Lyr Req: 'The Navvies' by Mick Ryan

Subject: Lyr Req: 'The Navvies' by Mick Ryan
From: The Man from UNCOOL
Date: 19 Oct 20 - 10:51 AM

I'm missing the first two verse-lines for this song, not the refrains, (I THINK this is its title, it may be "The Poppies") from "The Navvy's Wife", one of MR's folk operas.
Chorus starts "And everywhere the poppies grow all over England \ every [?each] one the lonely waving of a long forgotten life… "
Any help? Thanks

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Navvies' by Mick Ryan
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Oct 20 - 11:42 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJXI5lv7JgQ

May take some digging, but that's from the Chester FF.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Navvies' by Mick Ryan
From: The Man from UNCOOL
Date: 23 Oct 20 - 10:53 PM

Thanks. It's the last song. Amazing how much folk-processing I'd done to the rest of it!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Navvies' by Mick Ryan
From: GUEST,CJB666
Date: 25 Oct 20 - 08:37 AM

Try the excellent Waterways Songs site...

http://www.waterwaysongs.info/

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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Navvies' by Mick Ryan
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 29 Oct 20 - 01:31 PM

I've emailed Mick to let him know about this thread, but I don't know how often he's picking up his emails at the moment.

Kitty

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Navvies' by Mick Ryan
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 29 Oct 20 - 03:49 PM

Transcription from above link.

Mick

---

POPPIES
(Mick Ryan)


In The Great War out in France and Flanders poppies grew in millions,
When the earth's disturbed the seeds begin to grow.
In The Second War the poppies grew on bombsites everywhere,
Like faces that you feel you ought to know.
But before the war, between the wars, and since the wars were fought,
Besides canals, beside the railways, and then beside the roads,
Where the navvies worked and died the poppies grew to mark the pride
Of the men who worked like men to build a land not yet their own.

  Chorus:
  And every year the poppies grow all over England,
  Every one the lonely waving of a long-forgotten life;
  By the roads and motorways, they spring out to mark the days
  Of the boys, of the men, of the navvies.


They were young and old, but mostly young men, working here in England,
When the earth's disturbed the seeds begin to grow.
From old photographs they steal right through you, folding? in their labour
With faces that you feel you ought to know.
From every corner of the land, and from across The Irish Sea
They came to build canals and railways and then to build the roads.
And where the navvies worked and died the poppies grew to mark the pride
Of the men who shifed tons of earth in land not yet their own.

  Chorus:
  And every year the poppies grow all over England,
  Every one the lonely waving of a long-forgotten life;
  By the roads and motorways, they spring out to mark the days
  Of the boys, of the men, of the navvies.

  By the roads and motorways, they spring out to mark the days
  Of the boys, of the men, of the navvies.




Source: Mick Ryan: The Navvy's Wife(CD title) link above: live performance at Chester FF

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Navvies' by Mick Ryan
From: GUEST,Mick Ryan
Date: 30 Oct 20 - 08:05 AM

Just a couple of errors in the lyrics above..

From old photographs, they STARE right through you, PAUSING in their labour (etc>)

Good Luck.

Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Navvies' by Mick Ryan
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 30 Oct 20 - 02:17 PM

Thanks for the correction Mick.

Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Navvies' by Mick Ryan
From: GUEST,The Man from UNCOOL
Date: 11 Nov 23 - 09:15 PM

Further tiny corrections, I thinkm to MCP's transcription.
In the last line of verse 2, isn't it "in A land", like verse 1.
Also, I THINK it's "spring UP to mark the days", from what I recall having heard this sung live since making the initial enquiry.
Belatedly, thanks for filling in, all.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Navvies' by Mick Ryan
From: GUEST,The Man from UNCOOL
Date: 11 Nov 23 - 09:15 PM

Further tiny corrections, I thinkm to MCP's transcription.
In the last line of verse 2, isn't it "in A land", like verse 1.
Also, I THINK it's "spring UP to mark the days", from what I recall having heard this sung live since making the initial enquiry.
Belatedly, thanks for filling in, all.