Lyr/Chords Req: Man of the Earth

Subject: Lyr Add: MAN OF THE EARTH (Bernie Parry)^^
From: Ritchie
Date: 14 Dec 98 - 08:08 AM

I like this song rather than add it to one of the many threads here it is...

MAN OF THE EARTH

Every day as I go through the old shanty town,
Where the sheds and allotments all stand,
I see the old man of the land,
With a rake or a spade in his hand,
And he's there in all weather, in sunshine and rain.
I hesitate as I go past,
Is he happy or sad with his task?
Oh, I haven't the time for to ask.

CHORUS: A man of the earth, a man of the soil,
In his lonely allotment he labours and toils.
He's not much to do since he turned sixty-five,
So he's took to his garden to keep him alive.
It's his only joy and his pride.

Forty years in the iron works broke his will,
And his back and shoulders are round.
There was no other work in the town,
So they had him both fettered and bound.
Then all of a sudden, he turned sixty-five,
And the bosses said, „Thank you, my man,"
And they stuck a gold watch in his hand
As behind him the door quickly slammed.

CHORUS

Every Saturday evening, he's down at the club,
And he stands with his mates at the bar,
Slowly sipping a solitary jar.
Oh, a pension won't go very far.
So he sells a few things to his neighbours and friends,
A few of the things that he grows,
But he has to watch how he goes,
Or they'll stop all his pension, he knows.

CHORUS

Every day as I go through the old shanty town
Where the sheds and allotments all stand
I see the old man of the land
With a rake or a spade in his hand,
For I cannot linger. I must be gone,
For I work in the iron works too.
I started there five years ago.
Only forty-five more years to do.

CHORUS

Written by Bernie Parry ^^

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 21-Mar-02.

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Click for related thread

Subject: RE: LYRICS added for'Man of the earth'
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 14 Dec 98 - 06:18 PM

Perhaps Bob or Alan could contribute the marvellous Australian song of the same, collected by Warren Fahey (?) in the mid 70's? It's one song I've always wanted to learn.

Regards
John

Subject: Man of the Earth
From: GUEST,Dai Crowther
Date: 12 Sep 00 - 08:04 AM

I am looking for the lyrics (chords would be helpful)to the song 'Man of the Earth'. Any clues appreciated.

Dai.

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Click for related thread

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Man of the Earth
From: GUEST,JMCM
Date: 12 Sep 00 - 08:20 AM

Talking from memory I think it was written by Bernie Parry. Vin Garbutt recorded it on Topic and Bernie then put out an album on a small independent label. I will supply more details when I get them,
love john.

Subject: Lyr Add: MAN OF THE EARTH (Bernie Parry)^^
From: radriano
Date: 12 Sep 00 - 01:51 PM

Wow, thanks for the reminder you guys. I used to sing this and forgot all about it. I believe it is in a previous thread but if you're having trouble searching here are the lyrics:


MAN OF THE EARTH
By Bernie Parry

Every day as I go through the old shanty town where the sheds and allotments all stand
I see the old man of the land with a rake or a spade in his hand
And he's there in all weather in sunshine and rain, I hesitate as I go past
Is he happy or sad with his task, oh I haven't the time for to ask.

Chorus:
A man of the earth, a man of the soil
In his lonely allotment he labours and toils
He's not much to do since he turned sixty five
So he's took to his garden to keep him alive
It's his only joy and his pride

Forty years in the iron works,broke his will and his back and shoulders are round
There was no other work in the town so they had him both fettered and bound
Then all of a sudden he turned sixty five and the bosses said "Thank you my man"
And they stuck a gold watch in his hand as behind him the door quickly slammed

Chorus

Every Saturday evening he's down at the club and he stands with his mates at the bar
Slowly sipping a solitary jar, oh a pension won't go very far.
So he sells a few things to his neighbours and friends, a few of the things that he grows
But he has to watch how he goes or they'll stop all his pension, he knows.

Chorus

Every day as I go through the old shanty town where the sheds and allotments all stand
I see the old man of the land with a rake or a spade in his hand
For I cannot linger, I must be gone, for I work in the iron works too
I started there five years ago, only forty five more years to go,

Chorus
Regards,
Radriano
^^

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Man of the Earth
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 12 Sep 00 - 02:22 PM

For reference, the other thread (1998) is here:  Man of the Earth

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Man of the Earth
From: GUEST,Dai Crowther
Date: 15 Sep 00 - 09:06 PM

Thanks John/Radriano/Malcolm - Just what I wanted. I learnt the song from a Pat Ryan album yonks ago but forgot the lyrics and mislaid the album (darned good it was). Many thanks again.

Dai.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Man of the Earth
From: Tig
Date: 16 Sep 00 - 02:19 PM

You can find the words and tune on Bernie Parry's CD 'Man of the Earth'. It's PUNCD9061.

