Lyr Req: lament of a working class hero's wife

Subject: for lament of a working class heroes wif
From: TamthebamfraeScotland
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 12:09 PM

My name is Tom Hamilton and I'm looking for the words to a song called lament of a working class heroes wife, I heard it on the radio.

So can anyone help me please

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: for lament of a working class heroes
From: Deckman
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 03:04 PM

Are you maybe thinking of "Life is a Toil?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: for lament of a working class heroes
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 03:04 PM

I don't have the song, but can provide the following information from Jack Campin which might possibly help someone to find it.  Apparantly it's a Feminist song, written collectively in the 1970s in Scotland (possibly Edinburgh) and set to the pipe march The Black Bear.  It was published in the Pluto Press anthology, My Song Is My Own, and begins

"Oh, the sink is leaking and the wains are greeting..."

I've only found reference to one recording of it, on The Patter - The Album & More (various artists, Lismor Records LCOM6020)

If it's any help with identification, there are a couple of sets of the tune -midis available- (I assume it's the same one, though probably rather bouncier as a march than as a lament!) at  JC's Tunefinder

The Black Bear

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: for lament of a working class heroes
From: Hollowfox
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 05:05 PM

I remember Frankie Armstrong doing the song Malcom is referring to at a concert in 1980, but I don't know if it's on any of her recordings. I'll see if I can scare up anything at home, but I won't be able to post it before Tuesday, when I get back to work.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: for lament of a working class heroes
From: TamthebamfraeScotland
Date: 14 Jan 01 - 06:40 AM

I just like to say to all the people who have answered my request.

I thankyou all very much and I'm really grateful.

Subject: Lyr Add: LAMENT OF THE WORKING CLASS HERO'S WIFE
From: Catrin
Date: 14 Jan 01 - 11:50 AM

Is this it?

LAMENT OF THE WORKING CLASS HERO'S WIFE

O the wains are greeting and the sink is leaking
And you're standing in the pub wi' your Youngers Tartan Special,
And you say you're educating all the younger generation
Of your left wing politics and that's a fact.

CHORUS
I ken I'm the wife but I'll no be your skivvy
You may be a man, but what can you give me?
Cuts in houses, cuts and bruises,
That's no the story for a bloody life of glory!

O you say that the solution is a left wing revolution,
But your drinking money's pockled fae the family allowance;
Your Marx and all your Lenin does nae help me with the cleaning
And I've had to put my wedding ring into the pawn

CHORUS

Well I really canna take it, so you're going to have to make it
On your own, 'cos I'm going with the bairns and our belongings
And we'll maybe go to Maggie's or to Effie's or to Aggie's
Cos we've got a lot of sisters that'll help me through!


Words taken from My Song Is My Own, 100 Women's Songs Edited by Kathy Henderson with Frankie Armstrong and Sandra Kerr.(1982) - Published by Pluto Press.

In the info about the song, it says "New words to a traditional scots tune by Linda Peachey and sisters from Edinburgh and Glasgow women's liberation groups, 1977."

Subject: lament of a workingn class heroes wife
From: TamthebamfraeScotland
Date: 17 Jan 01 - 07:29 AM

Hello, I'm still don't konw if the words that I submited to the mud cat cafe is right?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: for lament of a working class heroes
From: TamthebamfraeScotland
Date: 18 Jan 01 - 11:38 AM

Thank you Cartin for the words.

I'm sorry if I was a pest to everyone involved with this song.

Yours faithfully

Tom

P.S. The words are weans and Cannae. If this sounds cheeky then I'm sorry.

Tom

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: for lament of a working class heroes
From: Noreen
Date: 18 Jan 01 - 12:34 PM

No problem, Tom, glad you got what you were looking for. But multiple threads do confuse, and spread the effort unnecessarilly thinly.

Noreen

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: for lament of a working class heroes
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 18 Jan 01 - 01:12 PM

For what it's worth, "wains" and "canna" are perfectly good alternative spellings.  (See Chambers Scots Dictionary for example.)

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: for lament of a working class heroes
From: TamthebamfraeScotland
Date: 18 Jan 01 - 02:35 PM

Well as I said before to Wolfgang,

I'm Just learning and we all make mistakes. I just didn't know about sending all these threads. And as I said we're all learners and some people tend to forget that. Noreen.

