In Search of England

Subject: In Search of England
From: theleveller
Date: 22 Jun 12 - 12:30 PM

One of my all-time favourite books is H V Morton's In Search of England - a sort of early road-trip where he set out in the 1920s to discover the true England. I took the title and the theme for a song about rediscovering my own roots in East Yorkshire , which took many years. Here's a first rough home recording. Do you have a song about what you think of as home?

In Search of England

Subject: RE: In Search of England
From: kendall
Date: 22 Jun 12 - 12:36 PM

Grand state of Maine
Proudly we sing
To tell your praises to the land
To shout your phrases 'til the echos ring

Should fate unkind send us to roam
The scent of the fragrant Pine
And the tang of the salty sea will call us home.

Old Pine tree state, your woods field and hills
You lakes, streams and rock bound coast
Will ever fill out hearts with thrills
And though we seek far and wide our search will be in vain
To find a fairer spot on earth than
Maine, Maine, Maine.

Good grief, I haven't thought of that song since grade school!

Then of course, there's the Maine Stein Song which Rudy Valley made famous.

Subject: RE: In Search of England
From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray
Date: 22 Jun 12 - 01:22 PM

As an ex-pat Geordie I'm singing a lot of songs from the Old Country to connect with my wayward roots (For Example) but when it comes to where I live now I connect to the local landscapes through the local singers & songwriters who feel for the place better than I do. I like to pick up on local songs for places I love (see the Fakenham Fair thread) and sing 'em as mementoes. I love singing Norfolk Songs because I love Norfolk... Then there's liminal Border Balladry which are always about the landscapes of Home, like Binnorie, which is a contraction of By Norham or the Eildon landscapes in Thomas the Rhymer. Recently we've been exploring Bonny at Morn as it echoes is association with the mining landscapes of my childhood and the Hartley Pit Disaster. There lingers an unsayable bitterness which certain of the old songs touch upon in ways that I'll never quite get the measure of. How come I've always associated Bonny at Morn with The Hartley Pit Disaster? No idea, but it goes back a long way and is as personal as it is cultural, as such things are...

Subject: RE: In Search of England
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 22 Jun 12 - 08:27 PM

indulge me, it's the weekend..

20 years ago we had compilation cassettes for playing in the van on European tours...

one favourite tape segued these 2 tracks...

1) no hit wonders indie band "Pele"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAIxZzJk62U

like a poppier mix of Dexies Midnight Runners and The Levellers;
never had a clue what the verse lyrics were going on about
but the short chorus made up for it after a few bottles in the back of the van..

saw them once at a free festival in Brighton, a really good long forgotten live band..

Subject: RE: In Search of England
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 22 Jun 12 - 08:32 PM

2) needs no introduction..

though as the only version I can find on youtube is from a live TV special,
they introduce it anyway...

fast-forward to 3 mins 30:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuAxQucUAG8

Subject: RE: In Search of England
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 23 Jun 12 - 03:35 AM

I refer you to ' A Place Called England ' by Maggie Holland.

Dave H