You can get a book of Bernie's songs ISDN 1 899512 41 1. It's from Dave Mallinson Publications - if it's still in print!

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Man of the Earth
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 16 Sep 00 - 02:47 PM

Bernie was thinking of his father when he wrote it. I remember the first time I saw him, in a singaround, in Whitby I think. "People think Vin Garbutt wrote this song, but I did" he said - and sang Man of the Earth (Though Vin is pretty good about telling people who wrote the songs he sings in a live performance - but we don't always read the small print on the recordsm, and I'd assumed this was one of Vin own somgs till that moment.)

One thing that always strikes me is that this song is set in its time now, and that's a world away from today:

"I work in the iron works too I started there five years ago, only forty five more years to go"

Noone could write those lines now. The job for life and the ironworks and so forth are gone, for good or ill. It's get-by-how-you-may time now.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Man of the Earth
From: GUEST,Bernie Parry, writer of 'Man Of The Earth'.
Date: 12 May 02 - 05:06 PM

Thanks for the mention. Just two things. On your website you missed out the last verse of 'Man Of The Earth'. The song was based, not on my father but my grandfather.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Man of the Earth
From: GUEST,Bernie Parry, writer of 'Man Of The Earth'.
Date: 12 May 02 - 05:15 PM

Thanks for the mention. Just one thing. The song was based, not on my father but my grandfather. The song is in the key of 'G'. Included in the song are the chords G, C, D, D7, Am, Amajor, A7. The main melodic hook happens in the change from Am to Amajor. I was 22 when I wrote 'Man Of The Earth', I'm now 52. The song is still going strong; it will probably outlast me despite the recent slagging in Stirrings magazine website. Oh, such small minded people with even smaller minds. No wonder I've retired.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Man of the Earth
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 12 May 02 - 05:16 PM

Welcome here Bernie! Sorry I skipped a generation there in saying it was your father.

The full version is on that link Malcome Douglas gave. At least I think it is - maybe Bernie could check it for accuracy.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Man of the Earth
From: GUEST,Bernie Parry
Date: 12 May 02 - 05:29 PM

McGrath of Harlow and anyone else who wishes to discuss 'Man Of The Earth' and any of my MANY other compositions, my Email address is: [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Man of the Earth
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 12 May 02 - 05:33 PM

I posted (what I remembered as) the tune in Tune Req:Man Of The Earth

Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Man of the Earth
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 12 May 02 - 05:36 PM

Sorry - that link should have been Tune Req:Man of the Earth

Mick

Subject: RE: LYRICS added for'Man of the earth'
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 12 May 02 - 11:58 PM

G'day John i B,

I must have skimmed past this in 1998 .. perhaps because it was already a Lyrics Added thread. Did you ever get the the words to the Australian (coal-mining) song of the same name? I can't see it in the Digital Tradition - and the only threads that come up under this name relate to the English song Vin Garbutt sings.

I have the Larrikin recording at home, so I can dig them out for you if you still want them... maybe after I get this issue of Mulga Wire (BTW: #151 ... that's 25 years of publishing it ... started June 1978!) to bed.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: Lyr/Tune Add: MAN OF THE EARTH
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 13 Jun 02 - 09:01 AM

G'day again John in Brisbane,

It took me 3 years and five months to notice this thread ... and promise the Australian song ... so another month or so is hardly anything ... is it ... ? Anyway:

I imagine that the version you have heard is the one sung by Phyl Lobl and Tony Suttor of The Larrikins on their LP Man of the Earth (Larrikin 001, 1985) and published by Warren Fahey in his book EUREKA - The Songs That Made Australia, Omnibus Press, Sydney, 1985.

I have also included the version published in Singabout, vol. 1, no. 1, Autumn 1956 ... and included in my 1985 anthology Singabout - selected reprints, Bush Music Club, Sydney, 1985. This has an earlier take on the words - and a tune written by John Arcott. The original was in 'F' in the Singabout version ... but I find that many of the songs of that period need to be lowered a little for modern voices ... and I sing it best in 'C' ... so I have put it in 'D', as being suitable for the widest range of (less lugubrious) voices!

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Larrikin Version

Man of the Earth,
Words: Jock Graham (Kurri Kurri, NSW)
Tune: Phyl Lobl

By profession and birth I'm a man of the earth,
I burrow in it like a mole.
I dig it and drill it, and blast it and fill it
For that great commodity coal.

To some I'm a brave man, to others a knave man
Who's putting the land in a hole;
A strike and attack man, a black man and slack man
Who plunders the country for coal.

It's narkin' art times to be blamed for their crimes,
And placed in a villainous role -
Invented by story, press-jury and tory;
The profit-made agents of coal.

