ADD: The Roving Navvy (Ian Woods)

Subject: Roving navvy
From: Tam the bam fraeSaltcoatsScotland
Date: 04 Aug 02 - 04:58 AM

Hello my name is Tom,

I'm looking for the wordsto song by the The Spinners(Liverpool) and they sing called Roving navvy, a song about the bridgewater canal in the north of England.

It's on their concert record.

Tom

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Roving navvy
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 08 Aug 02 - 01:04 PM

George Belton recorded "I Am a Roving Navvy Man" on "All Jolly Fellows ...." Topic LP #1008 (1967).

Gary and Vera Aspey recorded "Roving Navvy" on "From the North," Topic LP #12TS255, 1975 -- which has been reissued as a CD.

It is also on "Maggie May: The Spinners (In Concert)," PLSCD/MC174. (Or this album might be called "The Spinners, Best Of" -- information on the web is inconsistent.)

I don't have the lyrics, but maybe this information will jog someone's memory.

Subject: ADD: The Navvy Boys
From: Hillheader
Date: 09 Mar 03 - 08:04 AM

The Roving Navvy

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The Navvy Boys

It's first when I set out on tramp I was but very young, My mind was bent on merriment, On joy, and on fun: My mind was bent on merriment, And ne'er could give it o'er, For still my mind was quite content On Paddy's green Shamrock shore. With my laddy fal de de, With my laddie fal de do With my laddy fal de de, We are navvy boys, you know. When I became a navvy I own I was dismayed, To see our noble hacksmen1) On them a while I gazed, Likewise our noble barrow-men, Who ne'er could give it o'er, In hopes that they would meet again On Paddy's green Shamrock shore. On Monday morn when we go out Our work to begin, The noise of our tools, brave boys, Does make the valleys ring; We will drive our piles and bore our holes, By one, by two, by four-- The best of our navigators come From Paddy's green Shamrock shore.

When the rain it does come on we are Happy then as kings, We are off into the ale-house, And the bell then loudly rings, We call for liquor of the best, And our bumpers they run o'er, The very first toast that we drink Is Paddy's green Shamrock shore. When we meet a bad landlady, The truth to you I tell, We do our whole endeavours It's for to please her well; But at the pay we slope her2), As we've oft done before, And with her money drink a health To Paddy's green Shamrock shore. When we meet a bonny lass We give to her a kiss, We take her in our arms, my boys, I own it is no miss; We take her in our arms, And kiss her o'er and o'er, But still the one that we like best is On Paddy's green Shamrock shore. Come all you roving navvys That listen to my song, I hope you'll not be angry If I've said anything wrong; I own I am a navvy bold, The truth I will deplore, Many a happy day I spent On Paddy's green Shamrock shore.

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1) sub-contractors, 2)leave without paying. People who are unemployed, are those that wish to work, whereas beggars have a trade of a kind, which is sometimes envied by those in conventional occupations because of what they fancy to be its untrammelled nature. This is why itinerant tradesmen were often envied, especially since they were thought to take advantage of their travels for amorous adventures. Among other mobile workers of the nineteenth century were the navvies, who prided themselves on their prowess both at work and at play.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The roving navvy
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 09 Mar 03 - 09:12 AM

Posted in the canal songs thread in answer to Tom's previous request last month: The Navvy Boys

There are two broadside editions at Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads:

The navy boys

So, Tom: is that the song you were looking for? I don't have that particular record, so I can't tell; but the title isn't as you gave it, though there are navvies in it. There's another song, called The Roving Navvy or The Roving Navigator, which is a version of The Roving Journeyman. Let us know, and if needed I'll post a set of that one. There's no mention of Bridgwater, though.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The roving navvy
From: Tam the bam fraeSaltcoatsScotland
Date: 13 Mar 03 - 11:49 AM

Hello the song is called Roving navvy, and it's on the Spinners record called 'In my Liverpool home' and it was written by a man called Ian Woods.

