req:man who wrote the songs we sang to Cecil Sharp

Subject: Lyr Req: silly song
From: banjoman
Date: 18 Oct 02 - 06:25 AM

Does any one have or know where I can find the words to a song I heard in Whitby this year. I think the title is "I'm the man who wrote the songs we sang to Cecil Sharpe" and who wrote it if possible.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: silly song
From: wilco
Date: 18 Oct 02 - 09:31 AM

I don't know if this is close to what you requested, but there are several such nonsense songs in the USA with similiar titles. One of them is called "I'm the man who rode a mule around the world." Stringbean, a banjo player on the US Grand Ole Opry, did it about fifty years ago.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: silly song
From: GUEST,acb
Date: 01 Apr 10 - 04:00 AM

I heard "I'm the man who wrote the songs we sang to Cecil Sharpe" sung in the New Inn at Priddy Folk Festival two or three years ago and have also been trying to track it down. Unfortunatly, apart from saying it was a man who sang it, I can't tell you more.

ACB

Subject: RE: req:man who wrote the songs we sang to Cecil Sharp
From: Young Buchan
Date: 01 Apr 10 - 05:13 AM

This I think is what you're looking for - a small ill favoured thing but mine own. I've given the words to various people over the years (including David Lee who is a much better singer than I am) and since I've never been to Priddy Festival at least one of them must be using it.I thought I'd actually answered this thread a few years ago, but since it's turned up again presumably not.

The main-men in our village back in 1923
Were the teacher, doctor, parson, but most especially me.
But now I'm 97 and coming close to death,
And there's something on my conscience that I'm wanting off my chest.

CHO: I've come here for confession before it all goes dark.
I am the man who wrote the songs we sang to Cecil Sharp.

Cecil came into our pub, some folk songs for to hear,
And for anyone who'd sing them he would gladly buy the beer.
But of all the songs we really knew, there's only one was Folk,
And that was one we'd learnt in school from Cecil's boring book.

But we were poor and out of work and very low on booze,
And the chance of getting some for free was much too good to lose.
The rate was half a pint of beer for every verse of song;
And that is why Lord Bateman's forty bloody verses long.

I wrote Shenandoah and Lamkin, and he seemed extremely keen,
Though he looked a mite suspicious when I gave him Fiddler's Green.
Then he walked out in disgust, just as things were going well;
But how was I to know he wouldn't like Heartbreak Hotel?

Cecil went to meet his God in 1924,
But I've still got some old songs I wrote shoved away inside a drawer.
So when I'm gone just take a look and find out where they're hid –
You can palm them off on Carthy for a couple of hundred quid.

Derek Brinkley

Subject: RE: req:man who wrote the songs we sang to Cecil Sharp
From: Leadfingers
Date: 01 Apr 10 - 05:16 AM

All it needs now is the tune !

Subject: RE: req:man who wrote the songs we sang to Cecil Sharp
From: Young Buchan
Date: 01 Apr 10 - 05:32 AM

Tune is a problem - I don't do dots very well and I certainly don't do chords. Paul Dalton was once kind enough to say that every song I've written is basically to the same tune; so if you know any of my others....!

If you or anyone else seriously wants the tune PM me your real email address and I'll try to send it as a file of me humming it!

Or make one up!

Subject: RE: req:man who wrote the songs we sang to Cecil Sharp
From: GUEST,Shimrod
Date: 01 Apr 10 - 07:27 AM

That's outrageous! Especially the bit about sending "a file of me humming [the tune]"! Whatever next?

Subject: RE: req:man who wrote the songs we sang to Cecil Sharp
From: Young Buchan
Date: 01 Apr 10 - 07:39 AM

It's the traditional way.
Research in the Kenneth Loveless Memorial Archive have revealed early Arpanet files sent to him by William KImber of 'Merry' humming Getting Upstairs.

Subject: RE: req:man who wrote the songs we sang to Cecil S
From: Charley Noble
Date: 01 Apr 10 - 07:48 AM

Derek-

It's amazing but when I was reading your post I could actually hear you humming along. It's a bit like "The Range of the Buffalo" which I composed a few years back in similar circumstances.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: req:man who wrote the songs we sang to Cecil Sharp
From: banjoman
Date: 01 Apr 10 - 11:20 AM

gREAT SONG - i GOT THIS FROM A GUY IN wHITBY WHO i THINK WROTE IT AND i USE IT OFTEN -ALWAYS GOOD FOR A LAUGH

Subject: RE: req:man who wrote the songs we sang to Cecil Sharp
From: Gurney
Date: 01 Apr 10 - 10:32 PM

What's the matter, Shimrod? Do you usually get your files hidden in a cake?

Subject: RE: req:man who wrote the songs we sang to Cecil Sharp
From: GUEST,Shimrod
Date: 02 Apr 10 - 04:23 AM

Gurney,

My comments were 'tongue-in-cheek' - the whole thing struck me as so delightfully silly that I couldn't resist expressing mock outrage!

Subject: RE: req:man who wrote the songs we sang to Cecil S
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 13 Apr 10 - 11:00 AM

Banjoman made the same request in at least 2 different threads, back in 2002. Derek answered the other one in 2007.

That thread was called Heard in Whitby.

Banjoman is active again at Mudcat after an absence from 2003-2008.

By the way, I see THIS thread was originally titled "Lyr Req: silly song" but someone changed it to "req:man who wrote the songs we sang to Cecil Sharp" which just barely fits in our title box.

Is that what you call your song, Derek, or would you prefer a different title?