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

Subject: Lyr Add: ENGLAND'S MOTORWAYS (Ewan MacColl)^^^
From: Aidan Crossey
Date: 21 Jun 01 - 09:22 AM

I've popped a few requests for help on to the Mudcat Cafe over the past few weeks and have been very impressed by the willingness of total strangers to help out a fellow traveller. I've been looking for ways to give back a little in return.

I see that there are no lyrics in the database for a song "England's Motorways". My dad used to sing this as one of his party-pieces. It's to the tune of "The Homes of Donegal", the same tune used by Shane MacGowan for his "Song With No Name" on "The Snake".

I have heard that the lyrics were by Ewan MacColl - but haven't been able to prove or disprove.

ENGLAND's MOTORWAYS

Come over here, my little son, and I'll tell you what to 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 forced to roam, far away from home, far, far from you and me

CHORUS
But remember lad, he's still your dad
Though he's working far away
In the cold and the heat, all the hours of the week
On England's Motorways

So if you fall and hurt yourself and get up feeling bad
It isn't any use to go a-running for your dad
For the only time since you were born that he's spent some time with you
He was out of a job and he hadn't a bob, he was signing on the buroo

CHORUS

Sure we'd like your daddy here and wouldn't it be fine
To have him working here at home and be with us all the time
But beggars can't be choosers, so we have to bear the load
Cos we need the money your daddy earns, working on the road

CHORUS ^^^ (click)

Derrymacash's Website

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: England's Motorways
From: Wolfgang
Date: 21 Jun 01 - 09:33 AM

Britain's Motorways

Wolfgang (who has added at least twice a song that was already well hidden in the database)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: England's Motorways
From: GeorgeH
Date: 21 Jun 01 - 10:10 AM

That must be from the Radio Ballad "Song of a Road".

Now available on CD from Topic . .

(Not the best of the series . . but well worth a listen).

G.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: England's Motorways
From: Joe_F
Date: 21 Jun 01 - 10:17 AM

It's also on _Freeborn Man_ (BR 1065). Its title as given there is "Come, Me Little Son".

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: England's Motorways
From: Aidan Crossey
Date: 21 Jun 01 - 10:44 AM

Thanks for this ... my oul' man wasn't what you would call a music scholar and I've often wondered how the hell he came by this one. It wasn't on any of the albums he had knocking about the house.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: England's Motorways
From: English Jon
Date: 21 Jun 01 - 10:52 AM

Oh the hard shoulders of old england, and in england jolly hard shoulders?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: England's Motorways
From: Jim Cheydi
Date: 21 Jun 01 - 11:46 AM

M1, M2, M1, M2, M3, M4!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: England's Motorways
From: Noreen
Date: 21 Jun 01 - 11:52 AM

Wot a pair of loonies... (looking forward to meeting you at Cleckheaton!)

Noreen

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: England's Motorways
From: GUEST,Keith A at work
Date: 22 Jun 01 - 08:17 AM

Is that the same tune as Tramps and Hawkers?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: England's Motorways
From: English Jon
Date: 22 Jun 01 - 08:25 AM

Will see you there Noreen!

EJ

Subject: Lyr Add: COME MY LITTLE SON
From: Reiver 2
Date: 22 Aug 03 - 02:03 PM

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 motorway.

To buy your shoes, your daddy built
A length of railway track.
He built a hydro dam to buy
The clothes upon 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 motorway.

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 motorway.

Reiver 2

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: England's Motorways / Come Me Little Son
From: Joe Offer
Date: 16 May 20 - 06:05 PM

I know this melody as "The Lakes of Pontchartrain," but I suppose the proper name is "Tramps and Hawkers."

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: England's Motorways / Come Me Little Son
From: GUEST,Jerry
Date: 18 May 20 - 01:31 PM

The melody has been used for lots of songs, including I think the recorded (but not live) version of Dylan’s ‘Pity the Poor Immigrant’.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: England's Motorways / Come Me Little Son
From: GUEST,Alan
Date: 13 Jul 20 - 04:20 PM

This song was recorded most recently by "The Blackwater Ceili Band" under the song title "England's Motorways".

It can be found on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/0sHj2R4EhdE

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: England's Motorways / Come Me Little Son
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 14 Jul 20 - 01:30 PM

Song for a Beautiful Girl Petrol ­pump Attendant on the Motorway

I wanted your soft verges
But you gave me the hard shoulder..


Adrian Henri