Songs by Matt McGinn (1928-1977)

Subject: ADD: The Man They Could Not Hang (Matt McGinn)
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 22 Jul 09 - 08:15 PM

It was a subject that also interested the late Matt McGinn, who wrote a song about John Lee too. (So is performed with a scottish accent!)


THE MAN THEY COULD NOT HANG (JOHN LEE)
(Matt McGinn)

CHORUS
        There was an old hangman in Exeter,
        And a fine old hangman was he,
        He had hanged a thousand or more,
        But he couldn't hang John Lee, John Lee, he couldn't hang John Lee.

1.        Emma Keyse of Babbacombe was rich as rich can be,
        She had servants in her home, and one was Johnny Lee, John Lee, and one was Johnny Lee.

2.        Johnny Lee was a bad, bad man, so the story said,
        So they threw him in the local can,
        When they found old Emma dead, so dead, when they found old Emma dead.

3.        The judge he listened to the cons, and then he heard the pros,
        And it was clear that Johnny Lee had fewer friends than most, than most, had fewer friends than most.

Chorus

4.        The judge picked up his old black cap, he looked John in the eye,
        Said, "It falls on me to sentence thee to be hanged until you die, you die, to be hanged until you die".

5.        James Berry was the hangman's name, and it filled his heart with glee,
        When they placed into his gentle hands the prisoner Johnny Lee, John Lee, the prisoner Johnny Lee.

6.        He led him to the scaffold high, and then to John says he,
        "One last request I'll grant to you".
        "Close your trap" says Johnny Lee, John Lee, "Close your trap" says Johnny Lee.

Chorus

7.        James Berry pulled the lever down to send John Lee below,
        Then he began to curse and frown, when John Lee would not go, not go, when John Lee would not go.

8.        Again and then again he tried, again and again he failed,
        Then word came down from London town, John Lee for a life in jail, in jail, John Lee for a life in jail.

Chorus

9.        'Twas back in 1885 they tried to hang John Lee,
        In 1917 he sailed for far Amerikay, did he, for far Amerikay.

10.        There he went and died in bed, in 1933,
        Here lies the man they could not hang,
        And his name was Johnny Lee, John Lee, and his name was Johnny Lee.

Chorus


You can also hear it sung on the Matt McGinn website.

---

Thread #8178   Message #995182
Posted By: GUEST,Mary Ann
01-Aug-03 - 02:52 PM
Thread Name: Songs about capital punishment.
Subject: Lyr Add: THE MAN THEY COULD NOT HANG (Matt McGinn)

The Man They Could Not Hang
TAKE ME BACK TO THE JUNGLE LP

BY MATT MCGINN

There was an old hangman in Exeter
And a fine old hangman was he
He had hanged a thousand or more
But he couldn't hang John Lee
John Lee !
No he couldn't hang John Lee

Emma Keyes of Abercombe was rich as rich can be
She had servants in her home
And one was Johhny Lee
John Lee !
And one was Johhny Lee

Johnny Lee was a bad, bad man
So the story said
So they threw him in the local can
When they found old Emma dead
So dead !
They found old Emma dead

The judge he listened to the cons
Then he heard the pros
And it was clear that Johnny Lee
Had fewer friends than foes
Than foes !
Had fewer friends than foes

There was an old hangman in Exeter
And a fine old hangman was he
He had hanged a thousand or more
But he couldn't hang John Lee
John Lee !
No he couldn't hang John Lee

The Judge picked up his old black cap
And he looked John in the eye
He said it falls on me to sentence thee
To be hanged until ye die
Ye die !
Hanged until ye die

James Berry was the hangman's name
And it filled his heart with glee
When they placed into his gentle hands
The prisoner Johhny Lee

He led him to the scaffold high
And then to John says he
"One last request I'll grant to you "
"Close your trap" says Johnny Lee
John Lee !
"Close your trap" says Johnny Lee

