Lyr/Chords ADD: Plains of Waterloo

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Plains of Waterloo
From: GUEST,John Bowden (not a typo!)
Date: 03 Mar 18 - 06:17 AM

Congratulations on the amendments, Reinhard - good to see O. J. getting a few moe mentions! Best, John

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Plains of Waterloo
From: Reinhard
Date: 02 Mar 18 - 11:30 AM

Thank you John.

I've added a few more snippets from sleeve notes to Plains of Waterloo. Those on the High Level Ranters album say that Tom Gilfellon learned it from Martin Carthy, and Mick Ryan explicitely gave O.J. Abbott as his source.

I also removed the Pete and Chris Coe entry as their track is not Roud 960 at all but the song posted above on 19 Jan 01, attributed to Ian Hall. Sorry for that.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Plains of Waterloo
From: GUEST,John Bowden (not a typo!)
Date: 02 Mar 18 - 08:34 AM

Hi Reinhard: I must apologise for giving the wrong impression of what I meant to say - I shouldn't have used the word "(in)accurate", as the information you give on the website is perfectly accurate. What I meant to say was that most of the comments given by the artists quoted aren't very helpful as background information to the song, which was what Roisin asked about - they all reference other revival singers they heard the song from, but none of them mentions O. J. Abbott - I think revival versions probably all derive from Tom Gilfellon's version with the High Level Ranters, which introduced the flattened not in lines 3 and 4, and everybody seems to have been trying to outdo each other since in making the song more and more dirge-like! One of my many hobbyhorses is that many singers don't listen enough to traditional source singers - as Martin Carthy used to say, "Don't listen to me, listen to the people I listen to" - and I think it's a pity that Mr. Abbott doesn't get enough credit as a marvellous source singer! Rant over - and I'm sorry again for wrongly implying that there were inaccuracies in your info, mea maxima culpa!

Cheers,
John

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Plains of Waterloo
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 02 Mar 18 - 07:30 AM

Wes above gives the lines,
"We fought for three days, till at length we were defeated
By brave Napoleon Bony on the plains of Waterloo. "

Most historians agree that Napoleon lost that one.

Waterloo was fought in just one day, but there was fighting a couple of days earlier at Quatre Bras. Some units suffered heavier casualties there than later at Waterloo.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Plains of Waterloo
From: GUEST,Reinhard
Date: 02 Mar 18 - 02:19 AM

John, can you please tell me what's inaccurate on the Mainly Norfolk page so that I can fix it?

The sleeve notes I cite give either Ontario and Newfoundland as their source. But the Traditional Ballad Index validates this by saying: "Found in: Canada (Mar,Newf,Ont) Ireland".

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Plains of Waterloo
From: GUEST,John Bowden (not a typo!)
Date: 01 Mar 18 - 05:27 PM

I forgot to say, Mr. Abbott can be heard singing Plains of Waterloo on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/5JG2gEf8tRTPnXubrhwDEG

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Plains of Waterloo
From: GUEST,John Bowden (not a typo!)
Date: 01 Mar 18 - 05:20 PM

It was collected by Edith Fowke from O(liver) J(ohn) Abbott in Hull, Quebec, one of 120 songs she collected from him. In 1957 Fowke appeared on a TV programme talking abut the songs she was collecting, and O. J. Abbott's daughter, Mrs. Ida Dagenais, contacted her to say her father sang some old lumbering songs from Ontario, and Fowke then spent the summer of 1957 in the Ottawa Valley recording Mr. Abbott. He's a superb singer with some very interesting songs (e.g. his version of "The Banks of Newfoundland"), and he sings "The Plains of Waterloo" in a rather more sprightly fashion than revival singers, who tend to drag it out - and also get the tune wrong, flattening notes to give it a minor feel rather than the major key O. J. Abott sings it in (and Martin Simpson's tune bears very little resemblance to the original!). There's some more information (not all of it accurate!) here: https://mainlynorfolk.info/shirley.collins/songs/plainsofwaterloo.html

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Plains of Waterloo
From: GUEST,Roisin White
Date: 01 Mar 18 - 04:55 PM

Any background information on this song please??

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Plains of Waterloo
From: Paul Burke
Date: 10 Jan 16 - 02:56 PM

I though Acker Pella was like Acker Bilk, but without the clarinet.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Plains of Waterloo
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Jan 16 - 03:53 PM

Sorry correction on Martin Simpson's tuning : CGCGC D

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Plains of Waterloo
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 07 Jan 16 - 03:53 AM

a'capella means ' in the style of the church or chappel ' I think people apply this term to folk song rather than the more taditional ' unaccompanied ' because they think it sounds better [ which it isn't ]
just snobbish in my opinion.

