Lyr Add: Strike the Bell (Ron Shuttleworth)

Subject: Lyr Add: STRIKE THE BELL (Ron Shuttleworth)^^^
From: radriano
Date: 12 Sep 00 - 02:06 PM

I brushed this old gem off for the drinking songs workshop I participated in at the Festival of the Sea 2000 in San Francisco this year. It is in the database as Strike the Bell, Landlord but the author of the words is not credited. The melody is the same as the sea song, Strike the Bell.


Strike The Bell
Words written by Ron Shuttleworth of Coventry, England

In our local boozer, hear the rafters ring
Everybody's gathered there just to have a sing
The atmosphere is warming up, the choruses are prime
Then the landlord rings his little bell and calls out time

Chorus:
Strike the bell, landlord, serve another round
Such a thirsty crowd as this is seldom to be found
To break such jovial company would surely be a sin
So strike the bell and shut the door and lock us all in

Tom, over there, is chatting up a bird with class
She's drinking double vodkas and it's costing him all his grass
She's very understanding when she gets a little tight
Just another two or three and he'll be set up for the night

Jim, in the corner, has been drinking very hard
But everything he's had tonight he's left out in the yard
He's got nothing left to show for all he's had to pay
It's only fair to let him have some more before he goes away

I have to admit, I've had a drop or two myself
My visions kind of fuzzy and my legs aren't working well
If a copper stops me now, by breath would set his bag alight
So keep me off the road and let me stay all night

Here comes our local copper, creepin' up so slow
His beak is hot and dusty and he's looking very dry
Underneath that uniform he's just like me and you
So stick a tankard in his hand and lock him in too

Landlord, if you'll be our friend and if you'll let us stay
We'll keep your till a-ringin' til the dawning of the day
The more we drink, the more we sing - singing makes us dry
We'll drink the moon to bed and sing the sun into the sky

Radriano
^^^

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 12 Sep 00 - 03:40 PM

Hi- Check out DigiTrad. It's there.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: MMario
Date: 12 Sep 00 - 03:43 PM

Dick - he did say that; in his first paragraph - He was reposting with the lyrics attributed.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Joe Offer
Date: 12 Sep 00 - 03:55 PM

Hi, Richard, what's your source for this?
Thanks.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: radriano
Date: 12 Sep 00 - 04:01 PM

Hi, Joe:

It's from an old LP I have. I can't think of the album title at the moment but I'll look it up when I get home tonight and post the info tomorrow.

Regards,
Radriano

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From:
Date: 12 Sep 00 - 05:04 PM

Isn't it based on the sea shanty?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: MMario
Date: 12 Sep 00 - 05:10 PM

I have seen this song family credited (words and music) to American Civil War, but other places have seen it as traditional scottish (Strike the bell watchman)and the shanty version seems to be younger then the land based versions.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Joe Offer
Date: 12 Sep 00 - 05:49 PM

I found two versions in the database. #2 (click)is just about the same as what Richard posted above. #1 is here (click) the more traditional sea shanty version. In a note in the Digital Tradition, Dick Greenhaus says he thinks that Ring the Bell, Watchman, but Henry Clay Work, is the basis for the others. You'll find that song and many others by Work on this page (although I have to say I wish he'd left off the percussion tracks on the MIDI).
Say, Dick, if we have three versions of a song, should it have a DT number? I'll attach a note when I send Richard's corrected lyrics.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 13 Sep 00 - 12:11 AM

Fascinating stuff, radriano. You have a knack for bringing unusual, not often heard songs to the chantey sings and workshops. Great songs, too, I might add.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: GUEST,Lucius
Date: 13 Sep 00 - 12:24 AM

Just one question on the line:

She's drinking double vodkas and it's costing him all his grass

I've always sung it "all his brass", am I wrong? What is grass (within this context)?

Lucius

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 Sep 00 - 12:52 AM

Within this context, I think "grass" is a typographical error....

