Lyr Req: Back in Durham Gaol (Jez Lowe)

Subject: Back In Durham Jail
From: GUEST,Davey
Date: 03 Jul 01 - 11:04 AM

Does anyone have the lyrics to the Jez Lowe song, Back in Durham Jail?

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Messages from multiple threads combined.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Back In Durham Jail
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 03 Jul 01 - 11:14 AM

If you were to type back in durham jail into the very useful "Digitrad and Forum Search" box on the main Forum page, you would find this earlier discussion:  Durham Gaol,  which contains a link to another thread here in which the lyrics were posted.

If you were to spell it gaol, as Jez does, you would find it more directly: Durham Gaol

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Back In Durham Jail
From: GUEST,Davey
Date: 03 Jul 01 - 12:11 PM

Many thanks, Malcolm... That's just what I needed. And thanks for the fast response.....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Back In Durham Jail
From: *#1 PEASANT*
Date: 03 Jul 01 - 12:21 PM

The song is on my extensive ever popular Beuk of Newcassel Sangs Note the new address of the main page... http://www.geocities.com/matalzi/geordiesang.html

Conrad

Subject: Durham jail
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Jan 02 - 10:42 PM

Hi Does anyone have the words and notes for the song Durham Jail?

Greg [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Durham jail
From: 53
Date: 09 Jan 02 - 10:46 PM

i've heard the song but's it's been so long ago that i wouldn't even know where to begin, good luck though. BOB

Subject: RE: Durham jail
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 09 Jan 02 - 11:35 PM

Which Durham jail? Australia, England or North Carolina?

Subject: RE: Durham jail
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 09 Jan 02 - 11:39 PM

If it's the English one, try Durham Gaol.
Here

Subject: RE: Durham jail
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 09 Jan 02 - 11:42 PM

If it's the American one, search for "Back in Durham Jail."

Subject: RE: Durham jail
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 09 Jan 02 - 11:58 PM

The only "Back in Durham Jail" that I can find is the one by Jez Lowe, Recently copyrighted, it is not in the search engines. There is a song about the NC jail, but I can't find it.

Subject: RE: Durham jail
From: Hrothgar
Date: 10 Jan 02 - 05:40 AM

Where is there a Durham Jail/Gaol in Australia?

Subject: Lyr Add: BACK IN DURHAM GAOL (Jez Lowe)
From: Gillie
Date: 10 Jan 02 - 07:40 AM

Here is the version Jez Lowe sings:-

BACK IN DURHAM GAOL

I'm a poor man, as honest as they come,
I never was a thief until they caught me.
And the judge, he said, he swore me hands were red,
No matter how I plead, they find me guilty.
There was no bail, off to Durham gaol,
I went, no nothing now could save me,
Calamities, they always come in threes,
And that's how many months it was they gave me.

Chorus
And no never in the live long day,
You'll not find me back in Durham gaol.
And no never in the live long day,
You'll not find me back in Durham gaol.

'Twas a great day when first I went astray,
The devil was the man that came to tempt me.
"Cause in no time, me life was one of crime,
And now you see the trouble that it's got me.
Well there's four bare walls at which to stare,
Me board and me lodgings are all paid for,
You can't see the turnin' of the key,
To hear the turnin' back is all you wait for.

Oh but sad to say, here I am to stay,
With only iron bars around to lean on.
I get a cold bath to dampen down me wrath-
Though it's barely just a month ago I had one.
God knows, I need a suit o' clothes,
You'd think they could've found a one to fit me.
Me boots would be fine if they were both a nine,
I'm walkin' like a fall o' stones has hit me.

And I'm sure that me mother's heart would break,
To see me in a state of such repentance.
I'm glad she's not around to see -
And I'll be out before she finishes her sentence.
The sun will shine, I'll leave it all behind,
Knowin' I've done me time and done me duty.
When out of the gate on the narrow and the straight,
To the place where I've buried all the booty.