No story of men who are suffering pain;
Of heroes who starve on the dole;
Nought written or spoken of hearts that are broken:
The widows and orphans of coal.

The court is the guage which determines my wage,
The parson looks after my soul;
My hands are my boss's, his gains are my losses;
My body is bartered for coal.

The gaps in our lines: "Red roll of the mines",
Show death has been takin' his toll,
While snipers at maimed men and dead men and famed men
Grow fat on the blood on the coal.

Yet through muck and mire - and lung-dust and fire,
More clearly I'm seein' my goal:
Of diggin' and drillin' and blastin' and fillin';
Supplyin' a socialised coal.

MIDI file: mote-eur.mid

Timebase: 240

TimeSig: 3/4 24 8
Tempo: 150 (400000 microsec/crotchet)
Start
0480 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 71 080 0288 0 71 064 0072 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 69 080 0384 0 69 064 0096 1 66 080 0096 0 66 064 0024 1 66 080 0096 0 66 064 0024 1 69 080 0384 0 69 064 0096 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 69 080 0113 0 69 064 0007 1 69 080 0384 0 69 064 0096 1 66 080 0192 0 66 064 0048 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 69 080 0288 0 69 064 0072 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 66 080 0192 0 66 064 0048 1 64 080 0576 0 64 064 0624 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0288 0 69 064 0072 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 64 080 0288 0 64 064 0072 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0288 0 69 064 0072 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 64 080 0288 0 64 064 0072 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0085 1 69 080 0288 0 69 064 0072 1 64 080 0083 1 67 080 0030 0 64 064 0083 0 67 064 0007 1 61 080 0225 0 61 064 0135 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 62 080 0576 0 62 064 0624 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 61 080 0192 0 61 064 0048 1 61 080 0192 0 61 064 0048 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 61 080 0192 0 61 064 0048 1 57 080 0192 0 57 064 0048 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 66 080 0192 0 66 064 0048 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 61 080 0096 0 61 064 0024 1 61 080 0288 0 61 064 0072 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 69 080 0576 0 69 064 0624 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 66 080 0192 0 66 064 0048 1 66 080 0192 0 66 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 66 080 0192 0 66 064 0048 1 66 080 0192 0 66 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 67 080 0288 0 67 064 0072 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 61 080 0288 0 61 064 0072 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 62 080 0576 0 62 064
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:
M:3/4
Q:1/4=150
K:C
A5A|AB3A2|A4^F^F|A4BA|A4^F2|AA3A2|A2G2^F2|
E6|-E4G2|GA3G2|GE3G2|GA3G2|GE3G2|G9/4A3E3/4|
G^C3E2|D6|-D4D2|^C2^C2D2|E2^C2A,2|D2D2E2|
^F2D2D2|^C^C3D2|E2G2B2|A6|-A4D2|G2G2B2|B2G2G2|
^F2^F2A2|A2^F2^F2|E2G3G|G^C3E2|D19/4||

Singabout version: 1956

Singabout vol 1, # 2, Autumn, 1956.

A Man of the Earth
Words: Jock Graham
Tune: John Arcott

By profession and birth I'm a man of the earth,
I burrow in it like a mole;
I dig it and drill it, I blast it and fill it,
For that great commodity - coal.

To some I'm a brave man, to others a knave man
Who's puttin' the land in a hole;
A stab-in-the-back man, a black man and a slack man,
Who plunders the country for coal.

It's narkin' at times to be blamed for their crimes,
And placed in a villainous role,
Invented by story, press-agent and tory,
The grabbers of profit from coal.

No story of men who are suffering pain'
Of heroes who starve on the dole;
Nowt written or spoken of hearts that are broken -
The widows and orphans of coal.

The gaps in our lines - the "Red Roll" of the mines
Show death has been takin' its toll,
While snipers at maimed men, and good men and famed men,
Grow fat on the blood on the coal.

Yet through muck and mire, and lung dust and fire,
More clearly I'm seeing my goal:
To work and unite and to preach and to fight
For nationalised mining of coal.

