Lyr Req: Weepin' an' Wailin' Away (Ted Edwards)

Subject: weeping and wailing mining song, please
From: Deni
Date: 15 Aug 02 - 07:51 AM

Hi there, Does anyone know this song, and where I can get hold of it. The weeping and wailing comes in the chorus. Heard it at Dartmoor Festival UK last weekend.

Thanks in anticipation...

Deni

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weeping and wailing mining song, please
From: masato sakurai
Date: 15 Aug 02 - 08:27 AM

This may not be the one, but a song titled THE MINERS' FATE is in the DT.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weeping and wailing mining song, please
From: Hawker
Date: 15 Aug 02 - 09:19 AM

Deni.....
Was that it?
Quicker than I guessed eh?
Rachael is OK, had shower and done the village shop bit!
Good company last nite, Cheers, Lucy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weeping and wailing mining song, please
From: Den
Date: 15 Aug 02 - 09:44 AM

Or was it "The Blantyre Explosion"
By Clyde's Bonnie Banks as I sadly did wander, Among the pit heaps as evening drew nigh. I spied a fair maiden all dressed in deep mourning, She was weeping and wailing with many a sigh. I stept up beside her and this I addressed her; "Pray tell me fair maid of your sorrow and pain." Oh sobbing and sighing at last she did answer; "Johnny Murphy, kind sir, was my true lover's name." Twenty one years of age full of youth and good looking, To work in the mines of high Blantyre he came. The wedding was fixed all the guest were invited, That calm summers evening my Johnny was slain. The explosion was heard, all the women and children, With pale anxious faces they ran to the mine. When the news was made known all the hills rang with mourning, Three hundred and ten young miners were slain. Now husbands and wives and sweethearts and brothers, That Blantyre explosion you'll never forget. And all you young miners that hear my sad story, Remember your comrades who lie at their rest.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weeping and wailing mining song, please
From: masato sakurai
Date: 15 Aug 02 - 10:14 AM

BLANTYRE EXPLOSION is in the DT. See also this thread: Help: Coal mine disasters/troubles.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weeping and wailing mining song, please
From: GUEST,Wombat (wife of Raggytash)
Date: 15 Aug 02 - 11:14 AM

This could be the Ted Edwards song. When Raggytash gets home from work tonight I will refer him to this thread, as he knows all the words.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weeping and wailing mining song, please
From: Raggytash
Date: 15 Aug 02 - 03:57 PM

Hope this is the one you want.........
Chorus goes

Weepin' an' wailin' away
weepin' an' wailin' away
the men at the coal an' the women at home
an; they're weepin' an' wailin' away.

Written By Ted Edwards who also wrote Coal'ole Cavalry. Ted worked for a time as a miner, in a pit near Leigh in Lancashire, (I think, don't quote me on the location)and wrote numerous songs.

If this is the correct one I'll put in the rest of the words

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weeping and wailing mining song, please
From: Harry Basnett
Date: 15 Aug 02 - 04:23 PM

I think you're right on the location, Raggytash...Brian (Ted) Edwards also wrote the powerful "Coal and Albert Berry"...Gary and Vera Aspey have recorded some of his material.

All the bedt.........Harry.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weeping and wailing mining song, please
From: Raggytash
Date: 15 Aug 02 - 07:16 PM

Harryoldham, Ted has been a mate of mine for over 30 years, just testing the waters to ensure that the right bloke got the credit. Cheers

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weeping and wailing mining song, please
From: Deni
Date: 16 Aug 02 - 07:23 AM

Thanks all of you. the one Raggytash got is the right one. I'm delighted. i'd love to hear it again, meanwhile could you please post the rest of the lyrics. gratefully den

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weeping and wailing mining song, please
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 17 Aug 02 - 03:08 AM

Vera Aspey recorded it but I can't tell you what album as I cribbed it from a compilation.

I'll try and dig out the words for you... I have to find a disk and that could take a while....

LTS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weeping and wailing mining song, please
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 17 Aug 02 - 07:15 PM

Still can't find the disk, sorry, but refresh this so's I remember to look tomorrow when I've not had several glasses of wine.....

LTS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weeping and wailing mining song, please
From: Harry Basnett
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 06:03 AM

Hi, Liz.....

Vera Aspey's version of 'Weeping and Wailing Away' is from Gart and Vera's 'A Taste of Hotpot' album (Topic?) which was a live recording.

All the best.......Harry.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weeping and wailing mining song, please
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 07:54 AM

That doesn't help me but thanks... I still can't find the disk and I'm surrounded by them now!!

LTS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weeping and wailing mining song, please
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 19 Aug 02 - 02:48 AM

REfreshing to remind me to LOOK FOR THE BLOODY DISK!