Richard's version says "breath would set his bag alight" which makes sense, but sounds very modern. The version in the Digital Tradition says "If a Copper stopped me car me breath would say fag a light." That sounds a little more timeless, but doesn't make sense to me. Which is correct?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Thomas the Rhymer
Date: 13 Sep 00 - 03:45 AM

Great song! people love it, and I'm glad to be able to attribute it properly.

I believe it is "creeping up so SLY"...Thirsty? I can't remember, but I think we sang JOLLY. ...copper STOPPED me now..., ...YOU CAN hear the rafters ring. We sang "set his bag alight...ttr

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: radriano
Date: 13 Sep 00 - 11:10 AM

Hello everybody:

I learned this song from Johnny Collins' album, "Free & Easy" on Traditional Sound Recording Records, TSR 041, 1982.

I transcribed this a long time ago and it's entirely possible that I got some things wrong. My poor old turntable is on the fritz so I can't listen to the record at the moment. I thought I had heard the term "grass" used as a slang phrase for money but maybe "brass" is the correct word. Perhaps one of our English Mudcatters could tell us what is right.

"Creeping up so sly" is definately the correct phrase because sly then rhymes with dry. You know, I'll just have to listen to the recording again. I do apologize for posting the song with errors - I should have at least compared my lyrics with the ones in the database.

Radriano

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 13 Sep 00 - 06:41 PM

G'day all,

Interesting to see this later Ring The Bell song.

Of course, the well known Australian song Click go the Shears is a straight parody of H.C. Work's Ring The Bell Watchman, written to celebrate the end of the American Civil War (maybe as an apology to Sherman for Marching Thru' Georgia ;-) ... also by Work.

I suspect that the Sea song version is roughly contemporary with Click go the Shears, i.e. from around the 1870s, when the original was still relevant and well known.

BTW: I gather that H.C. Work's Ring The Bell Watchman is not recognised by the average American - even folkie type, these days.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: A Wandering Minstrel
Date: 14 Sep 00 - 09:30 AM

Almost certainly brass meaning small change. I don't know of an english dialect or slang that uses grass to mean money. It is definitely brass on Johnny Collins version

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: BanjoRay
Date: 14 Sep 00 - 07:56 PM

How about "me breath would set a fag alight" - in England, a fag is a cigarette. A few of us Brits were at Galax Old Fiddler's Convention in August, and my friend's use of the word fag confused a lot of people. He once said "I could murder a fag!" and a Texan nearby said "son, you're talking my language". His regularly referring to "rolling a fag" convinced everyone he was a homophobic mugger. Two nations separated by a common language.
Cheers
Ray

Subject: RE: Strike the Bell Variants
From: Uncle Jaque
Date: 14 Sep 00 - 08:48 PM

Was under the impression that the Chanty version of "Strike the Bell" (Second Mate) predated WORK's 1865 version; it was not uncommon for writers to "borrow" folk tunes running around at large and take credit for them by the act of writing them down and publishing them. The Classical Masters were not at all above doing this, occasionally alluding to the work being "based on" or "an arrangement of" something born of common folk. Guys like Brahms and Beethoven, I'm told, used to travel about various European fairs, festivals, and pubs with a notepad and ready pen to jot down themes of whatever musical vulgarities with potential wafted their way. My studies of Civil-War period music suggests that this practice was still very much alive at that time. Being familiar with both versions, I far prefer the Sea Shanty.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Linda Kelly
Date: 15 Sep 00 - 01:35 PM

Have just been watching the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympics and what do they go and play but the tune of Strike the bell- it seemed to ocincide with the parade by Australian athletes-is this a popular sing in Australia?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: radriano
Date: 18 Sep 00 - 11:54 AM

I decided to research this song a bit. I've e-mailed the library at Mystic Seaport, as well as Johnny Collins, asking about the background to the sea song, "Strike the Bell, Second Mate." While I have not heard back from either source yet I did speak to John Roberts this weekend. He did the first in this year's sea concerts series aboard the Balclutha in San Francisco. One of the songs he sang was "Strike the Bell, Second Mate" - he didn't know who wrote the words but he did feel that Henry Clay Work's song "Ring the Bell, Watchman" was written first, then came "Click Go the Sears" and then "Strike the Bell, Second Mate." "Strike the Bell, Landlord," obviously, is a much more recent work.


