Lyr Add: I Never Knew (Martin Hall)

Subject: Lyr Add: I NEVER KNEW (Martin Hall)
From: Orac
Date: 04 Apr 03 - 04:51 AM

Here is a song I do sometimes. Its by Martin Hall who used to be in a trio called Jolly Jack as well as solo. I don't know if he is still performing. This song was written at the time of the Kuwait saga but is actually about the apathy we all have to the things happening around us. The second verse seems rather relevant at the moment so I thought I'd post the lyrics here.

I NEVER KNEW
(Martin Hall)

As I ponder all the trouble that besets me left and right
Where to find that extra money, where to book the cheapest flight
There are people out there looking for a box to spend the night in
But I guess they brought it all upon themselves
For how could they be so hapless, why don't they get a job?
If they'd anything about them they'd go out and make a bob
Instead of squandering their lives in the squalor and the rain
Its not my fault, I never knew, I'm not to blame

Chorus
I never knew, I never knew of all the suffering and pain
Never heard the cries of starving children to my shame
Never saw the mushroom cloud, never felt the acid rain
I never knew, I never knew, I never knew

As I sit and watch the evening news it makes me feel quite sad
There are wars and famine everywhere, the world had gone quite mad
And even as I stare our fighters strafe and bomb Baghdad
Trying the kill a man that once we called our friend
But our friend was only money; it was greed that brought us here
For there's billions to be made from selling weapons, peddling fear
And our governments denounce and they are playing age-old games
It wasn't them, they didn't know, they're not to blame

Chorus

There are wide and fertile oceans or so we're often told
But the trawlers over-fish them and the whalers brave the cold
And icy seas to hunt the whale although there's nothing for them there
That can't be made in factories on the shore
In the jungles, on the prairies Mother Nature holds her breath
All the animals should fear us; our expansion means their death
And when they are all gone and recalled only by name
Well, we cry we didn't know, we're not to blame

Chorus

So the factories spew their toxins and pollute the air we breathe
Pump our rivers full of slurry but no punishment receive
For tomorrow never comes, the price to pay will not be ours
If we turn our backs it might just go away
As the forests are depleted and the towns and lakes stagnate
As the ozone just gets thinner will we wait till its too late
To redress the natural balance, contemplate another way
It has to stop it can't go on we mustn't say

Chorus

We never saw the mushroom cloud, never felt the acid rain
We never knew, of course we do, we're all to blame

Subject: RE: I never knew
From: Charley Noble
Date: 04 Apr 03 - 09:06 AM

Thanks for posting this song.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I Never Knew (Martin Hall)
From: GUEST,Craig Sunderland
Date: 02 Feb 21 - 04:42 PM

YES!

Been singing this for weeks.

The organiser of the Monks Kirby FOlk CLub, a guy called Jeff Dennison, sang this every week, without fail. Early to mid 90's.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I Never Knew (Martin Hall)
From: rich-joy
Date: 03 Feb 21 - 04:43 AM

Has anyone found a recording online anywhere???


Cheers, R-J

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I Never Knew (Martin Hall)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 21 Mar 21 - 01:10 PM

I have just shared it RJ :-) - Here


I recently rediscovered it and decided to learn it myself. I knew Martin well and went to school with his wife, Veronica. I'm sure he would love as many people as possible to hear it, sing it and spread the message. He was a larger than life character who did a lot of work at our house and provided a lot of entertainment in both his persona as a musician and a builder :-) Sadly passed away a couple of yers back :-(

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I Never Knew (Martin Hall)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 21 Mar 21 - 01:16 PM

One correction in the chorus BTW - It's "I never heard the cries of countless starving children, to my shame"

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I Never Knew (Martin Hall)
From: rich-joy
Date: 24 Mar 21 - 07:49 PM

Got It - Thanks So Much, Dave!!

Cheers, R-J

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I Never Knew (Martin Hall)
From: cnd
Date: 24 Mar 21 - 11:34 PM

Dave, it says I need access Google drive to see video?

Why not post it on the Mudcat Youtube page you were making? You could always set it to unlisted?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I Never Knew (Martin Hall)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 25 Mar 21 - 04:33 PM

It's not a video CND, just an MP3 audio file. You shouldn't need a google account and the link shoul dtake you right to the file on Google Drive. See if this works better than the other one. If not, I can try it on either OneDrive or DropBox

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1py5x2Mcn8cPF9cHOgXRsqQLOCXM2U3BL/view?usp=sharing

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I Never Knew (Martin Hall)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 25 Mar 21 - 04:42 PM

Just realised it is exactly 3 years tomorrow I posted hisd obituary on here :-( Here is a link to the whole album if you are intereted.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1j9JVO0JQoFkrQkJ9iQa7ZEmStP3Fg9HY?usp=sharing

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I Never Knew (Martin Hall)
From: cnd
Date: 25 Mar 21 - 05:07 PM

Ah, I see. You could always just put a picture up and have the music play behind it. No worries, I got it working now! Not sure what went wrong the first time.