This is getting personal now... it has the whole first half of my repertoire on it (yeah, I know, bit excessive for 3 songs....) and I need to know where it is!!!

LTS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weeping and wailing mining song, please
From: Deni
Date: 19 Aug 02 - 05:50 AM

Plenty of time. Don't drive yourself crazy by being helpful, will you?

Cheers deni

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weeping and wailing mining song, please
From: Raggytash
Date: 25 Aug 02 - 06:07 PM

Deni, Poor timing on your part I'm afraid, the 17th saw the start of Whitby Folk Week where any self respecting folkie north of Watford descends on this beautiful East Coast Fishing port for a week (make that 10 days of singing dancing cavorting etc) Just got back absolutelt knackered, haven't forgotten to put the words on, it's just that the excesses of the last few days means that bed beckons Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Subject: Lyr Add: WEEPIN' AN' WAILIN' (Ted Edwards)
From: Raggytash
Date: 26 Aug 02 - 02:14 AM

WEEPIN' AN' WAILIN' (Copyright Ted Edwards)

I'm goin' now, Mary. I'm off down t' pit.
In an hour I'll be at the coal.
I'll be makin' good brass for our Jinny an' thee.
Doust remamber when I were on't dole?
So gi us me tin. Put a smile on thee face.
I'll be back before endin' o' day.
An' don't let it show, love. Let nobody see,
As tha's weepin' an wailin' away.

[CHORUS: see original e-mail]

It's well I remember when I'm at the face
That summer when I courted thee.
We'd walked o'er common an' I'd 'old thee hand.
For an hour or two we'd be free.
Then I'd tak thee to pictures, an' then walk thee whoam,
We'd be feelin' so happy an' gay.
But when t'hooter would blow in the mornin', I'd know
As tha's weepin' an' wailin' away. CHORUS

Me favver were under a big fall o' dirt,
An' he'll never walk proper agin.
An thy favver too, 'e get slag in his eins,
An' both of 'em started full men.
I remember the look in me old lady's eyes
When I went with me Dad that first day.
It wasn't the same as when I went to school.
Ou were weepin' an' wailin' away. CHORUS

They say as the days of the miner are done,
For there's oil an' there's gas from North Sea.
An' now atom power is bein' brought in,
But I think as it's too late for me.
But our Jinny's young lad has just started in pit,
And before he's much older they may
Shut that big iron gate an' stop Jinny from waitin',
An' weepin' an' wailin' away. CHORUS

EINS = EYES
WHOAM = HOME
FAVVER = FATHER
The Lancashire dialect does not make much use of endings to words and I think that with a distinct lack of the letter G.
If you require further info, I'll do my best to help.

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 28-Aug-02.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weeping and wailing mining song, please
From: Raggytash
Date: 26 Aug 02 - 02:33 AM

The last verse should read "our Jinnys young man" not lad

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weeping and wailing mining song, please
From: Tiger
Date: 26 Aug 02 - 11:38 AM

Are there ANY happy mining songs?

OK, maybe the seven dwarfs in their diamond mine.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weeping and wailing mining song, please
From: Deni
Date: 11 Sep 02 - 06:11 AM

Thanks a lot, raggytash and all you others I was really impressed when I heard it, now maybe I can learn it!!!!!!!!!!

cheers deni

Subject: Lyr Add: WEEPIN' AN' WAILIN' AWAY (Ted Edwards)
From: Bernard
Date: 20 Apr 04 - 09:03 PM

Just stumbled across this...

For the sake of accuracy (I'm an insufferable pedant!!), Ted used the word 'een', not 'eins', meaning eyes. Also, it's 'Jinny's young mon'. There are other subtle differences, too. Please don't take this as a criticism - that's not how it's meant!

My copy of the words was given to me by Ted, and is a scanned copy of his original... it couldn't be more authentic than that, so here is a transcript:

I'm gooin', ney, Mary, I'm off deyn to t'pit,
In an hour I'll be at the coal
I'll be mekin' good brass fer our Jimmy and thee,
Dost remember when I were on t'dole?
So gi' us me tin, put thi smile on thi face,
I'll be back a'fower th'endin' o't'day
An' don't let it show, love, let nobody see
As tha's weepin' an' wailin' away.

CHORUS:

Weepin' an' wailin' away
Weepin' an' wailin' away
The men at the coal, and the women at home,
And they're weepin' an' wailin' away.


