Lyr Req: World Turned Upside Down

Subject: RE: Lyrics to A World Turned Upside Down
From: steve t
Date: 08 May 98 - 04:19 PM

The way I love to do this song is from the point of view of one of the soldiers, later regretting his actions. Try changing just a few lines --

But still their vision stays with me

and

The orders came...we cut them down

This is the way I remember Dick Gaughn doing it, though I may have misunderstood him.

Subject: RE: Lyrics to A World Turned Upside Down
From: Will
Date: 08 May 98 - 04:09 PM

Leon Rosselson sings the version that Cliff notes above, and is credited as the songwriter. The song is on "That's not the way its got to be", which he recorded with Roy Bailey, about 1975 (Fuse Records). Martin Carthy also plays guitar on the song.

From the liner notes: "The world turned upside down is the key song on this record. It is constructed largely of the fine and vivid phrases of Gerrard Winstanley, spokesman for the handful of poor people who in 1649 on St. George's Hill in Surrey, inspired by a vision of the earth as a common treasury, tried to make a reality of the commonwealth of mankind. It puts better than a dozen history lesson the relevance of the past to the present."

Subject: RE: Lyrics to A World Turned Upside Down
From: northfolk
Date: 08 May 98 - 02:22 PM

Thank you Cliff, I am passing this on to a great friend, who shares this interest in history and song. I trust he would never sing this (or anything else) in public, equally, I suspect he may never stop singing it to family and friends.

Subject: RE: Lyrics to A World Turned Upside Down
From: Bob Schwarer
Date: 08 May 98 - 12:16 PM

Check out Maddy Prior's CD "Hang Up Sorrows & Care". This is probably what you are looking for.

Bob S.

Subject: RE: Lyrics to A World Turned Upside Down
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 May 98 - 02:26 AM

One could, of course, look in a quaint publication called the Digital Tradition, and one would find not one, but three, songs with this title. Here is the song supposedly played in October, 1781, by the surrendering British at Yorktown, while the Americans played a snappy number called "Yankee Doodle."
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Lyr Add: THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN (Rosselson)
From: Cliff McGann
Date: 07 May 98 - 09:46 PM

Is this the one. One of the first songs I ever performed live. I remember singing it in an ATM in St. John's, NF because the acoustics with were good before heading to the folk club to do it in front of the audience. People always complain that I sing too many songs about how the English mistreated the Irish and Scots. Well here's one about how they mistreated their own.

WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN (THE DIGGERS SONG)
As recorded by Leon Rosselson on "RosselSonGs" (1990)

1. In 1649 to St. George’s Hill,
A ragged band they called the Diggers came to show the people's will.
They defied the landlords; they defied the laws.
They were dispossessed reclaiming what was theirs.

2. We come in peace, they said, to dig and sow.
We come to work the lands in common and to make the waste grounds grow.
This earth divided we will make whole,
So it will be a common treasury for all.

3. The sin of property we do disdain.
No man has any right to buy and sell the earth for private gain.
By theft and murder they took the land.
Now everywhere the walls spring up at their command.

4. They make the laws to chain us well.
The clergy dazzle us with heaven or they damn us into hell.
We will not worship the god they serve,
The god of greed who feeds the rich while poor folks starve.

5. We work, we eat together; we need no swords.
We will not bow to the masters or pay rent to the lords.
Still we are free, though we are poor.
You Diggers all, stand up for glory; stand up now.

6. From the men of property, the orders came.
They sent the hired men and troopers to wipe out the Diggers' claim.
Tear down their cottages; destroy their corn.
They were dispersed but still the vision lingers on.

7. You poor, take courage; you rich, take care.
This earth was made a common treasury for everyone to share,
All things in common, all people one.
We come in peace; the orders came to cut them down.
We come in peace; the orders came to cut them down.

Subject: RE: Lyrics to A World Turned Upside Down
From: Bruce O.
Date: 07 May 98 - 09:30 PM

My understaing is they're still arguing about which one of three of so was that played at Yorktown. There's one song of that title in the 1719-20 edition of Pills to Purge Melancholy, and I think I remember another in the Burl Ives/ Songbook.

Subject: RE: Lyrics to A World Turned Upside Down
From:
Date: 07 May 98 - 09:04 PM

I assume that you mean The World Turned Upside Down.

Which one? Do you mean the one about the Diggers? Or do you mean the traditional one, the lyrics of which I have never heard, but which was allegedly played by the band with the British troops that surrendered to the Americans?

Subject: Lyrics to A World Turned Upside Down
From: northfolk
Date: 07 May 98 - 08:53 PM

can anyone help me, here?

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Search for "upside" threads
THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN (DERRY DOWN) in the Digital Tradition
WORLD TURNED UPSIDEDOWN (BUTTERCUPS) in the Digital Tradition
WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN (DIGGERS) in the Digital Tradition
Upside Down (Howard Paul) in the Digital Tradition