Lyr Req: England's Motorways / Come Me Little Son

Subject: lyrics to 'englands motorways' anyone?
From: GUEST,peadar o'leane
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 03:08 PM

a retired navigater once sang this song to me one night in the local irish club and i've been searching for the words ever since. I don't know if it's widely known or just known to the men who worked on the roads in the 60's and 70's but i'd be grateful if anyone has the lyrics( i know the tune already as its a standard trad. air ).Thanks in advance.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lyrics to 'englands motorways' anyon
From: Big Phil
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 03:34 PM

Is 'Englands motorways' the same song as sung by Luke Kelly as 'Come my little son'

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lyrics to 'englands motorways' anyon
From: GUEST,Bobby Bob, Ellan Vannin
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 05:12 PM

It's a song written by Ewan MacColl for a BBC radio programme about the building of the M1, 'Song of the Road'.

The song itself is based on 'Come all ye tramps and hawker lads'.

I haven't got the lyrics to hand, but if no-one else posts them in the near future, I'll dig them out.

Lhiats,

Bobby Bob

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lyrics to 'englands motorways' anyon
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 05:25 PM

Try This

Jon

link updated - jc

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lyrics to 'englands motorways' anyon
From:
Date: 21 Aug 03 - 03:30 PM

hey just discovered your site, very informative,i'm from dublin and searching for lyrics to englands motorways any help would be appreciated. go raibh maith agat slan. karl

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lyrics to 'englands motorways' anyon
From: Stewie
Date: 21 Aug 03 - 06:53 PM

Guest, it is in the DT. Click on Jon's link in the message immediately before yours. Also this thread:

Click Here

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lyrics to 'englands motorways' anyon
From: Reiver 2
Date: 22 Aug 03 - 02:42 PM

Check the thread; LyrAdd England's Motorways. I posted this on that thread and will repost it here.

The Reivers sang this and I think we got it from the Clancy Bros. album "Freeborn Man". All I have is a cassette copy with no information about it. A little different from Aidan's version. Each Chorus is slightly different. I like Aidan's verse that is not in this version. At the time we learned this I was separated from my wife and four kids and sending them what money I could. We never did this in public as I couldn't sing it without the tears coming.

COME MY LITTLE SON

Come my little son and I
Will tell you what we'll do.
Undress yourself and get into bed
And a tale I'll tell to you.
It's all about your daddy, he's
A man you seldom see,
for he's had to roam far away from home,
Away from you and me.

CHO: But remember lad, he's still your dad
    Though he's working far away;
    Working day and night upon the site
    Of England's motor way.

To buy your shoes, your daddy built
A length of railway track.
He built a hydro dam to buy
The clothesupon your back.
The motor highway buys the food,
But the wages soon are spent,
And though we have to live apart
It helps to pay the rent.

CHO: But remember lad, he's still your dad,
    And he's working far away,
    In the cold and heat, eighty hours a week,
    On England's motor way.

Sure we need your daddy here
And sure it would be fine
To have him working nearer home
And to see him all the time.
But beggars can't be choosers
And we have to pay our load
For we need the money your daddy earns
Working on the road.

CHO: But remember lad, he's still your dad
    And he'll soon be here to stay
    For a week or two with me and you
    When he's built the motor way.

Reiver 2