There was an old hangman in Exeter
And a fine old hangman was he
He had hanged a thousand or more
But he couldn't hang John Lee
John Lee !
No he couldn't hang John Lee


James Berry pulled the lever down
To send John Lee below
Then he began to curse and frown
When John Lee would not go
Not go !
When John Lee would not go

Again and then again he tried
Again and again he failed
Then word came down from London town
John Lee for a life in jail
In jail !
John Lee for a life in jail

There was an old hangman in Exeter
And a fine old hangman was he
He had hanged a thousand or more
But he couldn't hang John Lee
John Lee !
No he couldn't hang John Lee

T'was back in 1885 they tried to hang John Lee
In 1917 he sailed for far Americ-ee
Did he
For far Americ-ee
There he went and died in bed in 1933
Here lies the man they could not hang
And his name was Johnny Lee
John Lee !
And his name was Johnny Lee

CHORUS

---

Matt McGinn Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssEwwuaV7v4

Subject: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: The Sandman
Date: 19 Dec 15 - 01:34 PM

Can anyone provide a list of all or some or even a few of the songs he wrote.here is one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkX3zcg10QE

---

Matt McGinn Channel of YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZcCx0ATrTTYE3PBcPTnl0w

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Dec 15 - 03:58 PM

I added this thread to our Matt McGinn group. As you can see, McGinn is prolific. Looks like I have a few duplicate threads to combine, though. One Matt McGinn parody that I really like is Down-a-Down, recorded by Pete Seeger.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: akenaton
Date: 19 Dec 15 - 05:11 PM

Bit snappy there Good Soldier!   I knew Matt pretty well and have most of his vinyl stuff.

A man of his time I think, don't believe he would be very impressed with our "liberal democratic society"....Matt said exactly what he thought, but with a sparkle in his eyes.
We often discussed Cuban Communism over a couple of "wee halfs"

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 19 Dec 15 - 06:52 PM

Most of Matt's songs are in the Book ' McGinn of the Calton '

well worth the buying.

Dave H

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 20 Dec 15 - 02:04 AM

I recall a couple of excellent tracks on the old 'The Iron Muse' album, all those years back.

≈M≈

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: The Sandman
Date: 20 Dec 15 - 10:07 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxkOv3U9778

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 20 Dec 15 - 07:07 PM

Have you not found his website? A mass of info and recordings of Matt himself, and by various admirers and at tribute nights there.
See: Matt McGinn
We do a Matt McGinn tribute night in Linlithgow every year, which has the approval of his daughters who sometimes have attended: we don't just sing the songs but act them out too, as you'll see from some of the clips on YouTube. The next tribute night(15th)will be on 5th March 2016.
Here's maybe not the best example!
Bar Steward

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: Hagman
Date: 20 Dec 15 - 07:17 PM

To paraphrase Cliff from "Cheers," it's a little-known fact (or may in fact be well-known) that one of Matt's commercial hits "I Have Seen the Highlands" features a very young Peter Bellamy playing squeeze-box behind... a Bill Leader production, no less.

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 20 Dec 15 - 07:25 PM

As for books: apart from "McGinn of the Calton" there is a smaller book/pamphlet called "Scottish Songs of Today" ("today" being circa 1962-64)which includes a number of lesser-known songs of his: I usually try to do one of these every second year or so in the Linlithgow tribute night. Then there are others that are n neither of these books but some of my friends know and have performed.

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Dec 15 - 02:10 AM

Here's links to the recording of "McGiinn of the Calton" by Stramash which was also made into a TV programme



https://www.mediafire.com/folder/a3w40y0a4nsyu/DIsc_1


https://www.mediafire.com/folder/7h4j7fs3pld1r/Disc_2

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 23 Dec 15 - 09:29 AM

The song that Joe mentions is usually called "Two Feet Tall" and has a different refrain of "Hey Laily Laily Laily" rather than the "Down Down" that Pete Seeger sang. Matt and Pete were of course good friends, and it may be that Pete changed it for his own singing of it.
The Hey Laily version is on the Matt McGinn website as "Two Feet Tall", and is on the "Honesty is out of the Fashion" album. We had fun staging that one, with someone having to shuffle around in their knees!