Regards to all,
Radriano

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Thomas the Rhymer
Date: 18 Sep 00 - 03:30 PM

I gotta agree Uncle J, It's humour is more tasteful. The parody is sooo banal that it's cornball dull humour just gets a room rolling with laughter,... The 'second mate' version feels more like the real thing.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Snuffy
Date: 18 Sep 00 - 06:56 PM

Ron Shuttleworth, who wrote "Strike the Bell, Landlord,", is till around. He has a long association with the Coventry Mummers, and maintains the archive of mummers' plays for the Morris Ring. He has wrote (??? written!) quite a number of songs, but nearly all parodies as far as I know.

Wassail! V

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: MartinRyan
Date: 18 Sep 00 - 08:15 PM

Joe

For once, you've lost me! What's timeless about "fag" (ITC) and why does "bag" make more sense? To me - it makes sense, period!

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Thomas the Rhymer
Date: 18 Sep 00 - 10:53 PM

Snuffy, I think highly of anyone who would write songs that stand one heck of a chance of out living the original. It's just that over here, (assuming we're across the ocean deep from one another) the originals often arrive after the parodies... And soooo... Since stand-out songs are usually the ones who get nominated for the parody, it is easy to see how wonderful it feels to get the original. It just makes the parody even funnier!

Best regards to Ron!

And ,.. thank you snuffy!!!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 29 Sep 00 - 07:04 AM

G'day Ickle Dorritt (et al),

The tune of Ring the Bell Watchman remained popular as a dance tune in Australia long after the American original became irrelevant in Amaerica, after the end of the Civil War. It was parodied around the 1880s for a song about shearing Click go the Shears and that has remained very popular and "typically Australian", and so has been used often in this sort of extravaganza.

Of course, to Australian folk performers, it becomes #1 'potboiler' - avoided at all costs ... but played for the tourists ... even a hundred thousand of them at the Olympic Stadium!

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: sian, west wales
Date: 29 Sep 00 - 08:41 AM

The Welsh song to the tune, I think, is older than 1880s. It's popular as Twll Bach y Clo, about a farm servant who sneaks into the farmer's house to 'court' a maid within, and has to hide in a closet and watch through the keyhole for a chance to escape. A baby is born 9 months later with a birth mark the shape of a keyhole... The tune is generally recognized as being a Henry Work tune...

Australia - Wales - USA. Why this feeling of deja vu?

sian

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Thomas the Rhymer
Date: 29 Sep 00 - 12:05 PM

What he's a thinkin' of, he doesn't know himself
And we wish that he would hurry up and TELL US WHAT HE"S ON TO!

Hey sian, I'm excited to hear you elaborate!!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Stewie
Date: 29 Sep 00 - 08:51 PM

There's a delightful instrumental of 'Ring the bell watchman' by Ernest 'Pop' Stoneman that was unearthed only relatively recently. It featured Pop on guitar and his wife, Hattie, on fiddle. It was the last recording Stoneman made for Edison. He titled it 'Watchman ring that bell'. It may be found on a beaut collection with notes by Frank Mare: Ernest V. Stoneman 'Edison Recordings 1928' County CD 3510.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 30 Sep 00 - 12:04 AM

G'day Sian (et al),

I was making a fairly loose guess at Click go the Shears dating from the 1880s ... based on language, terms, shearing style, social factors. The Henry Clay Work song dates firmly from the end of the American Civil War, being written to celebrate the news of the war's end, so that dates it as 1865. HC Work also "wrote" Marching through Georgia (he actually set it straight down in music type without a written version, being a music typesetter by trade) to celebrate Sherman's victory.