So when Someone else like comes onto this site does the same as me, please be a little bit kinder to them than you were to me.

Thanks again

Tom

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: for lament of a working class heroes
From: TamthebamfraeScotland
Date: 18 Jan 01 - 02:42 PM

Dear Noreen,

As I have wrote to Wolfgang, I'm just a learner and It was only the other day that I found out about threads and how to use them. Some people tend to forget that they were learners at one time. We can't be all smart and find out about threads, filters or age. It takes time, and If i've sent too many threads then I applogise to you all. But as I say plaese the next time you tell someone off for sending too many threads, just remeber the first time that you tried them out. And spare a thought about people like me who are just that wee bit slow.

And as for Malcolm, I come from Scotland and that's the way that we talk in the west coast of Scotland, I come from a small town 30 miles south west of Glasgow. It's called Saltcoats.

If I'm being Cheeky, I just get mad at these people who tebnd to forget that we are all learners in this life. And some are not as smart as other people.

Tom

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: for lament of a working class heroes
From: mousethief
Date: 18 Jan 01 - 02:46 PM

Give up, Tom. Some people are just going to be nasty to newbies and learners, and there's nothing we can do about it. I've been banging my head against this wall since I've been on Mudcat (about 4 months) and it hasn't done a bit of good.

The best we can do is to be polite ourselves, and hope that maybe some of it rubs off.

Welcome aboard, mate. Remember that to get along in any online environment, you have to remember the advice given to new souls in hell: "Ignore the flames."

Alex

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: for lament of a working class heroes
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 18 Jan 01 - 04:27 PM

Good heavens, nobody has been in the slightest bit nasty to Tom, and there have been no flames that I have seen.  We have gone out of our ways to help, indeed.  As for my point of information above, I am sure that he is not so thin-skinned as to take that as a criticism; had it been intended as such, I would have said so.  In order to avoid any further misunderstandings, I'd suggest a quick look at the permanent FAQ thread at the top of the Forum page, which explains a lot of things about this site that newcomers may not know, and which helps people to get the best results from posting here.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: for lament of a working class heroes
From: TamthebamfraeScotland
Date: 18 Jan 01 - 05:00 PM

thanks Malcom and Mousethief Tom

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: for lament of a working class heroes
From: TamthebamfraeScotland
Date: 18 Jan 01 - 05:01 PM

Thanks Malcolm and Mousethief (Alex)

You'll all be glad to know that will be my last message.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: for lament of a working class heroes
From: TamthebamfraeScotland
Date: 18 Jan 01 - 05:05 PM

Thanks again Malcolm & Alex for understanding.

I will finish this carry on by leaving you.

However I will visit this thread every once in while.

Tom

P.S. you'll be gald to know that I like this wee talk that we have and if I have upset anyone I'm sorry.

So it's goodbye and I hope to talk to you again soon

Tom

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: for lament of a working class heroes
From: mousethief
Date: 18 Jan 01 - 05:06 PM

Taking your ball and going home? Forgive me if I roll my eyes.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: for lament of a working class heroes
From: TamthebamfraeScotland
Date: 18 Jan 01 - 05:08 PM

At Least I know a wee bit about mud cat cafe. And thanks for the advice that I got from Malcolm, Wolfgang, Catrin for the lyrics and also Mousethief and Noreen.

I'll won't say goodbye because I'll be visting this thread every so often to see how we are getting on.

And I did need a good boot up the bum now and again.

Tom

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: for lament of a working class heroes
From: TamthebamfraeScotland
Date: 18 Jan 01 - 05:20 PM

You all be glad to know that I've saved the FAQ page as a favourite.

I'm quite new to the Internet and all that goes with it. So please be gentle with me.

Tom

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: for lament of a working class heroes
From: mousethief
Date: 18 Jan 01 - 05:29 PM

Hey, I thought you said you weren't going to post any more?

I was being gentle. But when people say "You'll be glad to know this is my last message" it sounds like they're saying "I'm leaving and I want to shove it in your face, as it's because of you." Which sets the teeth on edge.

Glad that's not what you meant.

Lots of people come here with few internet skills, but if you've got a sense of humor and are a reasonably well-tempered person, you should get along just fine. (How Spaw remains is beyond any of us to guess.)

