Lyr Req: Transports (Peter Bellamy/Young Tradition

Subject: transports the ballad opera by the Young Trad
From:
Date: 26 Apr 98 - 12:08 PM

im looking for transcriptions of the words to the songs on this radio ballad from the late 60's early 70's Peter Bellamy and the youngtradition did it im particularly interested in getting sussana the servants song, i cant make out some of norma watersons accented pronunciation

Many thanks if you can help

tony archer email: [e-mail],uk

Subject: Lyr Add: I ONCE LIVED IN SERVICE (Peter Bellamy)
From: PKD on Teesside
Date: 26 Apr 98 - 03:02 PM

Tony,

Hi.

The Transports was not written by the Young Tradition but by the incomparable, much missed, late lamented Peter Bellamy as a solo project long after the YT's demise.

I believe that the work is available on CD.

I enclose "I Once Lived in Service.”

Cheers

I ONCE LIVED IN SERVICE

I once lived in service to a lady so fine.
I served her by night and by day-oh.
I carried the dishes when the lady would dine,
And after I cleared them away.
Oh, dear me, how can it be?
The life of a servant is all slavery.

I made up her bed and I turned down her sheet.
I ironed the dresses she wore-oh.
I peeled her potatoes. I roasted her meats,
And 'twas I, with me broom, swept her floor.
Oh, dear me, how can it be?
The life of a servant is all misery.

I scrubbed her front doorstep, I polished her plate.
I put coals in the pan for her bed-oh.
I rose before sunlight to blacklead her grate,
And at midnight I laid down my head.
Oh, dear me, how can it be?
The life of a servant is all drudgery.

I carried her water. I answered her door.
I polished the shoes for her feet-oh.
And when she went to church, then her prayer book I bore,
Behind as she marched down the street.
Oh, dear me, how can it be?
The life of a servant's a penance to me.

Now, I met a young man in the village one day
As I run to the shop for her bread-oh.
He asked me my name, but I had to away,
Lest my mistress should break my poor head.
Oh, dear me, how can it be?
The life of a servant has no liberty.

So that night as I lay in my attic so bare
I resolved that I would run away-oh,
And all for to honour the waggoner's fare,
Some silver spoons took for my pay.
Oh, dear me, how can it be?
The life of a servant is melancholy.

Now I lie in prison but I will not weep.
Who knows what tomorrow may hold-oh?
There's some fine lads in here for my company to keep.
There's strong arms to keep me from cold.
Oh, dear me, how can it be?
The life of a convict is all chivalry.

Now I've known confinement the most of my years.
Small freedom did I ever ken-oh.
Some prisons, sure, they have no cold iron bars,
But some prisons, sure, they have no men.
Oh dear me, how can it be?
The life of a convict's a pleasure to me.
Oh, dear me, how can it be?
The life of a servant was never so free.

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 6-Apr-02.

Subject: RE: transports the ballad opera by the Young Trad
From:
Date: 26 Apr 98 - 04:55 PM

The Transports album has been re=released in England on Topic Records TSCD459

Subject: RE: transports the ballad opera by the Young Trad
From: Barry Finn
Date: 26 Apr 98 - 05:56 PM

Go to the links & check out Camsco Music, they had a booth at a festival I went over the weekend & that CD was there. They're closing up shop at the end of April, you might want to beat feet if you're thinking of getting something from them. Barry

Subject: RE: transports the ballad opera by the Young Trad
From: MarcB
Date: 26 Apr 98 - 05:56 PM

I have copy of this album. We're talking about a lot of lyrics here. I would be more than happy to send a xeroxed copy if you give me your mailing address.

Marc B

Subject: RE: transports the ballad opera by the Young Trad
From: tonyarcher
Date: 27 Apr 98 - 04:18 PM

Subject: RE: transports the ballad opera by the Young Trad
From:
Date: 27 Apr 98 - 04:19 PM

thanks all

i have it now

cheers tony

Subject: RE: transports the ballad opera by the Young Trad
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 27 Apr 98 - 07:58 PM

CAMSCO is NOT closing up shop; just their web operation.

Subject: RE: transports the ballad opera by the Young Trad
From: Barry Finn
Date: 27 Apr 98 - 08:54 PM

Sorry Dick & others, by the way he talked about closing doors it sounded like a complete fold up not just the web site, again thanks for pulling me up on this so quickly, as I said before, the longer my mistake is out there, the greater my embrassment gets. Barry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Transports (Peter Bellamy/Young Tradition
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 31 Aug 15 - 11:21 AM

A series of links has led me, the way they do, to this ancient thread, which dates from long before I even discovered Mudcat. I refresh it to add a point about this particular song,"I Once Lived In Service".

I said to Pete when The Transports first appeared that he claimed that all the tunes were his own composition, apart from some traditional airs used in the narration passages; but that this tune struck me as very close to "The Fair Maid On The Shore". He replied that he didn't even know that song, and asked how it went. When I had sung a couple of lines, he said "Yes, it is very like it. I suppose I must have heard it once without being aware, and it came back to me when I put the tune to 'Once Lived In Service'."

I have never iirc seen or heard this derivation suggested before, so think this bit of conversation I recall with Pete all those years back worth putting on record here, for any scholarly or evidential value it might have for Bellamy scholars.

≈Michael≈