Ring the Bell, Watchman would probably have been published in Australia the same year or the next, so the parody could be as early as 1865 (possibly with later adaptations bringing it up to date ... but not being re-written after shearing switched to machine shears in the 1890s). The tune is a very good Schottische tune and is played by most old 'Bush' players - and generally known as Ring the Bell. Click go the Shears presumably had a much smaller audience, restricted to nostalgic old shearers who had worked with hand shears before the 1890s.

Sian: Do you have the text of Twll Bach y Clo (preferably with English approximation)? I presume my Canberra-bound friend Mark Campbell (who I visited during my "get out of the Sydney Olympics" peregrinations) might like to add it to his Australian/Celtic connections playlist.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: sian, west wales
Date: 02 Oct 00 - 06:29 AM

Bob

Yep, got it somewhere, I'm sure. I'll see what I can dig up. I imagine all these versions developed independently and around the same period ... can't keep a good toon down.

sian

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: RoyH (Burl)
Date: 02 Oct 00 - 12:27 PM

Roy Harris sang this song on his 1972 album 'The Bitter & The Sweet' Topic 12TS217. In the sleeve notes A.L. LLoyd said 'Henry Clay Work(1832-84), a Chicago printer, wrote 'Marching Through Georgia', 'The Ship That Never Returned', 'Grandfather's Clock', and other immortal pieces, including 'Ring The Bell,Watchman', one of the most parodied of all 19th Century popular songs. Australian sheep-hands had their version, called 'Click Go The Shears, and British sailors turned it into a work-weary appeal for the second mate to sound the signal for the end of the watch -'Strike The Bell'. Henry Work wrote the song in 1865, so presumably the sailor version arose during the time of the changeover from sail to steam Late on anyway'. Further to this, a few years ago I heard a Salvation Army band playing the tune out in the street. I asked them the name of it.The reply was 'Ring The Bell, Watchman'. Still active!. You can't keep a good tune down.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Thomas the Rhymer
Date: 02 Oct 00 - 01:05 PM

Nice work burl! Thanks!

Subject: Lyr Add: TWLL BACH Y CLO / THE LITTLE KEY HOLE
From: sian, west wales
Date: 03 Oct 00 - 05:06 AM

Bob et al, here's Twll Bach y Clo. I don't know how the formatting will turn out, as I input it to Word and copied across, and threw in a few br's here and there for luck. Also there are circumflex accents throughout which I've tried to put after the appropriate letter. Arggh.

Twll Bach y Clo (The Little Key Hole)

'Roedd cap nos o eira ar gopa pob bryn,
A'r rhew wedi gwydro pob ffos,dw^r a llyn;
'Roedd Gwenno'n gwau hosan wrth olau'r ta^n glo,
A Huwcyn oedd yn specian trwy dwll bach y clo.

(Every hill-top was wearing its night cap, and ice had glassed over every ditch, bit of water and lake; Gwenno was knitting a sock by firelight, and Huwie was peeking at her through the little key hole.)

Y gath oedd yn gorwedd yn dorch ar y mat,
A'r tad yn pesychu wrth smocio ei gat,
Y fam oedd yn ffraeo fel dynes o'i cho',
A Huwcyn oedd yn clywed trwy dwll bach y clo.

(The cat was curled up on the mat and dad was coughing while smoking is pipe, mother was in a mad rage and Huwie was listening to it all through the little key hole.)

Y fam oedd yn synnu fod Gwenno mewn gwanc,
Mor wirion a^ charu rhyw leban o lanc,
A Huwcyn yn gwybod mai hwnnw oedd o,
A'i galon fach yn crynu wrth dwll bach y clo.

(Mam was amazed that Gwenno had gone crazy in love over some young bumpkin, and Huwie knew that she was talking about *him*; and his little heart started quivering at the little key hole.)

Y tad aeth i fyny i'r lloft oedd uwch ben,
A'r fam roes agoriad y drws, dan ei phen,
Ond Gwenno arhosodd i 'nuddo'r ta^n glo
A disgwyl am lythyr trwy dwll bach y clo.

