Lyr Add: Keep That Wheel A Turning / William Brown

Subject: Lyr Add: KEEP THAT WHEEL A-TURNIN' / WILLIAM BROWN
From: MickyMan
Date: 06 Jun 10 - 09:00 AM

There are several versions of this on Mudcat ...

I never quite absorbed the original song but I heard it somewhere and fell in love with the chorus and first verse, so much so that they kept going round in my head. I also recalled hearing the phrase .... "the boss man said "young what's your name" but I didn't have anything else (pre Mudcat days). So here's what I dreamed up to fill in the gaps, and I must say that I'm kind of proud of it. It's a little more positive than the original, in fact my friend says that I've turned poor William into a 'capitalist pig". I prefer to think of him as a bit of a love-struck entrepreneur. Oh well, it has found its way into my world in this form and I thought I'd share it with you all ... Long live the folk process!


KEEP THAT WHEEL A-TURNIN' (WILLIAM BROWN)
(with added words by Michael Carbonneau - CT/USA)

1. A bright young man was William Brown.
He worked for a wage in a Northern town.
He turned the wheel from left to right,
From eight in the morning 'till six at night.

CHORUS: Keep that wheel a-turnin'. Keep that wheel a-turnin'.
Keep that wheel a-turnin' and do a little more each day.

2. Bill had his eye on Lucy May,
Who came to keep the books on Saturday.
They met in the pub and danced in the town,
Until her name was Lucy Brown. CHORUS

3. Bill brought home the bob on each Thursday,
And Lucy banked it all away,
And every night when they hopped into bed,
She gave a pretty wink and sweetly said to ... CHORUS

4. One afternoon when tea break came,
The boss man said, "Young what's your name?
A pension might just come your way
If you stay here till your dying day and .... CHORUS

5. Now William's shop is all their own,
And Lucy keeps the books from home,
And every week when they hand out the bob,
They tell all the boys to "stay on the job" and ... CHORUS


What's the verdict from the Mudcat peanut gallery?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Keep That Wheel A Turning -William Brown
From: Mr Happy
Date: 06 Jun 10 - 09:08 AM

The same tune as 'In & out the windows'

Anyone have the rest of words?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Keep That Wheel A Turning -William Brown
From: Deckman
Date: 06 Jun 10 - 09:17 AM

How strange ... I just set down my guitar after running through this song ... I'm singing it at Seattle concert today!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Keep That Wheel A Turning -William Brown
From: Leadfingers
Date: 06 Jun 10 - 09:22 AM

Nice Re Write !!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Keep That Wheel A Turning -William Brown
From: Paul Burke
Date: 06 Jun 10 - 02:21 PM

Oh dear no. No bite, no comment, simple happy vacuous story. The bloody boss gave him a pension? When the real bosses are destroying even the idea of pensions- work all your life, if youy're lucky some of whatr to saved might not have been gambled away. And do you know what it's like running "your own" business?

See me after school.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Keep That Wheel A Turning -William Brown
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 06 Jun 10 - 06:00 PM

For a version, audio and provenance with ABC check out
www.yorkshirefolksong. net

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Keep That Wheel A Turning -William Brown
From: Gurney
Date: 07 Jun 10 - 05:05 PM

When that song was popular, Ron Shuttleworth of Coventry did a wonderful tongue-in-cheek parody of it, from a trade-union standpoint.

Nowadays it would be, like youth, wasted on the young. :-)

Subject: Lyr Add: WILLIAM BROWN
From: pdq
Date: 07 Jun 10 - 06:02 PM

William Brown

Traditional Woodcraft song arr. by Stan Kelly Tune: Friggin' in the Riggin' (or similar)

Well, a nice young man was William Brown,
He worked for a wage in Liverpool town,
He worked from six till eight at night,
Turning a wheel from left to right.

CH:
Keep that wheel a-turning, keep that wheel a-turning
Keep that wheel a-turning and do a little more each day.

One day the boss to William came
And said, "Look here, young what's your name,
"We're not content with what you do,
"Work a little harder or out you go."

So William turned and made her run
Three times roung in the time of one,
He turned so hard he soon was made
The Lord High Turner of his trade.

William turned with the same sweet smile,
The goods he made grew such a pile;
They filled the room and the room next door
And overflowed to the basement floor.

The nation heard of the wondrous tale,
His picture appeared in the Sketch and the Mail;
The railways ran excursions down,
And all to look at William Brown.

But sad the sequel is to tell;
He turned out more than the boss could sell;
The market slumped and the price went down,
Seven more days and they sacked young Brown.

{The moral of the tale is plain to tell:
If you wanna lose yer job, just werk like HELL!}

CH:
And keep that wheel a-turning, keep that wheel a-turning
Keep that wheel a-turning and do a little more each day.

© 1961 Heathside Music

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Keep That Wheel A Turning / William Brown
From: MickyMan
Date: 05 Sep 12 - 09:11 PM

Just for the record, Paul Burke, in order to get that pension William will have to "stay here 'till your dying day". In other words, there ain't one coming at all .......and that's why he leaves and starts up his own place - with Lucy's help of course.