Lyr Req: Harvey (is a Listening Man)

Subject: Listening man??
From: Morticia
Date: 31 Jan 02 - 03:30 PM

This is going right back to my school days,( and God knows, that was a LONG time ago) and was sung to a bluesy tune....if I remember right it started
:

Harvey was a miner, tall and rather thin
You'd know that he's a miner by the blue scars on his skin

And he listened with his hands
He listened with his face
He listened with the whole of him at any time or place
For Harvey was a listening man
He'll listen all his days

Anyone know the rest?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Listening man??
From: Sorcha
Date: 31 Jan 02 - 04:21 PM

No luck at all Googling, Morty. Sorry.......

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Listening man??
From: Sorcha
Date: 02 Feb 02 - 05:11 PM

Refresh--hello, anybody out there?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Listening man??
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Jun 10 - 05:35 PM

I think it was blue scars on his chin.

Also there was a verse about whenever there was an accident at the mine, when it came to informing the families 'it's Harvey that they send'

For Harvey is a listening man
He listens all his days

Subject: Lyr Add: HARVEY
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 25 Sep 10 - 07:28 PM

Found the words to Harvey on an old song sheet which was used by my Church Young adults group in the 70"s

    Harvey

Am             D                Am                D
1.Harvey's in his forties, he's tall and rather thin
    C                                F                E
You'd know that he's a miner by the blue scars on his Skin

Chorus
         Am                D           Am                    D
And he listens with his hands, he listens with his face
    C                                    F                E
He listens with the whole of him at any time or place
    Am               Dm                    Am            E            Am
For Harvey is a listening man, he'll listen all his days.

---

HARVEY
Songwriter ?

1.Harvey's in his forties, he's tall and rather thin
    You'd know that he's a miner by the blue scars on his skin

CHORUS
And he listens with his hands, he listens with his face
He listens with the whole of him at any time or place
For Harvey is a listening man, he'll listen all his days.

2. When he's with his pigeons and children mill around
    He tells them how to follow every gentle cooing sound

3. Old men on the park bench, they rattle memories door
   To root out every treasure and he's heard it all before

4. Often in the local, his foot up on the rail
    He bends his head, respectful of the silence when words fail.

5. Down the pit a stone falls, for someone that's the end
    And as they think of kinfolk, well, it's Harvey that they send.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Harvey (is a Listening Man)
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 11 Jun 12 - 07:01 AM

Another verse I remember. We heard this song from a nun in Sussex in the 70s.

Down behind the slagheap, on every Saturday,
He hears the grasses growing and a lark a mile away

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Harvey (is a Listening Man)
From: GUEST
Date: 26 May 13 - 02:30 PM

I've just encountered this post because I am also trying to find the lyrics to "Harvey". Of course, our requests are 11 years apart so you may already have found them. I also learned it during my schooldays in Chester. I know there are another couple of verses but the following is what I remember:

Harvey's in his forties, he's tall and rather thin.
You'd know that he's a miner by the bleu scars on his skin,

And he listens with his hands, he listens with his face,
he listens with the whole of him at any time or place.
For Harvey is a listening man, he'll listen all his days.

In the pit a stone falls; for someone it's the end,
And when they think of kinfolk, well, it's Harvey that they send,

And he listens with his hands etc.

Best wishes

Liz x

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Harvey (is a Listening Man)
From: Morticia
Date: 26 May 13 - 02:37 PM

thank you, I had forgotten this thread. Really glad to have this song, I think it's great

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Harvey (is a Listening Man)
From: GUEST,Swaleman
Date: 27 May 13 - 09:49 AM

The words to the song are as Guest Sept 2010 except there are six verses and the second verse to include is as follows:
            Way beyond the slag heap
            On every Saturday
            He hears the brambles growing
            And a lark a mile away.

In the Faith Folk Series in 1969 this song tune and text is credited to Sister Estelle, copyright 1969 by Sacred Heart Publications Ltd and Galliard Ltd.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Harvey (is a Listening Man)
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Nov 16 - 07:46 AM

Joan. Sister Estelle the writer of this song sang it to a third yr girls class im 1973?? Its stuck in my mind ever since. How marvellous that it had that effect on others. It was a Catholic school in waterlooville hants, used to be a convent school

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Harvey (is a Listening Man)
From: GUEST,#
Date: 07 Apr 21 - 06:14 PM

"This song about listening and holiness in everyday life was written by English Roman Catholic musician, teacher and at-that-time religious sister Estelle White (Sister Estelle), based on her experiences as a child in an area surrounded by mining pits.   It is a secular song, rather than specifically a hymn (ref) though touching on spiritual themes - and includes the sub-title
The New Testament reminds us that a saint is not just a great spiritual leader.

It was first published in Faith, Folk and Festivity by Galliard Ltd in 1969, but does not appear to have been published in any hymn-books since then. CCLI shows that copyright is now (2018) held by Stainer & Bell Ltd and McCrimmon Publishing, and is administered by Stainer & Bell Ltd - suggesting that it may have been published in some non-religious song-books, or perhaps even as a stand-alone piece.

Faith Folk and Festivity has the phrase "From Harvey and Co" with the song, however as explained here this refers to the people and life experiences which contributed to the writing, not to alternate authors.

No on-line examples have been found:   Please leave a message in the Comments box at the bottom of the page if you know of any.

The tune, also written by White, is unnamed.   It has a 6/8 time signature. In the key of Dm, the first few notes are ED FA FG D_ DD, with accompanying chords Dm / Gm.


Lyrics

1.Harvey's in his forties, he's tall and rather thin
You'd know that he's a miner by the blue scars on his skin.

Chorus
And he listens with his hands, he listens with his face
He listens with the whole of him at any time or place
For Harvey is a listening man, he'll listen all his days.

Down behind the slagheap, on every Saturday,
He hears the grasses growing and a lark a mile away.

2. When he's with his pigeons and children mill around
He tells them how to follow every gentle cooing sound

3. Old men on the park bench, they rattle memories door
To root out every treasure and he's heard it all before

4. Often in the local, his foot up on the rail
He bends his head, respectful of the silence when words fail.

5. Down the pit a stone falls, for someone that's the end
And as they think of kinfolk, well, it's Harvey that they send."



All the above post is from

https://www.godsongs.net/2018/02/harvey-listening-man-and-he-listens-with-his-hands-his-face-whole-of-him.html