(Dad went up to bed, as did Mam, putting the key to the door beneath her head -ie. pillow - but Gwenno stayed up to tend to the fire ... and look for a letter through the little key hole.)

'Roedd sw^n y dylluan fel bwgan mewn coed,
A'r ci bach yn cyfarth wrth glywed sw^n troed,
A Huwcyn yn dianc fel lleidr ar ffo
'R o^l dwedyd gair yn ddistaw trwy dwll bach y clo.

(The owl sounded like a ghost in the trees, and the puppy barked at the sound of footsteps, and Huwie escaped like a thief in the night, having spoken a quiet work through the little key hole.)

A chyn pen dwy flynedd 'roedd Gwen Jo^s yn wraig,
A Huw Jo^s yn hwsmon i Ffowc Tan-y-graig,
A chanddynt un plentyn, y glana'n y fro,
Ac arno fan-cyn-geni -- llun twll bach y clo!

(Within two years, Gwen Jones was a wife, and Huw Jones a manager on Ffowc Tan-y-Graig's farm, and together they had one child, the prettiest in the land, and on him a birth-mark, the shape of a little key hole.)

You might also find it useful, if you want to give the Welsh a try, to refer to one of the on-line Welsh courses for pronunciation. Try welsh.lamp.ac.uk/camu or www.cs.brown,edu/fun/welsh/Welsh.html Sorry, I've no idea how to do the BCTs.

The song has been recorded by Plethyn, with a chorus but it makes it awfully long and a friend of mine always sings it without. In fact, I think the chorus might come from the other version mentioned below: Clywch y Bloedd, Fechgyn.

These are notes (in translation) on the song by one of our experts, Huw Williams:

Published in several collections in the previous century (ie. 19th) under the title 'Clywch y floedd, fechgyn' (Hear the call, boys), words by Gwrtheyrn, and without the name of the tune's composer. The music is the work of H.C.Work, and it was published under the title, 'Ring the bell, watchman' in Musical Bouquet (number 3936). For H.C.Work see under 'Dowch adref fy nhad', ...

So, under that one Huw writes of Work:

'Father come home' (Dowch adref fy nhad) is the tune, written by Henry Clay Work (1832 - 1884), a native of Middletown, Conn, America. The composer was self- educated, and wrote a number of songs which became very popular, amongst them, 'Grandfather's Clock' and 'Marching through Georgia'. ...

Hope that's of use or interest.

sian

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: RoyH (Burl)
Date: 03 Oct 00 - 07:33 AM

Brilliant Sian. I'm going to show that to my Welsh speaking family.

Subject: Lyricist Req -'Strike the Bell Landlord'
From: Thomas the Rhymer
Date: 29 Nov 02 - 12:35 PM

I am wondering if anyone knows the author of this fine parody. Though I learned it before I heard the song "Strike the Bell, Second Mate", I stopped playing the parody when the original popped up... Now, something ringging in me 'ed sez I gotta put up the parody... It's time for me to discuss this with the author. I do remember someone some time ago saying something somewhere to sombody... ttr

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 Nov 02 - 01:05 PM

Hi, Thomas - hope you don't mind that I moved you to this thread. In the first message, Radriano says the words were written by Ron Shuttleworth of Coventry, England. He learned this song from Johnny Collins' album, "Free & Easy."
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Thomas the Rhymer
Date: 29 Nov 02 - 01:21 PM

Thanks, Joseph! I might use this moment to clarify... I wonder if anyone here "Knows" Ron Shuttleworth of Coventry, England... and if so, could ya put me in touch? PM me maybe... thanks, ttr

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 Nov 02 - 01:43 PM

Hi, Thomas - I noticed a message from Snuffy higher up in the thread that says Ron Shuttleworth has a long association with the Coventry Mummers. Snuffy's often a good resource.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Leadfingers
Date: 29 Nov 02 - 02:09 PM