I've never heard that song before, but it's a powerful and well-performed song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I Never Knew (Martin Hall)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 26 Mar 21 - 05:05 AM

Here is the Obituary Thread from exactly 3 years ago. My last post contains the line "If anyone is interested, I have digitised my cassette of Martin's cassette "Ringing the Changes". If anyone is interested in getting a copy, I have spoken to Veronica and she has said I can send people links to it for a donation to either MS or BHF." so if anyone downloads the album please feel free to make a charitable donation.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I Never Knew (Martin Hall)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 26 Mar 21 - 05:14 AM

I should add that it is by no means compulsory!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I Never Knew (Martin Hall)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 03 Oct 23 - 10:33 AM

I have revisted this because I never did get round to learning the song but have now promised myself to do so by next February. Should be long enough to soak in, even to my addled brain :-D

I pasted the words into a document and then listened to the song as Martin sang it on "Ringing the Changes". Orac got it very close but there are one or two minor corrections below -

I NEVER KNEW
(Martin Hall)

As I ponder all the troubles that beset me left and right
Where to find that extra money, where to book the cheapest flight
There are people out there looking for a box to spend the night in
But I’m sure they brought it all upon themselves
For how could they be so hapless, why don't they get a job?
If they'd anything about them they'd be out and make a bob
Instead of squandering their lives in the squalor and the rain
It's not my fault, I never knew, I'm not to blame

Chorus
I never knew, I never knew of all the suffering and pain
I never heard the cries of countless starving children to my shame
I never saw the mushroom cloud, I never felt the acid rain
I never knew, I never knew, I’m not to blame

As I sit and watch the evening news it makes me feel quite sad
There are wars and famine everywhere, the world had gone quite mad
And even as I stare our fighters strafe and bomb Baghdad
Trying to kill a man that once we called our friend
But our friend was only money; it was greed that brought us here
For there's billions to be made from selling weapons, peddling fear
And our governments denounce that they are playing age old games
They didn't know, it wasn't them, they're not to blame

Chorus

There are wide and fertile oceans or so we're often told
But the trawlers overfish them and the whalers brave the cold
And icy seas to hunt the whale although there's nothing for them there
That can't be made in factories on the shore
In the jungles, on the prairies Mother Nature holds her breath
All the animals should fear us; our expansion means their death
And when they are all gone and recalled only by name
Will we cry we never knew, we're not to blame?

Chorus

So the factories spew their toxins and pollute the air we breathe
Pump our rivers full of slurry yet no punishment receive
For tomorrow never comes, the price to pay will not be ours
If we turn our backs it might just go away
As the forests are depleted and the tarns and lakes stagnate
As the ozone just grows thinner will we wait till it’s too late
To redress the natural balance, contemplate another way
It has to stop, it can't go on we mustn't say

Chorus

We never saw the mushroom cloud, we never felt the acid rain
We never knew, of course we do, we're all to blame

One I had to smile about was "tarns and lakes" being misheard as "towns and lakes". My cousin from Australia on a visit some years back went to Malham with me. I kept promising a view of Malham Tarn and when we got there he was very confused. He thought tarn was my odd way of saying town :-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I Never Knew (Martin Hall)
From: Anglo
Date: 05 Oct 23 - 12:51 PM

Dave, I missed this thread first time around, and the link to the cassette no longer seems to be active. I never saw Jolly Jack live (I'm in the US and my years around Manchester were before their time) but I really enjoyed their music and would love to be able to hear this one.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I Never Knew (Martin Hall)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 05 Oct 23 - 06:11 PM

I'll have a look when I get chance, Anglo. There is also a link to a live performance by Jolly Jack knocking about somewhere. I'll see if I can find that too. If not tomorrow it may be next week

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I Never Knew (Martin Hall)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 09 Oct 23 - 08:44 AM

Hi Anglo - You should be able to get at the entire Ringing the Changes album with this link

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1VKxNOYLmPeKjrLDCxGpyexv1m3Y2kq70?usp=sharing

I think you will also be interested in this recorning of Jolly Jack and others from many yesrs ago

Part 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W-kyvWIZ1o
Part 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqE3-UrJlRg

Enjoy and, as mentioned above, if you feel inclided to donate to either an MS charity or to the BHF in Martin's memory, please feel free to do so :-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I Never Knew (Martin Hall)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 15 Oct 23 - 02:57 AM

A bit of trivia. Martin appears twice in the film "Half Life" with Demi Moore. Quite briefly outside the pub where he is playing accordion with a guitar player and fiddler and very briefly in the pub when Demi's character shows up very distressed. On the outside bit they do zoom in on his keyboard and fingers though.