As for a list of all his songs, there are 100 videos and recordings on the Matt McGinn website - as per the link I gave before. Some from Matt's original recordings, others taken at the various tribute nights. And even this does not cover them all......

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: GUEST,Allan Conn
Date: 23 Dec 15 - 09:38 AM

Whole lot of songs in alphabetical order and performances by various folk on link below

http://www.mattmcginn.info/

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 23 Dec 15 - 09:53 AM

Er, excuse me, Allan, but that WAS the one I gave on 20.12.15. You don't see the full url as I used the text box facility in creating the blicky!
Merry Christmas.

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: GUEST,Allan Conn
Date: 23 Dec 15 - 12:41 PM

Ach sorry never noticed that Tattie. Not always got enough time to open every link as working but better getting it posted twice than not at all :-)

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 23 Dec 15 - 01:59 PM

Aye, nae bother. It's a great resource: I think his daughters have something to do with keeping the site maintained and the content, even if not personally responsible for the tech of setting it all up.
The person who has perhaps put the most clips on YouTube is BigManio, so worth looking at his channel.
Now what am I going to sing this next year?

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: Richard Mellish
Date: 23 Dec 15 - 06:59 PM

I've just tried that website. There's certainly some great stuff there BUT the site design is horribly gimmicky. The video pane hides some of the text, which therefore reads
"The Matt McGinn W
McGinn of the Caltc" (letter o partly covered so it looks like c).
And when I play the songs they are accompanied by crackles, implying something awry somewhere.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE DUNDEE GHOST (Matt McGinn)
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 23 Dec 15 - 07:29 PM

One of my favourites
Jim Carroll

The Dundee Ghost
By Matt McGinn

Noo a deid man seldom walks, he very rarely talks,    (dead)
It's no very often you'll see him running aroond,
But I'm a refugee from a graveyard in Dundee
And I've come tae haunt some houses in Glasgow Toon
And I've come tae haunt some hooses in Glasgow Toon.

Noo the reason I arose was to get masel' some clothes, (myself)
For I really get helluva cold below the ground,
And I whispered tae masel', "ah, I think I might as well
Hang aroond a while and ha'e some fun,
I'll hang around a while and ha'e some fun".

Noo a chap put oot his light on a cold and frosty night,
I showed him one of ma eyes and I skelped his head, (smacked)
He said "Oh", and I said "boo" he says, "who the hell are you" ?
I said, "don't be feart, I'm on'y a man that's deid,   (afraid)
Oh no, don't be feart, I'm only a man that's deid".

Well the feller knelt and prayed and this is what he said;
"Oh why, in the name of God have you picked on me"   ?
So I battered him on the lug and I pulled awa' his rug. (ear)
"The reason", I said "is just tae let you see".
"The reason" , I said, "is just tae let you see".

Well he brought the polis in and I belted him on the chin,   (police(man)
The polis turned aroond and he blamed my friend.
And he marched him aff tae jile and he'll be in there quite a while, (off to gaol)
But I'll see naebody taks his single end,      (House of one apartment, flat)
Oh, no, I'll see naebody taks his single end.

Noo the polis thought him daft and a lot of people laughed
When the feller said a ghost was in his hoose,
But what the feller said was true and I might be visiting you,
So just remember. I'm still on the loose,
Aye, just remember, I'm still on the loose.

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: GUEST,Anne Neilson
Date: 23 Dec 15 - 08:49 PM

A favourite song of mine too -- sung by Bob Blair on our group's (Stramash) CD. of Matt McGinn songs, 'McGinn of the Calton'.


And just to confirm, Stramash used 'Two Feet Tall' as our encore!

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 24 Dec 15 - 03:20 PM

I always liked "Lots Of Little Soldiers", which was recorded in the 70s by Barry Dransfield, and has been sung in recent years [ in Scotland ] by Barbara Dymock.