I first met Ron when he ran the song bit of the Folk Division of the Camping Society of Great Britain at their annual Easter camp in a field near Blockley in the Cotswolds.
The Line 'If a copper stopped my car I'd surely set his bag alight' refers to the early Breathalysers,When one had to blow into a plastic bag through a tube filled with crystals. Depending on the colour change of the crystals you were nicked or not as the case may be.
Ron can still be heard at various events round the country, though I am afraid I have not got a contact for him.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Joe_F
Date: 29 Nov 02 - 04:24 PM

And where does "Ring the Bell, Verger" stand in the queue?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Thomas the Rhymer
Date: 29 Nov 02 - 05:13 PM

Prominently, ...at the very front, leading the way.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Nov 02 - 06:52 PM

Henry Clay Work's "Ring the Ball, Watchman", 1865, can be found in the Levy sheet music collection (Mudcat's Links)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Noreen
Date: 29 Nov 02 - 07:24 PM

I'll mention this to Snuffy when I see him tomorrow- he'll know how to contact Ron. (Ron himself may even be there at the Bedworth festival this weekend, as it's his part of the world.)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 29 Nov 02 - 08:28 PM

Now there's an odd thing. I felt sure that I'd posted to this thread a little earlier on, but obviously I screwed it up at the last minute.

Ron Shuttleworth is the Mumming Archivist for the Morris Ring, and contact details are available at Officers of the Morris Ring : 2002.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 29 Nov 02 - 08:34 PM

Curioser and curioser. My third attempt at getting that last post to take did actually arrive here; but with entirely the wrong URL.

That last part would be my fault; Please ignore (unless you particularly want the Holmfirth Festival site), and try instead

Officers of the Morris Ring : 2002

Sorry for the confusion.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Snuffy
Date: 29 Nov 02 - 09:06 PM

Ron is still around, and writing songs. He is also an active participant in the newly formed Warwickshire Singers circle, which meets on the 15th of every month. Next meeting 15th Dec, at the Boat Inn, Stockton, near Southam.

WassaiL! V

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Joe_F
Date: 30 Nov 02 - 06:53 PM

I didn't mean "Ring the Bell, Watchman". I meant

Ring the bell, verger, ring the bell, ring.
Perhaps the congregation will condescend to sing.
Perhaps the village organist, sitting on his stool,
Will play upon the organ instead of on his tool.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: GUEST,Mr Happy
Date: 30 Jan 05 - 01:15 PM

There's another set of words to this tune, something about a shepherd.

All I remember of it is the last coupla words of the chorus '....and the dog wagged his tail'

Anyone have the rest of the words please?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: GUEST,Mr Happy
Date: 30 Jan 05 - 01:25 PM

Had a look elsewhere & came up with title 'The Shepherd and his dog'+ one verse

Now there once was a shepherd who lived all alone
Away in the hills in a hut built of stone
He guarded his sheep so they kept to the trail
And the shepherd whistled gaily and the dog wagged his tail.

Anyone have any more?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 30 Jan 05 - 01:49 PM

I'd answered you at folkinfo Mr H but I don't suppose a copy/paste here will do any harm.
-----------

Here you go, Mr H, Singing Together Spring 1971. Credited there as a Welsh Folk Tune with Words By Barbra Kluge.

There once was a shepherd who lived on his own.
Away on the hills in a hut built of stone.
He guarded his sheep and they kept to the trail,
So the shepherd whistled gaily and the dog wagged his tail.

In springtime he watched how the lambs in thier play
All kicked up their hooves and then darted away.
The dog fetched them back if they strayed to the dale,
So the shepherd whistled gaily and the dog wagged his tail.

In winter he sheltered away from the cold
With his dog by the fire. while the flock in the fold
Lay safe from the blustering, buffeting gale,
So the shepherd whistled gaily and the dog wagged his tail.

I loved that song as a kid but I'm not so sure of the words now...