Dave H

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Plains of Waterloo
From: GUEST,Doc
Date: 06 Jan 16 - 04:40 PM

And Capo on the 5th. If anybody's got Uke transcription /chords that would be nice. Cheers

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Plains of Waterloo
From: GUEST,Doc
Date: 06 Jan 16 - 04:37 PM

CGCGCG tuning by Martin Simpson on this song - he plays it in a Youtube clip discussing tunings.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Plains of Waterloo
From: wes.w
Date: 23 Jan 01 - 08:07 AM

Malcom.. I could have saved my brain a bit if I'd looked there, but it's reminded me that the last but one line of second verse should have been:
No one shall me enjoy but my own darling boy
best wishes ..wes

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Plains of Waterloo
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 22 Jan 01 - 05:25 PM

No need to torture those brain cells, Mariner.  It's in one of the earlier discussions mentioned above:  Plains of Waterloo  along with several others.  (Big event, lots of songs about it!)

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Plains of Waterloo
From: MARINER
Date: 22 Jan 01 - 03:02 PM

There's another Plains of Waterloo recorded by The Ian McCalman Folk Group. The chorus goes something like this. Ten thousand prisoners we made, Imperial Eagles too, Though prisoners we made there were more lay dead, On the Plains of Waterloo. At least I think thats how it goes, it's an old record and so are by brain cells

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Plains of Waterloo
From: GUEST,Yum Yum
Date: 22 Jan 01 - 05:08 AM

The music and word of this fine ballad can be found in John Moulden's song-book 'Songs of the People' selections of the Sam Henry collection. page118 - song No71. but I agree it is much better to sing it unaccompanied. Yum Yum

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Plains of Waterloo
From: Garry Gillard
Date: 21 Jan 01 - 04:57 AM

It means exactly what you said so clearly above, Snuffy. 'Cappella' is the Italian word for 'chapel'.

best, GaRRy

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Plains of Waterloo
From: Snuffy
Date: 20 Jan 01 - 09:45 AM

Thanks Gary. What does it mean in Italian musical terms?

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Plains of Waterloo
From: Garry Gillard
Date: 20 Jan 01 - 08:18 AM

It's Italian: "a cappella" [sic].

Subject: Lyr Add: PLAINS OF WATERLOO (from Shirley Collins)
From: wes.w
Date: 19 Jan 01 - 09:24 AM

Hi dadgad,
I think June used to sing the same one as Shirley Collins and Tim Lyons. Its almost the same as the one on DigiTrad.

Off the top of my head, so no guarentee, its:


O, as I was a walking, one mid summers morning
Down by the gay banks of a clear crystal stream,
There I spied a fair maid making sad lamentations,
So I put myself in ambush to hear her sad complain,
Through the woods she walked along,
caused the valleys to ring out,
and the fine feathered songsters around her they flew,
Saying the war it is now over and peace it is returned again,
But my Willie's not returning from the Plains of Waterloo

So I stepped up to this fair maid and said my fond creature,
and might I make enquire, as to what's your true love's name
For I have been in battle where the cannons loud do rattle,
and by your description I might have known the same.
Well Wille Smiths my true loves name,
He's a hero of great fame,
and he's gone and he's left me, in sorrow it's true
but the war it is now over and peace it is returned again,
and yet he's not returning from the Plains of Waterloo

If Willie Smith's your true loves name,He's a hero of great fame.
He and I have been in battle through manys the long campaign,
Through Italy and Russia, through Germany and Prussia,
He was my loyal comrade through France and through Spain.
Till at length by the French its then we were surrounded,
and like heroes of old then we did them subdue;
We fought for three days, till at length we were defeated
By brave Napoleon Bony on the plains of Waterloo.

And on the eighteenth day of May here is ended the battle,
Caused many a brave hero to weep and to moan,
Where the drums they did beat and the cannons loud did rattle
Twas by a French soldier your Willie he was slain.
And as I passed by to where he lay a'bleeding,
I scarcely had time for to bid him adieu
With a faint faltering voice these words he kept repeating,
Fare thee well my lovely Annie,You are far from Waterloo'

Now when this fair maid heard this sad lamenation,
Her sweet rosie cheeks they turned pale into wan,
And when this young man heard her sad acclamations
He said 'My Lovely Annie,I am that very one'.
And here is the ring that between us was broken;
In the midst of all danger love to remind me of you
and when she saw the token she flew to his arms
Saying "You're welcome ,dearest Willie, from the plains of Waterloo

....wes

Subject: Lyr Add: THE PLAINS OF WATERLOO (from Ian Hall)
From: Calach
Date: 19 Jan 01 - 06:29 AM

How about a new song altogether: Many Irishmen fought on Boney's side...