It's really a wonderful place, this Mudcat Café. (See the unsolicited testimonials thread if you don't believe me!) Hope to see you around a lot more!

Alex

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: for lament of a working class heroes
From: Catrin
Date: 18 Jan 01 - 05:34 PM

Tom - you're lucky - new to the internet and you've stumbled on the best site around. I didn't interpret any of the messages as criticism. I remember though, when I first started usung the internet about six months ago, mudcat cafe was the first place I found (I think it's got something to do with being interested in folk music).

What got me really confused were the little 'typo's' which can add subtle (or not so subtle) meanings to the words that people post. For example :-) is a smiley face on it's side and *BG* = big grin....

Anyway, there have been plenty of discussions about it here's one

Cheers,

Catrin

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: for lament of a working class heroes
From: Catrin
Date: 18 Jan 01 - 05:37 PM

Errrm - I think I did something wrong then - try again - here's a thread about internet acronyms etc

And welcome Tom

Cheers,

Catrin

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: for lament of a working class heroes
From: Catrin
Date: 18 Jan 01 - 05:41 PM

dammit - I'm sure I've been doing what i always do to make a blue clicky thing

Fingers crossed!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: for lament of a working class heroes
From: TamthebamfraeScotland
Date: 19 Jan 01 - 12:01 PM

Hello this Tom, my nickname is busbitter, there reason is because I had an accident with a bus and I lost four front teeth, so that's one of new hobbiesm going around trying to bit buses.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: for lament of a working class heroes
From: TamthebamfraeScotland
Date: 21 Jan 01 - 01:52 PM

See I think that we should just forget about this thread

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: for lament of a working class heroes
From: Amergin
Date: 21 Jan 01 - 02:00 PM

Then why did you post on it?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: for lament of a working class heroes
From: TamthebamfraeScotland
Date: 23 Jan 01 - 01:11 PM

because I forgot

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: for lament of a working class heroes
From: TamthebamfraeScotland
Date: 01 Feb 01 - 02:36 PM

just to annoy you

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: for lament of a working class heroes
From: Diva
Date: 01 Feb 01 - 05:42 PM

Hullo Tam.... noo pit yer teeth back in and behave.. Diva PS I'm from Ayr

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: for lament of a working class heroes
From: GUEST,Ewan McVicar
Date: 01 Feb 01 - 06:34 PM

To return to the lyric, I have always heard that line of the chorus sung as
"Cuts in ma money, cuts and bruises".
Makes more sense to me than the way it is given above.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: for lament of a working class heroes
From: Catrin
Date: 01 Feb 01 - 06:40 PM

You're right Ewan - that was a typo by me - OOPS!

Cheers,

Catrin

Subject: Lyr Add: LAMENT OF A WORKING-CLASS HEROES WIFE
From: GUEST,Seton74
Date: 03 Jan 11 - 07:16 AM

MY favorites the version by Alison and Kirsty McMorland*,
Lyrics are ever so slightly different:

LAMENT OF A WORKING-CLASS HEROES WIFE

O the wains are greeting and the sink is leaking
And you're standing in the pub wi' your pint O Tartan Special,
And you say you're educating all the younger generation
In your left wing politics and that's a fact.

CHORUS
I ken I'm your wife but I'll no be your skivvy
You're maybe the man, whit dae ye gimme?
Cuts in ma money, cuts and bruises,
That's no the story for a bloody life of glory!

Well you say that the solution is a left wing revolution,
But your drinking money's pockled fae the family allowance;
All your Marx and all your Lenin does nae help me wi the cleaning
And I've had to put my wedding ring intae the pawn

CHORUS

Well I really canna take it, so you're going to have to make it
On your own, 'cos I'm going wi the wains and ma belongings
And i'll maybe go to Maggie's or to Effie's or to Aggie's
Cos i've got a lot of sisters that'll see me through!


*song featuerd on "The Patter The Album" - Songs, Poems, Wit and Words of Glasgow

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lament of a working class hero's wife
From: Jack Campin
Date: 03 Jan 11 - 11:28 AM

I think it may have been recorded on the companion LP to the "My Song is My Own" book, though I haven't seen a copy for 25 years.

My information came from Linda Peachey, who I think I contacted through the Glasgow Women's Library (which is still going).

I think the alliteration of "bairns" rather than "wains" in the last verse works better.