Jon

----------

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: GUEST,Mr Happy
Date: 30 Jan 05 - 06:53 PM

That's smashing Jon, thanks for such a speedy response!

Subject: Lyr Add: IN COME THE DOLLARS (Ted Roberts)
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 17 Oct 10 - 06:54 AM

Gib sang "Ring The bell second mate" at the BBC club this week.
I had to read this thread as I remembered "Click go the shears" and wanted to check which was earlier.
Being a lover of parodies I also recalled that the Australian government parodied "lick go the shears" to advertise decimalisation:

IN COME THE DOLLARS:
Words by Ted Roberts for The Decimal Currency Board

In come the dollars and in come the cents
to replace the pounds and the shillings and the pence.
Be prepared folks when the coins begin to mix
on the 14th of February 1966.

Clink go the cents folks clink, clink, clink.
Changeover day is closer than you think.
Learn the value of the coins and the way that they appear
and things will be much smoother when the decimal point is here.

In come the dollars and in come the cents
to replace the pounds and the shillings and the pence.
Be prepared folks when the coins begin to mix
on the 14th of February 1966.

Cheers Nigel

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: dick.hamlet
Date: 24 Oct 10 - 12:06 PM

A minor clue to the sequence and dating of these songs:
In Henry Lawson's short story "The Songs They Sang" (published
in ON THE TRACK (1900), he quotes a verse of "Ring the Bell,
Watchman", but no mention of either "Shears" or "2nd Mate".
I can't think he wouldn't have mentioned the Australian
parody if he knew of it. But he is talking about the "roaring days"
of "twenty years and more ago". The story has snatches of many
songs from that time.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 24 Oct 10 - 01:44 PM

Twll Bach Y Clo: Unwaith Eto
The Little Key Hole: Once Again

After Siân provided the words above, I thought I'd try to get the translation to scan in English. The translation work is based on Siân's above. Where I've deviated it's to make it easier for me!

Each & ev'ry hill-top wore a night-cap made of snow
And ice glazed all the waters in the valleys down below
Gwenno knitted socks by the firelight from the coal
While Huwie spied upon her through the small key hole.

The cat, like a wreath, was curled up upon the floor.
The foul pipe dad was smoking had him coughing more & more.
Mam was set to quarrel, like a woman from the choir
And Huwie at the small key hole heard all that did transpire.

Mam she was amazed, she thought Gwenno had gone mad
To give her heart away to some simple country lad.
Huwie's heart was racing, and he treasured ev'ry word
That through that little key hole he had just now overheard.

Dad then went upstairs to get ready for his bed
Mam took up the door key to keep safe beneath her head.
Gwenno stayed below, (pause) "to bank up the coal",
As she hoped to get a letter through the little key hole.

Like a ghost in the trees, was the screech of an owl.
The sound of Huwie's footsteps made the puppy howl.
Huwie stayed no longer, like a thief, away he stole
Having spoken quite words through that little key hole.

In two years or less, Gwenno Jones was a bride.
With Huwie Jones, farm manager, stood proudly at her side.
They had a little son, the fairest little soul
With a strange, but charming, birthmark like a small key hole.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: sian, west wales
Date: 08 Nov 10 - 12:16 PM

Sorry, Nige! You published this while I was off at our weekend course and I've been playing catch-up ever since. Great stuff! May I make a couple of suggestions?

V1. Gwenno knitted socks by the fire heaped with coal

V2. "Mam was set to quarrel, like a woman from the choir" LOL! Really? Is this the new benchmark for madwomen?

V5: Having spoken QUIET? words through that little key hole.

Really really good! You do like to cram the syllables in, don't you? Make sure your dentures are in good 'n' solid!

sian

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 11 Nov 10 - 01:40 PM

Gwenno knitted socks by the fire heaped with coal
Better than mine, "curse you Penelope Pitstop"!