Thank you
Tom

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The roving navvy
From: GUEST,bigJ
Date: 13 Mar 03 - 04:44 PM

I don't know if it's the song that you're looking for, but Ian Woods and Charley Yarwood sang 'Manchester Ship Canal Navvy' on their LP Hooks & Nails many years ago. It was on the Tradition label whose masters are now in the possession of Fellside Recordings, Cumbria who are in the process of re-issuing them.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The roving navvy
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 13 Mar 03 - 04:53 PM

Ian Woods seems to have recorded several "Navvy" songs over the years. Still, now that Tom has provided the rest of the source information, perhaps someone who has the record in question will be able to help.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The roving navvy
From: Raggytash
Date: 13 Mar 03 - 07:19 PM

does the song you require go
me name is Geordie Thompson I'm a man of high reknown, known all along the cut and in the near by town, a gallon of beer two pounds of beef I have ever day, and when me work is finished it's half crown for me pay.
Chorus
And it's dig boys load biys and haul away digging up the cut me lads of Manchester way

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The roving navvy
From: Tam the bam fraeSaltcoatsScotland
Date: 14 Mar 03 - 06:30 AM

Yes it does, raggytash

Tom

Subject: Lyr Req: Roving navvy
From: GUEST,Fasteddy
Date: 15 May 07 - 03:34 PM

Lots of mention of this song but cant find the lyrics anybody have them to hand?

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Message moved from another thread.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The roving navvy
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 15 May 07 - 03:43 PM

Rather than go through all this again in a new thread, I'm reviving this old one which makes it clear (after some false starts) which song is being asked for.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE ROVING NAVVY (Ian Woods)
From: terrier
Date: 15 May 07 - 04:15 PM

THE ROVING NAVVY

My name is Geordie Thompson, I'm a man of high renown
Known all along the cut and in the nearby towns
A gallon of ale, two pounds of beef I have every day
and when my work is finished it's a half-crown for my pay

Ch.
So its dig boys, load boys, then haul away,
Digging up the cut, my lads up Manchester way.

I've cut the turf for many a mile and shovelled up the dirt,
I've picked my way through frozen earth wrapped up in my shirt,
I've sweated 'neath the burning sun, digging out the clay,
To trim away the levels all along the waterway.

I've had my share of randies, you can tell that by my scars
and I've done my share of porter drinking in the public bars,
I've laboured mortal drunk on a cold Octobers day
and staggered 'till I've nearly fell into the waterway.


Words by Ian Woods
Melody: Weshin' Day

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Roving Navvy (Ian Woods)
From: Mr Happy
Date: 19 Nov 09 - 09:47 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtyfvFYXDgE

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Roving Navvy (Ian Woods)
From: Ian Hendrie
Date: 19 Nov 09 - 12:09 PM

Hi Tom from Saltcoats,
I'm Ian with some links to nearby Kilmarnock, neither of which have canals to my knowledge. If you are interested in canal songs, 'Roving Navvy' and many other canal related songs can be found on the website :
"Songs of the Inland Waterways"

Ian

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Roving Navvy (Ian Woods)
From: GUEST,Thomas A, Sweden
Date: 09 Jul 14 - 03:26 PM

One verse is missing.
"I had my share of women in many a shanty town
Cause I reckon' if I could chat to them, I could always bend them down
But if I could live my life again, this I always say
A Roving Navvy I would be along the water way

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Roving Navvy (Ian Woods)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 04 Jun 25 - 11:04 AM

11 years late but, yes Thomas A. The first three verses were Ian Woods while the last one was added by Gary Aspey on the album by him and Vera called "From the North". I reckon he got in lumber with Vera for that one :-D

Anyroads...

I sing this but have always had a question about the line "I've had my share of randies, you can tell that by my scars". Randy, in my experience refers to feeling, errrr, aroused. I have looked it up and another definition is a crude or course person and, in Scotland, being rude or aggressive. Seems to have the same base as rant. From the Dutch "randen", to rant. In this context do you think it could be disagreements or fights? Blowed if I know!