Good film with great locations. Supposed to be Scotland but it is actually Wales

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I Never Knew (Martin Hall)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 03 Oct 23 - 10:33 AM

I have revisted this because I never did get round to learning the song but have now promised myself to do so by next February. Should be long enough to soak in, even to my addled brain :-D

I pasted the words into a document and then listened to the song as Martin sang it on "Ringing the Changes". Orac got it very close but there are one or two minor corrections below -

I NEVER KNEW
(Martin Hall)

As I ponder all the troubles that beset me left and right
Where to find that extra money, where to book the cheapest flight
There are people out there looking for a box to spend the night in
But I’m sure they brought it all upon themselves
For how could they be so hapless, why don't they get a job?
If they'd anything about them they'd be out and make a bob
Instead of squandering their lives in the squalor and the rain
It's not my fault, I never knew, I'm not to blame

Chorus
I never knew, I never knew of all the suffering and pain
I never heard the cries of countless starving children to my shame
I never saw the mushroom cloud, I never felt the acid rain
I never knew, I never knew, I’m not to blame

As I sit and watch the evening news it makes me feel quite sad
There are wars and famine everywhere, the world had gone quite mad
And even as I stare our fighters strafe and bomb Baghdad
Trying to kill a man that once we called our friend
But our friend was only money; it was greed that brought us here
For there's billions to be made from selling weapons, peddling fear
And our governments denounce that they are playing age old games
They didn't know, it wasn't them, they're not to blame

Chorus

There are wide and fertile oceans or so we're often told
But the trawlers overfish them and the whalers brave the cold
And icy seas to hunt the whale although there's nothing for them there
That can't be made in factories on the shore
In the jungles, on the prairies Mother Nature holds her breath
All the animals should fear us; our expansion means their death
And when they are all gone and recalled only by name
Will we cry we never knew, we're not to blame?

Chorus

So the factories spew their toxins and pollute the air we breathe
Pump our rivers full of slurry yet no punishment receive
For tomorrow never comes, the price to pay will not be ours
If we turn our backs it might just go away
As the forests are depleted and the tarns and lakes stagnate
As the ozone just grows thinner will we wait till it’s too late
To redress the natural balance, contemplate another way
It has to stop, it can't go on we mustn't say

Chorus

We never saw the mushroom cloud, we never felt the acid rain
We never knew, of course we do, we're all to blame

One I had to smile about was "tarns and lakes" being misheard as "towns and lakes". My cousin from Australia on a visit some years back went to Malham with me. I kept promising a view of Malham Tarn and when we got there he was very confused. He thought tarn was my odd way of saying town :-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I Never Knew (Martin Hall)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 05 Oct 23 - 06:11 PM

I'll have a look when I get chance, Anglo. There is also a link to a live performance by Jolly Jack knocking about somewhere. I'll see if I can find that too. If not tomorrow it may be next week

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I Never Knew (Martin Hall)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 09 Oct 23 - 08:44 AM

Hi Anglo - You should be able to get at the entire Ringing the Changes album with this link

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1VKxNOYLmPeKjrLDCxGpyexv1m3Y2kq70?usp=sharing

I think you will also be interested in this recorning of Jolly Jack and others from many yesrs ago

Part 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W-kyvWIZ1o
Part 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqE3-UrJlRg

Enjoy and, as mentioned above, if you feel inclided to donate to either an MS charity or to the BHF in Martin's memory, please feel free to do so :-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I Never Knew (Martin Hall)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 15 Oct 23 - 02:57 AM

A bit of trivia. Martin appears twice in the film "Half Life" with Demi Moore. Quite briefly outside the pub where he is playing accordion with a guitar player and fiddler and very briefly in the pub when Demi's character shows up very distressed. On the outside bit they do zoom in on his keyboard and fingers though.

Good film with great locations. Supposed to be Scotland but it is actually Wales

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I Never Knew (Martin Hall)
From: Anglo
Date: 05 Oct 23 - 12:51 PM

Dave, I missed this thread first time around, and the link to the cassette no longer seems to be active. I never saw Jolly Jack live (I'm in the US and my years around Manchester were before their time) but I really enjoyed their music and would love to be able to hear this one.