Lyr ADD: My Eldorado (Graeme Miles)

Subject: ADD: My Eldorado (Graeme Miles)
From: Hoblander
Date: 20 Sep 12 - 03:15 PM

Hello again
for all the Graeme Miles fans out there, I thought I would give you the lyrics as they appear in "Songscapes". I am not implying that anyone is singing the wrong version, because " My Eldorado" has had, like lots of Graeme's songs, many versions over the years since he first wrote the song. He refines and changes the words to many songs, and the folk process also makes it's mark. How many of us have gone back to the source material of a song we have been singing for years and find we have change words and even lines of the song that we thought we knew so well. So here goes

MY ELDORADO
(Graeme Miles)

1.
Yes I had hopes like we all have hopes
Of what I'd be and what I'd do
But as my youth first bloomed then faded
So all those hopes just vanished too

I never found my Eldorado
I never walked those silver STRANDS
I never saw those gold pagodas
Nor held a sunrise in my hand
But I still dream and dream and dream
So I'll just dream another dream.
2.
I was a kid just a scruffy kid
But I held the world in my grubby hand
But then that world turned into water
Trickled through my fingers into the sand
I never etc.,
3.
The terraced streets were my Grand Canyons
The shipyard cranes were my redwood trees
Those steelworks tips were my mountain ranges
And the brickyard ponds were my Seven Seas
I never etc.,
4.
The public bar was full of sailors
Such tales they told of distant shores
But I just found the darkest corner
Put down my glass walked out the door
I never etc.,

I think "The terraced streets were my Grand Canyons" has got to be one of the best song lines ever written. Hey ho, get out there and sing 'em because there are about 200 songs unpublished, but we will try to get them to you in some format in the future.
Get in touch with any queries
Kevin

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Eldorado (Graeme Miles)
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Sep 12 - 04:03 AM

Strand = beach or shore

I picked up the chorus as

'I just found a quiet corner, drained my glass and walked away '

dear Hoblander correct me please.

I first heard it by MCP with some nice high notes on guitar.

Thanks

B

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Eldorado (Graeme Miles)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Sep 12 - 04:04 PM

Hi, Molly -
Alternatively, you can contact me by e-mail and I will forward the information to Hoblander.

Hoblander, I'm in California. Can you think up a way for me to get money to you and for you to get a songbook to me?

-Joe Offer, Mudcat Archivist-
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Eldorado (Graeme Miles)
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 18 Sep 12 - 08:01 PM

Molly, to PM another member you need to become a member of Mudcat. It's free and not at all painful :-). Click on 'Membership' in the linklist at the top to find out more.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Eldorado (Graeme Miles)
From: Hoblander
Date: 17 Sep 12 - 05:25 PM

Hello Molly
if you PM me your email address I will send you my snail mail address if you wish to send me a cheque, or account details if you wish to tranfer money online. That's if you are in the UK, it gets a bit trcky if you are in the USA.
Kevin

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Eldorado (Graeme Miles)
From: GUEST,Molly
Date: 17 Sep 12 - 07:46 AM

Bless you Kevin. I'd certainly like a copy of Forgotten Songs...
How do I go about it?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Eldorado (Graeme Miles)
From: Hoblander
Date: 09 Sep 12 - 10:17 AM

Just to be a bit picky the chorus is:

"I never found my Eldorado
I never walked those silver STRANDS
I never saw those gold pagodas
Nor held a sunrise in my hand
But I still dream and dream and dream
So I'll just dream another dream."

This is the published version and Graeme's prefered version.
Martyn's version is not what Graeme wrote.
Molly is right about the third line last verse.
Get in touch anyone who wants to buy a copy of Forgotten Songs Remembered £12.00 plus postage and packaging.
Cheers
Kevin

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Eldorado (Graeme Miles)
From: GUEST,FloraG
Date: 09 Sep 12 - 05:40 AM

Liz - we saw Ian on Wednesday and asked for - guess what - Eldorado.
Its too big a range for me - too many high and low notes- but he did a grand version of it.
FloraG

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Eldorado (Graeme Miles)
From: GRex
Date: 09 Sep 12 - 04:58 AM

First heard it sung by Marie Little. A great swinging version.

    GRex

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Eldorado (Graeme Miles)
From: GUEST,Molly
Date: 08 Sep 12 - 01:29 PM

I can't remember who it was that I first heard singing Eldorado - could have been Martin Wyndham Read - but I thought the third line of verse 4 he sang was " But I just found the darkest corner,". It makes more sense and it scans better. Anyone know if this is what GM actually wrote?