This appears in one of Jez Lowe's Song Books, of which there are several available from Lowe Life Music in the U.K - and well worth obtaining if I may say so!!

(line breaks added by a Joeclone)

Subject: RE: Durham jail
From: alison
Date: 10 Jan 02 - 07:56 AM

isn't there another verse something about "I hope they let me keep my stripey jumper" ????

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Durham jail
From: Jock Morris
Date: 10 Jan 02 - 08:04 AM

Jez changed the lines about boots to be about his trademark stripey jumper when he forgot the lyrics one night. The new lines seem to have stuck, as that's the version he now sings.

Scott

Subject: RE: Durham jail
From: Wolfgang
Date: 10 Jan 02 - 08:05 AM

old threads:

Durham goal
Durham goal

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Durham jail
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 Jan 02 - 08:30 AM

Hrothgar, I misread some of the stuff on Google. Probably not one in Australia.

Subject: RE: Durham jail
From: breezy
Date: 10 Jan 02 - 12:25 PM

Jez is at the Hollybush Redbourn 2nite Thurs 10th Jan 02

Subject: RE: Durham jail
From: breezy
Date: 10 Jan 02 - 07:28 PM

he's been singing 'and I hope they let me keep me stripey jumper'since1992 so he says. He did us an excellent night and his new C.D. is out in 3 /4/?weeks, so I'm waitingfor delivery from 2day

Subject: RE: Durham jail
From: Amergin
Date: 10 Jan 02 - 11:11 PM

Jez Lowe puts on a wonderful show...had the distinct pleasure catching him last february....

Subject: RE: Durham jail
From: toadfrog
Date: 10 Jan 02 - 11:50 PM

Bob Davenport sings:

DURHAM GAOL

Breakin' sticks and sellin' sand;
Getting drunk so you can nae stand;
Gannen yem and beatin' your wife,
Ye'll gang to Durham Gaol for life!

In and out the window,
In and out the window,
In and out the window,
As we've done times before.

Subject: RE: Durham jail
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 11 Jan 02 - 02:23 AM

And to confuse the issue even further, there are actually three gaols in Durham !!

LTS

Subject: RE: Durham jail
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 11 Jan 02 - 07:19 AM

They need 'em up there. Liz.

You know the story about the Rich geordie bloke who asked a merchant in London to send him 100 pairs of brogues and the merchant thought he said rogues...;-)

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: Durham jail
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 11 Jan 02 - 12:25 PM

On Durham Gaol songs, I had this from my grandmother

Mick

On Wednesday I was taken on Thursday I got tried
I got forty days in Durham Gaol for blacking the bobby's eyes
Ch:
I'm a rum one fol-the-diddle-I-doh
I'm a rum one fol-the-diddle-day.
And now I am out again and I am doing well
You can tell the Durham turnkeys that they can go to hell.

If ever you go to Darlington enquire for The Hole In The Wall
You get your beer for a penny a pint and a woman for nothing at all.

Subject: RE: Durham jail
From: Charley Noble
Date: 11 Jan 02 - 05:45 PM

More cheers for Jez Lowe!

Subject: RE: Durham jail
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 11 Jan 02 - 06:34 PM

Hi MCP

I thought your grandmother's song would turn up on this thread eventually. Good luck for your gig at the Silver Cup,Harpenden next Friday.

Kitty

PS re songs from Middlesbrough and the north-east generally - there have been threads going about Pete Betts and Peter Bond while you've been away.

Subject: RE: Durham jail
From: breezy
Date: 12 Jan 02 - 06:25 AM

well, well
So it is you MCP, thanks kitty
It' s not too late to send a contribution to the mudcat fund.
Happy new year y'all
come to the cup
I'll put the spoons away

Subject: RE: Durham jail
From: Murrey
Date: 12 Jan 02 - 08:03 PM

Here , here Charley-you know I agree !!!Murrey

Subject: RE: Durham jail
From: Fiolar
Date: 13 Jan 02 - 05:21 AM

Also recorded by "The Dubliners" - a great version.