Lyr Req: Captain Swing

Subject: Captain Swing
From: GUEST,paul burgess
Date: 14 Feb 02 - 05:25 PM

I'm looking for the lrric for a song called Captain Swing as sung by Roy Bailey and the Band of Hope. Can anybody help?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Captain Swing
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 14 Feb 02 - 06:08 PM

Paul

It was written by Graham Moore when he collaborated with Mick Ryan on Tolpuddle Man. Try a Mudcat search on Captain Swing.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Captain Swing
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 16 Feb 02 - 12:45 AM

There used to be a Mudcat member who used "Captain Swing" as his handle. If you do a forum search for "Captain Swing" you'll get dozens of hits, but they are mostly just the "signature" to his posts. I didn't have the patience to sort through them all to see if the lyrics are in there somewhere. Maybe it would be easier to find it on the Net. Or maybe it would be easier if someone would quote a line from the song, so we could search for that.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Captain Swing
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 16 Feb 02 - 06:23 AM

Paul - I've found and refreshed the 1999 thread on Tolpuddle Man, which includes references to Captain Swing. It seems the Yetties sang Captain Swing and so did Tim Laycock. I've heard it sung recently at Herga, when Keith Kendrick and Lynne Heraud were guesting.

Kitty

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Captain Swing
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 16 Feb 02 - 05:56 PM

I got my copy of Roy Bailey's 'Coda' two days ago, which contains the song but unfortunately not the lyrics. Would someone please beat me to copying them out?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Captain Swing
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 06 Mar 02 - 05:12 PM

"Captain Swing" appears on Roy Bailey's album "Coda," (CFCD 404).

Michelle Shocked recorded an album called "Captain Swing" and a video called "The Captain Swing Revue" in 1989, but these don't seem to have any connection to the song by Graham Moore.

There are a pair of performers called "Captain Swing & Reggie Miles" who performed at the Northwest Folklife festival.

A page about The Seven Champions Molly Dancers says there is a dance called "Captain Swing" and/or "Captain Swing's Roundabout."

There is an English country-dance band called Captain Swing. They produced an album called "Captain Swing and Other Likely Stories" but it does not contain the song by Graham Moore. Their web site contains the following note:

The name Captain Swing originates from a dubious historical English character from the 19th century, famous for inspiring the riots which led to the 1832 Reform Act. Captain Swing has also been used as the title of a stage play produced by the RSC in 1978, a book by Larry Duplechan about an American jazz singer, an album by Michelle Shocked, the name of a wrestler, the trading name of a defunct festival catering service, and used in some song lyrics by a 1970s punk band the Sex Pistols. Apart from the historical character none of this was known to the band when the name was adopted by today's Captain Swing!

So you can see why searching for the lyrics on the 'Net is a discouraging task. Google gives 1,540 hits on "captain swing" but most of them are not what you want.

I'm still hoping someone can quote a line from the lyrics. This would make them a LOT easier to find (assuming they exist somewhere on the 'Net).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Captain Swing
From: GUEST,Captain Swing
Date: 06 Mar 02 - 05:22 PM

I'm still around folks - I just haven't been posting for some time. I first heard about thr real ( well, fictional) Captain Swing when studying social history at school. I wanted to use the name as a band name but someone beat me to it. I like the irony of using it as a computer screen name as the Swing Rioters were demonstrating against the modern technology of their time.

I don't know the song though.

Captain Swing

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Captain Swing
From: reggie miles
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 01:40 AM

Jim, I've been waiting for someone to come up with the lyrics so I could show them to my friend Bill Merwin (Captain Swing).

Subject: Lyr Add: CAPTAIN SWING
From: RolyH
Date: 30 Jun 02 - 07:03 PM

The sun's gone down,the shutters drawn
The curfew bell has tolled
The fox is lurking round the farm
The Barn Owls wings unfold
In the candlelight,tonight you might
Hear to your alarm
The midnight band of Captain Swingers'
As he rides from farm to farm

Chorus
All over Dorset,the flames are leaping high
The ricks are burning,who's the cause
Captain Swing,not I
All over Dorset,the flames are leaping high
The ricks are burning,who's the cause
Captain Swing,not I

The sheep are safely in thier fold
The shepherd lightly sleeps
The ploughman reels back from his drink
Through woods the poacher creeps
The squire retires on bed of grass
With one thing on his mind
If Captain Swings this way tonight
There'll be no corn to grind

Chorus

The labouring man is on his knees
Nowhere can he get hired
Since new machines that do the work
The farmer has aquired
But how he sweats,as he reads the threats
On paper,morning brings
Destroy your gear,or else I swear
You'll face thy Captain Swing

Chorus

The sun's gone down,the shutters drawn
The curfew bell has tolled
The fox is lurking round the farm
The Barn Owls wings unfold
In the candlelight,tonight you might
Hear to your alarm
The midnight band of Captain Swingers'
As he rides from farm to farm

Chorus


Source is Martin Carthy's 60th birthday concert.Sung by Roy Bailey.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Captain Swing
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 01 Jul 02 - 06:43 PM

Robb Johnson has a song going by the same title but apparently (again I haven't yet copied out the lyrics) about somewhat more recent events - 'the miners' strike and Wapping' is all it says in the notes.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Captain Swing
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 01 Jul 02 - 07:27 PM

Serendipity.... Graeme Knights sang the Graham Moore song tonight at Herga...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Captain Swing
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 02 Jul 02 - 07:41 PM

Roly, have I said 'thank you'? Sorry! And thanks for posting this!