Subject: Chords Add: MY ELDORADO (Graeme Miles)
From: GUEST,Kenny B Sans Kuki
Date: 21 Feb 06 - 02:15 PM

Hi Stephen
The chords I use are shown below.
No doubt some friendly mudcatter will correct them if they are wrong
BTW I do the chorus to a tango / Cha cha rhythm

MY ELDORADO
by Graeme Miles
[C] I had my [G] hopes as we all [C] had hopes
For what I'd [G] be and what [C] I'd do
But as my [G] youth soon bloomed and [F] fa- [C] -ded
So all my [G] dreams they vanished [C ] too

Chorus....
I never [G] found my Eldo- [F] -ra- [C] -do   
I never [G] walked down silver [F] sa- [C]-ands
I never [G] saw those gold pa-[F] -go- [C] -das
Nor [F] held a sunrise [G] in my [C] hand
But I just [G] dreamed and dreamed a [C] dream
I just [G] dreamed and dreamed a [C] dream

KB

Subject: Chord Req: Eldorado
From: GUEST,Stephen
Date: 21 Feb 06 - 08:53 AM

I'm struggling to work out the chords to Graeme Miles' Eldorado. Can any body help?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Eldorado
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 28 Jan 01 - 09:50 AM

Ian Bruce - great lad. The head shaving made him look a bit terrifying. One of the few men I think could maybe walk in Alex Campbell's shoes. And he's written some good songs himself as well.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Eldorado
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 28 Jan 01 - 04:12 AM

One of the best versions of Eldorado was done by Ian Bruce.... big Scottish chap, last time I saw him he'd shaved his head and was wearing leather.... those who didn't know him gave him those 'you're not a folkie, you're a biker chappy, get out of our club' looks, and had to eat humble pie when he started singing..... I'm pretty sure it's on a CD called 'Blodwen's Dream' by him..... along with some other great stuff.

LTS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Eldorado
From: zander (inactive)
Date: 28 Jan 01 - 03:58 AM

The Wilson Family have recored a whole album of Graeme's song as has Martyn Wyndham Reed. One of my own favourites is ' Otago '. Cheers, Dave

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Eldorado
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 27 Jan 01 - 09:33 AM

Thanks Judy, for getting us the right spelling - it's typical that his name even gets confused. And thanks for pointing to that thread with Sea Coal. And there it is again -"An Evening in Summer" is one of his, and I'm sure half the people who sing it don't know.

Holmfirth in May - that could be an idea, especially after clicking on this link

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Eldorado
From: Judy Predmore
Date: 27 Jan 01 - 02:18 AM

Ah! Fellow admirers of one of my favorite songwriters...

Do a Forum/Digitrad search on "Graeme Miles". That's the correct spelling. You might come up with more using other spelling variations.

I have a thread in my tracer that didn't come up in a search, but you can get it from the address: www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?ThreadID=28270

Sorry I don't do blue clicky's, but that one's worth typing in - a friend of Graeme's talks about a song book that will be out soon.

Also, Martyn Wyndham-Read put together a compilation of all previously unrecorded Graeme Miles songs. CD Release celebration scheduled for the Holmfirth festival this May. If you type "Holmfirth Folk Festival" in my favorite search engine www.google.com, the festival's home page should be the first search result.

Enjoy... Judy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Eldorado
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 26 Jan 01 - 06:38 AM

I never knew that was one of Graham Myles. He's written some fine ones (Archie Fisher sangea few at Whitby last year), but I'm sure there are others going round that others as well as me don't identify with him.

Does anyone have the names of a few Graham Myles songs like that?

Subject: Lyr Add: MY ELDORADO (Graeme Miles)
From: bill\sables
Date: 26 Jan 01 - 06:28 AM

MY ELDORADO
(Graeme Miles)

I had my hopes as we all had hopes
For what I'd be and what I'd do
But as my youth soon bloomed and faded
So all my dreams they vanished too

CHORUS
I never found my Eldorado
I never walked down silver sands
I never saw those gold pagodas
Nor held a sunrise in my hand
But I just dreamed and dreamed a dream
I just dreamed and dreamed a dream

I was just a kid just a scruffy kid
But I held the world in my grubby hands
But then the world just turned to water
Ran through my fingers into the sand

The terraced streets were my playground canyons
The shipyard cranes were my redwood trees
The steel yard tips were my mountain ranges
And the brick yard ponds were my seven seas

The public bar was full of sailors
They laughed and sang and told their tales
But I just felt as black as coal
Put down my glass and walked away.

Subject: Eldorado
From: GUEST,Bazza
Date: 26 Jan 01 - 06:17 AM

The chorus goes:- I never found my Eldorado,...., Never walked the golden sands, never held the golden sunshine,...,But I can dream, And dream and dream.