ADD: Chemical Worker's Song (Ron Angel)

Subject: RE: LyrHelpReq: Chemical Worker's Song
From: selby
Date: 26 Oct 99 - 02:25 PM

This song was written by Ron Angel Who comes from Middlesborough which is in Cleveland, in the UK The whole area is covered with chemical works The main employer being ICI. Keith

Subject: RE: LyrHelpReq: Chemical Worker's Song
From: Mel
Date: 25 Oct 99 - 07:37 PM

What Rich said, there's a version of this song on Great Big Sea's album "Up". It's a fantastic album, and I think they did the song justice.

::going back to lurking:: Mel

Subject: RE: LyrHelpReq: Chemical Worker's Song
From: MudGuard
Date: 25 Oct 99 - 02:15 AM

Thanks for all the help!
MudGuard

Subject: RE: LyrHelpReq: Chemical Worker's Song
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 25 Oct 99 - 01:18 AM

Lorre Wyatt recorded it on his Roots and Branches for Folk-Legacy.

Subject: RE: LyrHelpReq: Chemical Worker's Song
From: rich r
Date: 24 Oct 99 - 10:54 PM

Recorded a few years ago by the Canadian group, Great Big Sea on their album "Up"

Subject: RE: LyrHelpReq: Chemical Worker's Song
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 24 Oct 99 - 08:38 PM

The song was written by Ron Angel, who is from I don't know where. But the following extract from Sean Damer's 'Glasgow - Going for a Song' illustrates the song's theme quite well, I think.

[1990:] In the period before the First World War, a great deal of industrial work was highly dangerous. There was no such thing as Health and Safety at Work regulations; the life of a worker was literally cheap. Some of the works must have appeared like Dante's 'Inferno'. [...] The terrible costs of working in this particular inferno [in the mid-19th century] were revealed some thirty years later, in 1889, in a newspaper interview with one of the chemical workers [of Tennant's St Rollox Chemical Works in Glasgow]: "[...] If a man goes to the works young he will be past working before he reaches forty years of age [...]. For instance, you will easily know a chrome-worker from the fact that, as a rule, the bridge of his nose is completely eaten away. [...]" The majority of the chemical workers [in Glasgow] were Irish; they were paid an average of 15s 6d per week, a pitiful wage. [...] The dreadful conditions in these chemical plants were the subject of Keir Hardie's famous attacks on Lord Overtoun in 1899. Overtoun was the proprietor of a large chemical works on the Glasgow-Rutherglen border, and also a noted philanthropist and man of religion. Keir Hardie, in a series of articles in the socialist newspaper 'Labour Leader' - subsequently reprinted as pamphlets - exposed the fearful working conditions in Overtoun's chemical works. He confirmed that the workers rapidly lost the cartilage in their nose working with these noxious chemicals, but also suffered from 'chrome holes' being burnt in their body, and respiratory diseases. Moreover, they worked a twelve-hour day, seven-day week - with no time off for meals, and in foul conditions. (Damer, Glasgow 62f)

Subject: Lyr Add: I. C. I. SONG / CHEMICAL WORKERS SONG
From: poet
Date: 24 Oct 99 - 06:07 PM

Author unknown to me but the song goes:-

I. C. I. Song (chemical workers song).

A process man am I and I'm telling you no lie.
I've worked and breathed among the fumes.
That trail across the sky.
There's thunder all around me and poison in the air.
There's a lousy smell that smacks of hell. And dust all in my hair.

Chorus
But you go boys go.
They time your every breath.
And every day you're in this place .
you're two days nearer death, but you go.

I've worked among the spinners I've breathed in the oil and smoke.
I've shovelled up the gypsum till it nigh on makes you choke.
I've stood knee deep in cyanide gone sick with a caustic burn.
I've been working rough I've seen enough to make your stomach turn.

There's overtime there's bonus opportunities galore.
The young men like the money. Aye they all come back for mare.
Ah but soon you're knocking on. You look older than you should.
For every bob made on this job you pay with flesh and blood.

Repeat first verse.

I hope you find this helpful. the alternative tiltle is the I.C.I song.
^^
Graham (Guernsey)

Subject: RE: LyrHelpReq: Chemical Worker's Song
From: wildlone
Date: 24 Oct 99 - 03:01 PM

1 A process man am I
2 Iv'e breathed in the oily smoke
3 Iv'e shovelled up the Gypsum that nigh on makes you choke
4 Going sick with a Caustic burn
taken from the Big red song book.
Yer Tiz MudGuard wl

Subject: LyrHelpReq: Chemical Worker's Song
From: MudGuard
Date: 24 Oct 99 - 02:46 PM

Once again problems when transcribing a song from tape.
Performers are "Foreign Feathers".
Problem words as usually marked in red.
Any help appreciated.
TIA
MudGuard

The Chemical Worker's Song

Chorus

And it's go, boys, go
They'll time your every breath
And everyday you're in this place
You're two days nearer death
But you go

They process malamian
I'm telling you no lie
I've worked and breathed among the fumes
That trail across the sky
There's thunder all around me
There's poison in the air
The lousy smell that's a mix of hell
And dust all in the hair.

I've worked among the spinners
Every sin the oily smoke
I've shoveled up the chipsum
It's nigh and makes you choke
I've stood knee-deep in cyanide
Going sick with a coustic burner
Been working rough, I've seen enough
To make your stomachs turn

There's overtime and bonus
Opportunities galore
Oh, the young lads like the money
And the old come back for more
But still you're knocking on now
Looking older than you should
For every bob made at this job
Is paid in flesh and blood.