Subject: DTADD: Captain Swing
From: GUEST,Graham Moore
Date: 26 Jun 03 - 10:36 AM

A bit late to reply but I just noticed this request.
So here are the real words from the author - if any more are required please email
[e-mail]

CAPTAIN SWING
(Graham Moore)

The sun's gone down, the shutters drawn
The curfew bell has tolled
The fox is lurking round the farm
The barn owl's wings unfold
In the candle light tonight you might, hear to your alarm
The midnight band of Captain Swing as he rides from farm to farm

All over Dorset the flames are leaping high
The ricks are burning, who's the cause?
Captain Swing not I!

The sheep are safely in the fold
The shepherd deeply sleeps
The ploughman reels back from his drink
Through woods the poacher creeps
The squire retires on bed of brass with one thing on his mind
If Captain Swing's this way tonight there'll be no corn to grind

The labouring man is on his knees
Nowhere can he get hired
Since new machines that do the work, the farmer has acquired
But how he sweats when he reads the threats on paper morning brings
Destroy your gear or else I swear you'll pay Signed Captain Swing

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Captain Swing
From: JennyO
Date: 26 Jun 03 - 11:57 AM

Cool! I clicked on this thread because I have just been listening to a tape of Graham Moore's CD "Tom Paine's Bones" in the car. I was singing along to Captain Swing less than two hours ago.

In 2001 our choir, the Solidarity Choir, touring from Australia, sang at the Tolpuddle Martyr's Festival, and we were lucky enough to meet Graham Moore. The experience of that festival and the march of the banners was one of the greatest highlights of the tour for us.

Now I'm enjoying some of his music and remembering the experience. Good stuff, Graham. It was a pleasure meeting you.

Jenny

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Captain Swing
From: Gareth
Date: 26 Jun 03 - 07:04 PM

And I knew I had this marked in my political history files !

For a "Potted History" of "Captain Swing", wellCLICK 'ERE

Gareth

" Plough and sew,
And reap and mow,
And be a Farmers Boy, Hurrah,
And be a Farmers Boy.

Subject: Lyr Add: CAPTAIN SWING
From: GUEST,Liz Young
Date: 09 Jul 03 - 08:26 AM

Transcribed from the CD Après Morris by The Aldbury Morris

can anyone fill in the blanks please.

Captain Swing

As I strolled one evening, as the plough teams were leaving
Down by Tom's hollow where the daylight grown dim
A voice heard in solo, with a chorus to follow
Where will you lead us tonight, Captain Swing?

Chorus
The fall of the hammer, the rise of a nation
Condemned to starvation by the progress it brings
Inoccupation(?) by in……………(?)
More power to your elbow, Good Captain Swing

We're away to the barnyard of Josiah Crawley
We've broken it once, and we'll visit again
For 'tis most unseemly that iron machinery
Should steal the employment of so many men

Chorus

It may be a miller aggrieved with his tenant
Or maybe the landlord of a once thriving inn
Or even a parson a sitting in judgement
May the rages of hellfire preserve Captain Swing.

Chorus

'Tis a stranger on horseback, delivering the platting
From doorway to village, come welcome him in
With his diamond and feather, the ladies to pleasure
Consider the Hatter to be Captain Swing.

Chorus

Repeat first verse

Chorus

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Captain Swing
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Mar 15 - 06:17 AM

PLEASE HAVE YOU GOT THE LYRICS TO CAPTAIN SWING. SUNG BY ROY BAILEY

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Captain Swing
From: GUEST,#
Date: 23 Mar 15 - 07:43 AM

Try reading the thread. The lyrics are posted by the writer of the song. See post at 26 Jun 03 - 10:36 AM

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Captain Swing
From: GUEST,Badger from Aldbury Village Morrismen
Date: 08 May 17 - 07:02 AM

Re Aldbury Morris Lyrics
As sung by Rod Puddifoot
Rod has great 'character' to his voice - I'd check with him to be sure as I've a habit of mondegreeneing everything, but whenever I join in the chorus I go with...
By Enoch he makes 'em by Enoch he breaks 'em
Instead of the line starting
Inccupation.....

Hope this helped Liz.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Captain Swing
From: Stu
Date: 08 May 17 - 07:25 AM

I've been doing my family history and have discovered ancestors who were involved in the Swing riots on Buckinghamshire. A special commission was summoned and he was caught and found guilty of 'Feloniously destroying a winnowing machine'.

Great to have a real English radical in the family!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Captain Swing
From: GUEST,Rod Puddefoot Aldbury Morris men
Date: 08 May 17 - 10:21 AM

Yes ! Badger is quite right those are the words of the chorus. Enoch was a Midland manufacturer of both Farm machines and also Hammers- quite fitting. I wrote this song twenty years ago. Local rumour goes that our local version of Captain Swing was a Straw hatter from Luton

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Captain Swing
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 09 May 17 - 08:50 AM

Of course, there's always Captain Findthee Swing