MIDI file: motes1-2.mid

Timebase: 240

TimeSig: 2/2 48 8
Tempo: 240 (250000 microsec/crotchet)
Start
0480 1 57 080 0192 0 57 064 0048 1 57 080 0192 0 57 064 0048 1 62 080 0384 0 62 064 0096 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 62 080 0384 0 62 064 0096 1 66 080 0192 0 66 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 69 080 0384 0 69 064 0096 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 69 080 0384 0 69 064 0336 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 71 080 0384 0 71 064 0096 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 71 080 0384 0 71 064 0096 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 69 080 0384 0 69 064 1296 1 66 080 0192 0 66 064 0048 1 64 080 0384 0 64 064 0096 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 66 080 0192 0 66 064 0048 1 67 080 0384 0 67 064 0096 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 66 080 0384 0 66 064 0096 1 66 080 0192 0 66 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 69 080 0384 0 69 064 0096 1 66 080 0192 0 66 064 0048 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 69 080 0384 0 69 064 0096 1 66 080 0192 0 66 064 0048 1 66 080 0192 0 66 064 0048 1 64 080 0384 0 64 064 0096 1 57 080 0192 0 57 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 62 080 0384 0 62 064 1296 1 57 080 0192 0 57 064
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:
M:2/2
Q:1/4=240
K:C
A,6A,2|D4D2D2|D4^F2G2|A4A2A2|A6A2|B4B2B2|
B4A2G2|A8|-A6^F2|E4E2^F2|G4E2E2|^F4^F2G2|
A4^F2B2|A4^F2^F2|E4A,2E2|D8|-D6A,3/2||

Subject: RE: LYRICS added for'Man of the earth'
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 13 Jun 02 - 11:22 PM

Thanks Bob for this and the PM. What a bloody marvellous song and deserves to be much better known! I'd been meaning to ask Tony Suttor for some time. Much better late than never.

Regards, John

Subject: RE: LYRICS added for'Man of the earth'
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 14 Jun 02 - 02:56 AM

I thought I'd go the whole hog and add the lyrics as per the newer ABC Notation Standard, as per below.

In checking my notation I note for the first time that Alan's ABC program doesn't handle tied notes correctly. (No offence Alan, we all know that your program was a milestone for submitting tunes to this place - or some of us anyway). For ties which traverse barlines the hyphen should go BEFORE the barline rather than after it, as in Bob's example above.

X:1
T:Man Of The Earth - Jock Graham/Phyl Lobl
M:3/4
Q:1/4=150
K:C
A5 A|A B3 A2|A4 ^F ^F|A4 B A|A4 ^F2|A A3 A2|A2 G2 ^F2|
w:By pro-fess-ion and birth I'm a man of the earth, I bur-row in it like a
E6-|E4G2|GA3G2|GE3G2|GA3G2|GE3G2|G9/4A3E3/4|
w:mole _ I dig it and drill it and blast it and fill it for that great co-
G^C3E2|D6-|D4 D2|^C2 ^C2 D2|E2 ^C2 A,2|D2 D2 E2|
w:mod-it-y coal _ To some I'm a brave man, to oth-ers a
^F2D2D2|^C^C3D2|E2G2B2|A6-|A4D2|G2G2B2|B2G2G2|
w:knave man, who's put-ting the land in a hole _ A strike and a-ttack man, a
^F2^F2A2|A2^F2 ^F2|E2G3G|G^C3E2|D19/4||
w:black man and slack man, who plun-ders the count-ry for coal.
W:
W: It's narkin' art times to be blamed for their crimes,
W: And placed in a villainous role -
W: Invented by story, press-jury and tory;
W: The profit-made agents of coal.
W:
W: No story of men who are suffering pain;
W: Of heroes who starve on the dole;
W: Nought written or spoken of hearts that are broken:
W: The widows and orphans of coal.
W:
W: The court is the gauge which determines my wage,
W: The parson looks after my soul;
W: My hands are my boss's, his gains are my losses;
W: My body is bartered for coal.
W:
W: The gaps in our lines: "Red roll of the mines",
W: Show death has been takin' his toll,
W: While snipers at maimed men and dead men and famed men
W: Grow fat on the blood on the coal.
W:
W: Yet through muck and mire - and lung-dust and fire,
W: More clearly I'm seein' my goal:
W: Of diggin' and drillin' and blastin' and fillin';
W: Supplyin' a socialised coal.

Subject: RE: LYRICS added for'Man of the earth'
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 14 Jun 02 - 07:14 AM

G'day again John,

Actually, the MIDItxt applet I'm using is (apparently) not the latest version. I need to figure out how to update! Then we might get a better rendition into ABC (not that I would notice ... I read dots because they are so much easier and more informative!).

BTW: If you want the dots, I have all the versions of the tune set in my music program ... and "printed" to PDF, which you can read - and print from - if you have Acrobat (or any other) PDF reader. As well, since Adobe is getting a bit bloody-minded about font substitution, I have also saved all these as 300 dpi TIFFs, which can print on anything and not get stuffed for fonts.

I can e-mail them to you, if you want them.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Man of the Earth
From: GUEST,Richard Bryce
Date: 29 May 09 - 06:38 PM

I'm so glad I found this sight. I heard a young man sing this song back in 1978 at a pub in Sheffield, England. I loved it. A friend of mine, who lived in Sheffield at the time, got the chords and lyrics for me and I started playing it for a time. A while back I pulled out that old yellowed lead sheet to play it again only to find the last two lines of verse two had been torn off the paper and I've been looking for the full lyrics since then. Thank you!