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: Jack Campin
Date: 01 Oct 19 - 03:13 AM

This was just posted on the "Lost Glasgow" FB group:

For Christmas he bought her a wee golden ring
But later it made him embarrassed
He’d forgot the first thing
to turn green in the spring
Is jewellery bought at the Barras.

Matt McGinn

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 30 Dec 19 - 06:48 PM

These are all the songs I can find on Mudcat that were recorded by Matt McGinn:

100,000 Unemployed
Bannockburn
Biddie McGrath
Big Sammy
Boomerang
Butchers of Glasgow
Christine
Coorie Doon
Down-a-Down
Honesty Is Out of the Fashion
I Have Seen the Highlands
I'm Looking for a Job
If It Wisnae for the Union
Lady Chat
Loch Lomond
Lots of Little Soldiers
Magic Shadow Show
Manura Manya
Old Johnny Bull
On the Beach at Portobello
On the Road from Aldermaston
Polly Had a Poodle
Rap Tap Tap
Rob Roy Macgregor
Skinny Ma Linky Long Legs
St Columba and the Masons
Take Me Back to the Jungle
The Ballad of John McLean
The Ballad of Q4
The Big Effen Bee
The Big Glasgow Polis
The Can o' Tea
The Depth of My Ego
The Dogs' Party
The Dundee Cat
The Dundee Ghost
The Footba' Referee
The Foreman O'Rourke
The Gay Liberation
The Hielan' Man
The Man They Could Not Hang
The Pill
The Red Yo Yo
The Rolling Hills of the Border
The Swan Necked Valve
The Wee Kirkcudbright Centipede
The Witches' Song
Three Nights and a Sunday
Tinny Can on My Tail
Troubled Waters
We'll Have a May Day
Willie Macnamara

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: Jim McLean
Date: 31 Dec 19 - 01:52 PM

Recorded by Matt but not all written by him as I wrote Lady Chat.

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 03 Jan 20 - 07:47 PM

And there are some on YouTube that he sings, but were not written by him: e.g. The Jeely Piece song, written by Adam McNaughtan.

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: GUEST,ann
Date: 20 Jan 20 - 04:07 PM

Hi
What's the name and lyrics of the song which was sung yesterday at the burnt barns?
It's about going underground.
Thanks

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: GUEST,Observer
Date: 20 Jan 20 - 05:15 PM

Two of his best:

1. Rolling Hills Of the Borders

2. His lyrics to "Loch Lomond"

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: Jack Campin
Date: 21 Jan 20 - 06:08 AM

The "going underground" song will have been "Coorie Doon" aka "The Miner's Lullaby".

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: Jim McLean
Date: 21 Jan 20 - 11:25 AM

Lyrics to Loch Lomond "As sung by Matt McGinn". The Corries also recorded this but I don't know who wrote it.

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: GUEST,jim bainbridge
Date: 21 Jan 20 - 01:50 PM

I always enjoyed Matt's visits to our club in Marsden, South Shields in the 60s.
in later years, I was interested to find that the words of 'Coorie Doon' had been used in the glossy commemorative book about the 25th anniversary, in 2018, of the closure of the Arigna Mines in the Leitrim/Roscommon area of Ireland.

In the years before closure of the coalfield, Scottish experts had been advising the mine owners (Ireland's mines were always privately owned) about keeping it all afloat- maybe that's how the song finished up as an anthem for the Irish miners?

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: topical tom
Date: 21 Jan 20 - 03:38 PM

Did Matt not also write "The Pill" or was that already
          mentioned?

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: Jim McLean
Date: 21 Jan 20 - 07:44 PM

The version of Loch Lomond sung by Matt is a traditional version printed in Robert Ford's Songs and Ballads.

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: GUEST,Bob Blair - Guest
Date: 22 Jan 20 - 05:58 PM

Matt used go stay with us when he came south in the 1960's when I helped to run the Grimsby folk club with John Connolly and Bill Meek. Lots of lovely stories and memories of those days.