V2. "Mam was set to quarrel, like a woman from the choir" LOL! Really? Is this the new benchmark for madwomen?
I couldn't see a direct translation for fel dynes o'i cho', so I may have been a little fanciful, but you should hear our altos arguing!

V5: Having spoken QUIET? words through that little key hole.
Taken almost directly from your translation: having spoken a quiet work through the little key hole

Cheers
Nigel

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: cptsnapper
Date: 11 Nov 10 - 04:45 PM

I seem to remember hearing Alan Breeze sing something which might have a connection to this song on the Billy Cotton Band Show years ago.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Mar 11 - 01:46 PM

i was listning to mike harding sing this song with martin carthy and mike himself played it on his show on radio two. i also heard a scots song sung to the same tune by andy stewart and it was caled ring the bell kinly. my friend martin said that he wrote that song and i did not know if that was true. well martin i am sorry to say that you are wrong on the tune. the tune was first writen by henry clay work as ring the bell trojen. in beetween the scots song and the song that i am talking about there was an australian song caled click go the shears made famous by english singer and collecter al lloyd. so thare you go martin the tune was existing tune from the usa.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 13 Mar 11 - 02:15 PM

Same point made 11 years ago towards the beginning of this thread, Guest.

~ Becky in Long Beach

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 13 Mar 11 - 08:52 PM

G'day all ... and sundry,

It's very interesting to look back over all the "folk adaptations' that have clustered around the form and tune of H C Work's 1865 Ring the Bell, Watchman. I'm not sure about the rest of you folkies ... but I always reckon the tune (and it's parodies) survived well in Australia because it was a great "Schottische" tune ... and, as the Military Schottische morphed into the Barn Dance!

Singing along with the dance tune being played was a habit commented upon in small rural dances ("Bush Dances") of the Australian "Outback" (~backblocks)in the days before amplification ... and especially in small, often very informal, home dances, where a single player, on (Anglo-) concertina or button accordion, might be supplying dance rhythms to people dancing on the rsmmed earth floors of two or three different rooms. The player might stand at the junction of the rooms ... but people singing along would also keep track of where they all were in the tune / dance set!

Regards,

Bob

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 14 Mar 11 - 11:54 AM

Here's the Hawick heavy rock version as performed by Scottish Borders band Scocha (and audience!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhlFvWvKVqc

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell (Ron Shuttleworth)
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 17 Mar 11 - 01:03 PM

Should have said, fast forward to 2mins 44 before any singing!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell (Ron Shuttleworth)
From: Gurney
Date: 17 Mar 11 - 03:33 PM

Ron did a great parody of 'William Brown' from a union point-of-view at one of our last nights before we emigrated. Does anyone know it?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell (Ron Shuttleworth)
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 17 Mar 11 - 05:36 PM

And of course, Joan the Leather Queen ...

Kitty

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell (Ron Shuttleworth)
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Dec 12 - 01:04 PM

'The shepherd and his dog' is a song that has the same tune to 'ring the bell watchman'. i first knew it as 'the shepherd and his dog' and we all sung this song at music class but every sunday my friend martin got in to scots music and he forgot the song that we sang but he does not know either 'ring the bell watchhman' or 'click go the shears'!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Strike the Bell (Ron Shuttleworth)
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 06 Jun 13 - 07:42 AM

I thought I'd commented on this before, but:
For once, you've lost me! What's timeless about "fag" (ITC) and why does "bag" make more sense? To me - it makes sense, period!



I have to admit, I've had a drop or two myself
My visions kind of fuzzy and my legs aren't working well
If a copper stops me now, by breath would set his bag alight
So keep me off the road and let me stay all night

In context I would have to say 'bag' is the correct option.
The singer is admitting to signs of intoxication. If he were stopped (while driving) by a 'copper' (policeman) he might expect to hear those imortal words "Would you just blow into this bag sir?" as the early form of breath test involved inflating a plastic bag by blowing through a tube of crystals which change colour in the presence of alcohol. The bag ensured that a sufficient quantity of breath had passed through the tube to be a valid sample.