-se-ry's so pow-er-ful I shall ne'er* meet a-gain,* That
%
(B>G) E2 e>c | (B>G) E2 (F>G) | B2 F2 G2 | E4 :|
w: young* man on the rail-*way who* drives the mail train.
%
ga | bgegbe' | bgegbe' | d'c'bagf | e2 [e2g2b2e'2] z |]

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Young Man on the Railway
From: Artful Codger
Date: 19 May 10 - 09:18 AM

Sidenote: This is one of those cases where the melody alone is rather better than the published accompanied version. The arranger didn't seem to understand the inherent harmony and modal touches in this tune at all. I doubt that this arrangement was prepared by the composer, who was an orchestra leader and musical director--see the message in the Train Songs thread by guest Bernard Sanders.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Young Man on the Railway
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 May 10 - 01:54 AM

MIDI posted, thanks to Artful Codger. Please let me know if the links above don't work.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Young Man on the Railway
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 28 May 10 - 01:06 PM

Young Man on the Railway at The British Library.