It's well I remember when I'm at the face
That summer when I courted thee
We'd walk o'er t'common and I'd owd thi 'and,
For an hour or two we'd be free
Then I'd tek thi to t'pictures an' then walk thi wom
We'd be feelin' so 'appy and gay
But when th'ooter'd blow in the mornin' I'd know
Tha'd be weepin' an' wailin' away.
                (chorus)

Me feyther were under a big fall o'dirt
An' he'll never walk proper again.
An' his feyther, too, he's got stag in his een,
An' both of 'em started full men.
I remember that look in me owd lady's eyes
When I went wi' me dad that fust day
It wasn't the same as when I went to schoo'
Er were weepin' an' wailin' away.
                (chorus)

They sen as the days of the miner are done
For there's oil and there's gas from t'North Sea
An' ney atom power is bein' browt in,
But I think as it's too late for me.
But our Jinny's young son, he's just started in t' pit
An' afower he's much owder they may
Shut that big Iron gate an' stop Jinny fro' waitin'
An' weepin' an' wailin' away.
                (chorus)


Ted is a 'Songs in the Snug' regular at the Railway, Heatley. On Wednesday April 14th 2004 he actually sang the song for us (and Albert Berry, too), which was a rare treat. Better still, he has agreed to let me record him!

He will be 65 on Sunday April 25th 2004... call into Wetherspoons in Eccles and wish him well!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weeping and wailing mining song, please
From: GUEST,Cllr at work
Date: 21 Apr 04 - 08:03 AM

"For the sake of accuracy (I'm an insufferable pedant!!), Ted used the word 'een', not 'eins', meaning eyes. Also, it's 'Jinny's young mon'."

You have written it "Jinny's young son" in the song presumably that's wrong then. (as an insufferable pedant how will you live with yourself now?) cllr

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weeping and wailing mining song, please
From: Zany Mouse
Date: 21 Apr 04 - 05:53 PM

Yes, Tiger, there certainly is at least one happy mining song. Mick Pearce (MCP) signs a brilliant song called "Success Unto the Coal Trade". At the end of the song though he adds a pipe tune called "Small Coals for Little Money" - which says it all really.

Rhiannon

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weeping and wailing mining song, please
From: Flash Company
Date: 22 Apr 04 - 10:23 AM

Pleased to hear Ted is still going strong after the adventurous life he has led, The silly bugger once trekked through the Sahara with a camel and a video camera, Nearly died through water shortage as I recall!

FC

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weeping and wailing mining song, please
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 22 Apr 04 - 05:56 PM

MCP has recorded Blood on the Coals (written by Charlie Hardy), which says it all, too....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weeping and wailing mining song, please
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 22 Apr 04 - 06:00 PM

And, of course, Johnny Handle wrote "Guard your man well through the neet".

Kitty

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weeping and wailing mining song, please
From: Gareth
Date: 22 Apr 04 - 06:51 PM

Hmmm ! - I've said it afore, and I'll say it agin.

There was an old toast in the South Wales Miners Federation.

" To the day the last man leaves the last Pit on the last shift"

Be carefull what you pray for, you might get it !

Gareth

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weeping and wailing mining song, please
From: Flash Company
Date: 23 Apr 04 - 10:34 AM

Tiger,
From the same source as Weeping & Wailing away, ie Ted Edwards, comes a song called 'Coal Hole Cavalry'.
I
dont have all the words, but it is about Ted's thoughts whilst lying in bed in a morning listening to the miners in their clogs going to work, and thinking it sounded like the cavalry charge in the western films that he saw on a Saturday:-

Colliers riding a million horses,
Clitter clitter clatter all over the world,
Bugger off indians! cavalry's coming,
Picks and shovels and banners unfurled!

CH Clittering and clattering, coal hole cavalry,
Galloping rain or shine,
Clittering and clattering, coal hole cavalry,
Galloping down t' th' mine

FC

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weeping and wailing mining song, please
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 23 Apr 04 - 11:18 AM

Flash

There is a thread pertaining to this song on the site somewhere, and you are correct in stating it's origin (Ted lying in bed as a kid)
Whilst Bernard may have a photocopy of the manuscript of Weepin' an' wailin' I am fortunate enough the have the original of Coal Hole Cavalry, which takes pride of place on my piano.
Incidentally I will be seeing Ted tomorow night at his 65th Birthday bash, I belive he is also going into the Eccles Cross on Sunday lunchtime ......... if he gets out of bed in time !!

Raggy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weeping and wailing mining song, please
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 23 Apr 04 - 11:24 AM

Coal Hole Cavalry
Lyr/Chords Req: Coal Hole Cavalry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weeping and wailing mining song, please
From: Bernard
Date: 24 Apr 04 - 02:13 PM

See you at Ted's tonight, Raggy! I've got 'originals' of all Ted's stuff, too... I'll bring a CD copy of Ted's BBC GMR interview on March 23rd for you.

Sorry about the error in the song above, Mick - I should have checked that the OCR software had correctly translated it all! Hee hee! Ain't technology wunnerful!