Tune Req: Tommy's Lot

Subject: Help: finding tabs for 'Tommys Lot'
From: GUEST,Alison Warren
Date: 15 Jan 01 - 12:47 PM

Does anyone know where I can get the tabs for a song called 'Spare a thought for Tommys Lot' it's about the first world war. I'm not sure who has recorded it. Any replies either on the board or to the following e-mail [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Help: finding tabs for 'Tommys Lot'
From: GUEST,nutty
Date: 15 Jan 01 - 02:28 PM

I'm not sure but it may come from 'All in a Day's Work ' which was written and produced by Mick Ryan --- I will check further

Subject: RE: Help: finding tabs for 'Tommys Lot'
From: nutty
Date: 16 Jan 01 - 06:42 PM

I was wrong it's not from 'All in a Days Work'but I know I've heard it recently. Could it be from 'The Widows Uniform'? Someone out there must know

Subject: RE: Help: finding tabs for 'Tommys Lot'
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 17 Jan 01 - 03:55 AM

The song is called Tommy's Lot although the refrain is as you say, Alison. I know a couple of people who sing/play it but I am not in touch with them at present to get the chords/tab.

It contains some of my favourite lines including, "How can your mother say that your father fell, in a place that she can't even spell..." Magic stuff.

I believe the writer had an Irish name, Brendan something, possibly. He was based in England, certainly in the late 70's/early eighties. He was with a trio named Tommy's Lot who did our folk club a couple of times. They were very good indeed but, oddly enough, won our 'Worst singer of the Night' contest with a rendition of some old standard - in three different keys at the same time!!! We had to report that in th elocal rag using a made up name to protect the guilty - Most Motly (anag. of Tommys Lot if you didn't notice!)

I think you are way off with the Widows Uniform, nutty. That's Kipling and this is relatively recent.

Good Luck and if you don't get the details soon PM me and I will try to get in touch with someone who will know. If you are not yet a Mudcat member and cannot join I don't mind you using my home address, [e-mail].

Cheers

Dave the Gnome

Subject: RE: Help: finding tabs for 'Tommys Lot'
From: nutty
Date: 17 Jan 01 - 04:54 AM

I wasn't sure Dave - I was trying to dredge it up from the depths of a failing memory as I knew that I had heard it. Knew that someone should be able to help though.

Subject: RE: Help: finding tabs for 'Tommys Lot'
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 17 Jan 01 - 05:24 AM

Know the feeling well, Nutty. The worst things about getting old are a failing memory and, erm, errrm, errrrm...

Widows Uniform was a good guess though, with the 'Tommy' connection and all that. Funily enough I gave Kiplings 'Tommy' an airing Monday just gone and managed to remember the words all the way through without falling over!

As Terry Wogan says, do I come here often?:-)

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: Help: finding tabs for 'Tommys Lot'
From: captainbirdseye
Date: 22 Jun 06 - 04:10 AM

DICK MILES performed and recorded the song in 1985,the song was written by dominic williams of the new bracken band,i know dick miles intends to re record it. geoff higg in botham also recorded It ,dicks version not surprisingly had alovely concertina arrangement,dick miles can be contacted on concertina net,his snail mail adress, is cooragurteen, ballydehob co cork eire.hemight put the chords down for you ,he is normally quite helpful.Captain Birdseye.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Tommy's Lot
From: GUEST,D W
Date: 04 Oct 12 - 06:40 AM

TOMMY'S LOT Words and music by Dominic Williams

G            C               Am6                         G/Am6/Em
All for a uniform and three square meals a day
Em                     C                     D
We marched off in the Grand Parade
G            C               Am6                         G/Am6/Em
Across the sea to France and up the line to death
Em                     C       D
Like we were off on holiday,
Em                     C                         D
But where's your land that's fit for heroes,
Em                     C                         D
And the promises that you forgot?
G            C               Am6                         G/Am6/Em
Blame it on the King, blame it on Lloyd George,
Em                C                   D    G
But spare a thought for Tommy's Lot.

At Passchendaele, through the gas and shell,
We stumbled through the jaws of Hell,
But how will a mother say,"Your father fell…"
In a town that she can't even spell?

And, if these men died for a reason,
Did anybody tell them what?
Call it an act of God, call it insanity,
But spare a thought for Tommy's Lot.

Whatever became of the war to end all wars?
Where did that grand illusion go?
We left it buried in the bloody fields of France
Beyond the lines of Maginot.

Now, from the poppy fields of Flanders,
The ghosts who never heard that final shot
Sing, "Jerusalem will be built again!"
But spare a thought for Tommy's Lot.

G               C         Am6         G/Am6/Em C   D      G
"There is a corner of a foreign field that is forever England."

©1980 Dominic Williams

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Tommy's Lot
From: Owen Woodson
Date: 04 Oct 12 - 06:51 AM

Rich Man's Ruin, a radical Liverpool folk group can be found singing Tommy's Lot here .

Dominic Williams is a Liverpool songwriter who used to teach English at Liverpool Hope University, and Alun Parry, who introduces the song is quite right. It's one of the finest songs about the first world war ever written.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Tommy's Lot
From: Richard from Liverpool
Date: 04 Oct 12 - 06:57 PM

A very good song, which I first heard performed by Vinny Spens and Alun Parry (i.e. Rich Man's Ruin, referred to above). They sing it very well.

I wonder if GUEST,D W is Dominic Williams? If so, thank you for providing us with such a poignant piece of music.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Tommy's Lot
From: The Sandman
Date: 04 Oct 12 - 07:26 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ5xZQVkhakhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ5xZQVkhak I recorded this in 1985 on an lp called cheating the tide

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Tommy's Lot
From: Owen Woodson
Date: 05 Oct 12 - 06:04 AM

There's a strange and unintentional irony in the line "All for a uniform and three square meals a day". My father was no faddy eater by any stretch of the imagination. But he used to wax long and lyrical about the lousy quality and the miniscule servings and sheer monontony of the food he got served up during his world war two army service.

He used to claim that from Monday to Saturday, they got beans on toast, and on Sunday, they got toast and beans.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Tommy's Lot
From: GUEST,D.W.
Date: 25 Apr 21 - 03:51 AM

No unintentional irony. Entirely deliberate! Actually a quote from veteran looking back and saying, 'We thought we'd get three square meals a day,see a bit of France and it would all be over by Christmas.'

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Tommy's Lot
From: The Sandman
Date: 25 Apr 21 - 06:49 AM

Well done, Dominic, good song

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Tommy's Lot
From: The Sandman
Date: 28 Apr 21 - 05:23 AM

Anyone remember the NAMES OF other two people that sang with Dominic, in the NBB