Lyr Req: The Arkengarthdale Song (Arthur Jackson)

Subject: GROOVING WELL DESPERATE!!
From: GUEST,Spike
Date: 29 Dec 01 - 08:23 AM

Help people, I cant get any response to this plea for lyrics at all. So for the last time, can ANYONE tell me ANYTHING about a song about a Yorkshire lead miners song called ( I think ) The Groovers Song, with the chorus :-

Here's to the men of the Tees and the Swale To the Niddvale and Wharfe and Arkengarth dale And here's to Charles Bamforth the fellow won't fail To provide work for groovers.

C'mon you Tykes, there's got to be SOMEONE whose heard of it

Happy New Year

Cheers all

Spike

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: GROOVING WELL DESPERATE!!
From:
Date: 29 Dec 01 - 10:21 AM

I think I heard the song. Don't remember if it is that title. I was in Vancouver last month, and met a singer/songwriter from the Teesdale (originally) area. He had several recordings, and I bought a couple of them. I might have left them in my mom's apartment when I came home. I can't remember his name right now. Will check with the proprietor of the shop ( Celtic Woolens ) in Vancouver to see what they can tell me.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: GROOVING WELL DESPERATE!!
From:
Date: 29 Dec 01 - 10:29 AM

I can't find the CDs, but check with Richard Grainger.

Richard Grainger's Web-site

I suspect he'w the person who wrote it, or he would know it. He's from that area, and has written numerous songs about his home region.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: GROOVING WELL DESPERATE!!
From: GUEST,John H - Swaledale
Date: 22 Nov 10 - 11:55 AM

The lyric is Charles Bathurst not Charles Bamforth !

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Grooving Well Desperate
From: GUEST,Ian Hazell
Date: 06 May 18 - 05:08 AM

I thought this was written by Arthur Jackson from Nidderdale . Final line of chorus should be ' he gave me the life of a groover' Sorry I do not remember any of he verses . This song was often sung at Knaresborough Folk Cleb in the 1970s

Subject: Lyr Add: THE ARKENGARTHDALE SONG (Arthur Jackson)
From: GUEST,Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 06 May 18 - 09:38 AM

You can find a lot here: A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To - Chas Marshall - CatBook (pdf). It contains info on the man who sang it - page 3+. You can find many examples of the tune on youtube eg My Home (I'll post an abc if anyone wants that).

Mick

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THE ARKENGARTHDALE SONG
(Arthur Jackson)

  Chorus:
  Here’s to the men of the Tees and the Swale,
  To the Nidd, Wear and Wharfe and Arkengarthdale
  And here’s to Charles Bathurst, the fellow won’t fail,
  To provide work for t’groovers

When I was a young lad wi’ mi’ father I went
Up to the mine where mi’ time it was spent
Breaking up the lead ore to help out wi’t rent
And learn the trade of a groover

Now I’m a youth and I’ll go down below
I’ll go wi’ mi’ father, he’ll teach me you know
How to look for the signs and to hew the lead ore
And teach me the trade of the groover

I’ve bairns of me own now the eldest is nine
He’ll come with me up to the mine
With his booker in hand reckon he will do fine
Like his father he’ll be a groover


Source: Cat Book as listed above. As sung by Arthur Jackson to the Scottish pipe tune “My Home”.