Origins: Life of a Rover and its origins

Subject: Origins: Life of a Rover and its origins
From: CelticMatt
Date: 01 Nov 17 - 10:11 AM

So I've found "Life of a Rover" on an old Irish Rovers CD back in 1969, but I was wondering if the song was older than that. I can't seem to find much about the songs origins anywhere.

Wanting to use it on my band's first CD and just trying to figure out its origins. Want the first one to be fairly traditional with the songs so just trying to get some research done.

Thanks, and Cheers!

Subject: RE: Origins: Life of a Rover and its origins
From: The Sandman
Date: 01 Nov 17 - 12:28 PM

it was written by Ewan macColl,and is generally known as thirty foot trailer.

[C]The old ways are chan[F]ging you cannot deny
[C]The day of the[F] traveler's[G] over
There's[C] nowhere to gang and there's nowhere to[F] bide
So[C] farewell to the[F] life of the[C] rover

[C]Goodbye to the[F] tent and the old caravan
To[C] the tinker, the[F] rover, the[G] traveling man
And[C] goodbye tae the[F] thirty foot[C] trailer

Farewell tae the cant and the traveling tongue
Farewell tae the Romany talking
The buying, the selling, the old fortune telling
The knock on the door and the hawking

You got to move fast to keep up with the times
For these days a man cannot dander
There's a bylaw to say you maun be on your way
And another to say ye can't wander

Farewell to the blossom and besoms of broom
Farewell tae the creels and the baskets
The folk of today would far rather pay
For a thing that is made oot o plastic

The old ways are passing and soon will be gone
And progress is aye a big factor
Its sent to afflict us and when they evict us
They tow us away wi a tractor

Farewell tae the pony, the cob, and the mare
The reins and the harness are idle
You don't need a strap when you're breaking up scrap
So farewell tae the bit and the bridle

Farewell tae the fields where we've sweated and toiled
At pulling and hauling and lifting
They'll soon have machines and the traveling queens
And their menfolk had better be shifting

Subject: RE: Origins: Life of a Rover and its origins
From: Reinhard
Date: 01 Nov 17 - 12:29 PM

I've googled for "Life of a Rover" and "Irish Rover"; the lyrics I found are a slightly modified (last line of the chorus) version of "The Thirty-Foot Trailer". Ewan MacColl wrote this song for the 1964 radio ballad "The Travelling People".

Subject: RE: Origins: Life of a Rover and its origins
From: The Sandman
Date: 01 Nov 17 - 12:50 PM

Reinhard, that is what i have said.

Subject: RE: Origins: Life of a Rover and its origins
From: Reinhard
Date: 01 Nov 17 - 01:23 PM

Yes of course Dick. If you look at the posting times you'll see that we both answered at the same time; I couldn't see your answer yet when I wrote mine.

Subject: ADD Version: Life of the Rover (Ewan MacColl)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 Nov 17 - 01:41 PM

Here's my transcription of the Irish Rovers version:

THE LIFE OF THE ROVER
(Ewan MacColl, as sung by the Irish Rovers)

The old ways are changing you cannot deny,
The day of the traveller's over;
There's nowhere to go and there's nowhere to bide,
So goodbye to the thirty-foot trailer.

Farewell to the tent and the old caravan,
To the tinker, the gypsy, the travelling man;
Goodbye to the life of the rover.

Farewell to the songs and the travelling talk;
Farewell to the horse and the bridle;
The buying, the selling, the old fortune telling,
The knock on the door and the hawking.

You've got to move fast to keep up with the times,
For these days a man cannot dander;
There's a bylaw to say you must be on your way,
And another to say you can't wander.

The old ways are passing and soon will be gone,
For progress is always a factor;
It's sent to afflict us, and when they evict us,
They tow us away wi a tractor.



Irish Rovers recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Nkw5gWnW7Q (may not play in Europe)

Subject: RE: Origins: Life of a Rover and its origins
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 01 Nov 17 - 04:58 PM

Arguably the seminal version recorded in the 60s was by the Watersons.

Subject: RE: Origins: Life of a Rover and its origins
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 01 Nov 17 - 04:59 PM

Joe,
Can you change the title of this thread please to the correct title now the OP knows what it is?