THE PLAINS OF WATERLOO
Ian Hall

Oh Come all you loyal Irishmen whatever your degree,
I hope you'll pay attention, and listen, now, to me,
I'll tell you o' an patriot; loyal, proud and true,
How he fought in Spain and Portugal, and got slain at Waterloo.

Now the young man that I speak about was proper, tall and thin,
He was mild in his behaviour; complete in every limb,
His cheeks were like the roses red, his eyes a lovely hue,
There's no one here that would compare with my love at Waterloo.

Now, my love he was a soldier bold, wi' his shako and his gun,
When Ireland fell and traitors rose, his ramble he begun,
He was faithful to Napoleon, and he wore a coat of blue,
He never thought it'd be his lot, to be slain at Waterloo.

When Boney's star was in the sky, my love he marched away,
He told me that he loved me true; would marry me some day,
He said that he'd return to me, whatever would ensue,
But now he lies with sightless eyes on he plains of Waterloo.

When the Irish cause was over and the leaders captured all,
My love he swore he wasn't done, took his musket from the wall,
He donned his coat and marched away to fight the fight anew,
And now he's bled in fields of dead, on the plains of Waterloo.

Many's the river he had crossed, 'though ankle deep in mud,
An' many's the battle he had fought, 'though shin-bone deep in blood,
He fought for France and Bonaparte, to the end his cause was true.
He fought and died for Irish pride on the plains of Waterloo.

Wi' my true love gone across the waves, no other man I'll take,
O'er lonely roads and through shady groves, I'll wander for his sake,
I'll sing of a young Irishman, who was Irish through and through
I'll tell everyone of my Irishman, who died at Waterloo.

No man can ever take his place, no man will ever try
Though far from his dear homeland, for Ireland he did die.
He held inside a heart o' green, but wore a coat of blue,
And his Irish blood runs in the mud, on the plains of Waterloo.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Plains of Waterloo
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 18 Jan 01 - 01:51 PM

Your best bet for information on this song is to type plains of waterloo in the "Digitrad and Forum Search" box on the main Forum page; this will get you links to several songs of that title, amongst which is the one you want, and to a number of past discussions on the subject.  If by any chance the Search is inaccessible when you try it, click here for a  backdoor

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Plains of Waterloo
From: Snuffy
Date: 18 Jan 01 - 08:43 AM

I've always understood 'a capella' to imply more than one singer, multiple parts and no accompaniment. (i.e not solo and not unison). I think the Italian means something like 'in the chapel style' - that is 'like a choir'

But I guess there's no equivalent single term to cover either solo or unison unaccompanied singing.

Wassail! V

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Plains of Waterloo
From: MartinRyan
Date: 18 Jan 01 - 04:00 AM

"capella" is from the Latin word for church/chapel,IIRR, - so not a plural, if that's what you're thinking?

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Plains of Waterloo
From: Wolfgang
Date: 18 Jan 01 - 03:23 AM

a capella: 'without musical accompaniment' (Webster's)
So 'a capella' fits what you mean, Snuffy, but you could also used the plain English 'unaccompanied'.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Plains of Waterloo
From: Snuffy
Date: 17 Jan 01 - 09:58 PM

June Tabor recorded Les Barker's parody, TRAINS OF WATERLOO , which is also in the Digital Tradition.

But there's no tuning for that - just June and Lesley Davies singing alternate verses solo and unaccompanied. (Lesley the odd ones and June the even ones)

Is there a single word for this? Can't call it "a capella", because there's only ever one of them singing at any time. Nor a duet, for the same reason.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Plains of Waterloo
From: Sarah2
Date: 17 Jan 01 - 09:33 PM

dadgad, I do like your alias, there.

Have you looked at the versions in the Digitrad? See the blue box at the top of the thread. Click on P, scroll down and see if one of the versions there is the one you're seeking.

Midi tunes, if available, are at the bottom of the lyrics, and be sure to look at the top for a Blueclickything that might lead you to Next Page for another version.

Sarah

Subject: Plains of Waterloo
From: GUEST,dadgad
Date: 17 Jan 01 - 08:40 PM

June Tabor once sang this song in concert and Martin Simpson also does fine tune - anyone have Martin's tuning for hos version and the words to this this song please. Gerald in Argyll Scotland.