When I moved back to Scotland and helped form Stramash we worked up a programm to launch his book " McGinn of the Calton" It was a real pleasure to do that show in front of Glasgow audiences.    Get them singing along with some of Matt's chorus songs and then hit them with one of Matt's more serious songs like Kevin Mitchell singing "Deep In My Ego" Talk about hearing a pin drop!

There's a link to Stramash's Greentrax recording thats still active in a post above if anybody would like to hear it.

Just today however I was pointed in the direction of another video recording that Stramash had done on Matt, which includes one of his lesser known songs "Paper and Board" It was included that night because, as Adam McNaughtan says in the intro, that we wanted a song where Stramash knew the chorus and the audience didn't. ( to begin with that is) Never heard it sung before or since

Here's the link    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72hdOxjtveA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72hdOxjtveA

He was a dear friend and sadly missed.

Bob Blair

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 May 20 - 12:00 AM

Are these lyrics from the DT right?

---

       THE WEE KIRKCUDBRIGHT CENTIPEDE
(Matt McGinn)

Oh, the wee Kirkcudbright Centipede, oh, she was very sweet
She was very proud of every one of her hundred feet
Early every morning, her neighbors came to glance
She always entertained them with a beautiful little dance.

Chorus
As leg number 94 gave 95 a shunt
Legs number 1 and 2 were twisted out in front
Legs number 9 and 10 came wriggling up the side
73 and 74 were doing the parlor glide.

Now her neighbor, Jenny Longlegs, with jealousy was mad
She went out and bought herself a pencil and a pad
She came to look one morning, she made a careful note
Of every step the centipede made and this is what she wrote:

Chorus (substitute Well for As)

Now with her exact notations, little Jenny Longlegs tried
To dance just like the centipede, she failed and nearly cried
She grabbed hold of the centipede, and said, "Now have a look,
Show me how to do this dance I've written in my book."

(no chorus)

The centipede said, "Do I do that?" tried to demonstrate
She hadn't thought it out before, and didn't do too great
Her hundred feet got twisted and she wound up in a tangle
She fractured 14 kneecaps, 7 shinbones and an ankle.

Chorus (this verse only)
As legs number 1 and 2 were tied with 3 and 4
Legs number 5 and 6 were canceled on the floor
Leg number 17 was attacked by number 10
98 and 99 will never dance again.

Oh, the wee Kirkcudbright Centipede she suffered in terrible pain
And all the bugs were very surprised the day she danced again
And now she tells her neighbors, anyone who comes to see,
"Never try an explanation of what comes naturally!"

Chorus

filename[ KIRKCPED
DR
oct99

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: Jack Campin
Date: 17 May 20 - 10:40 AM

Joe - check your email. I've send you photos of the relevant bits from the book.

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 18 May 20 - 10:59 AM

UP WI' THE CREAM FOR ME
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 19 May 20 - 06:54 PM

Just managed to get our annual Matt McGinn tribute night in on the first Saturday in March in Linlithgow - perilously near to Covid lockdown. Great night, but all seems a bit of a dream now after 8 weeks in lockdown!

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 24 May 20 - 03:13 PM

Joe: Lyrics to THE WEE KIRKCUDBRIGHT CENTIPEDE were posted by Dale Rose on 9-Aug-99 in another thread: Songs about bugs, insects, spiders, snails, worms. I just listened to Matt McGinn's recording on Spotify, and I believe the lyrics posted by Dale are accurate. There are numerous differences to the version in the DT; for example "parlor glide" should be "Palais Glide"--the name of a popular dance from 1938 which is demonstrated in this old British Pathé newsreel.

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 24 May 20 - 03:18 PM

Correct, Jim!

Subject: RE: Songs by Matt McGinn
From: Jack Campin
Date: 24 May 20 - 03:21 PM

I emailed Joe Offer a photo of the relevant pages from the book (which have at least one significant difference from what's in this thtead) but never got an acknowledgement.