Lyr Req: The Ballad of Cissy Lee (Vin Garbutt)

Subject: Need Lyr: Sissy Lee
From: Barry Finn
Date: 29 Aug 98 - 01:12 PM

Around 20 yrs ago I heard at one of Peter Johnson's Club Passim's night for singers a group a women (can't remember there name anymore) sing this song about a down & out poor old widow, I got a portion of the song but never have been able to fill in the blanks. Hoping I can get some help. Here's what I got.

Sissy Lee

Oh Sissy Lee was in Eastern Sq. sitting
Knitting a kartagain (sp?) never to wear
At 79 with her memory fading
Joys of this life she's forgotten & nobody cares

Oh Sissy Lee by the baker shop window
Was just an old widow no money to spen
They (bid?) her to move on but they gave no (......?)
The (food ?) in the window was (fed to the pigs?)

Oh Sissy Lee gazed & looked at the statue
Of the unknown soldier who died long ago
When food it was cheap & life it was cheaper
The (time ?) he fought for his country & fell to the foe

Oh Sissy Lee passed the baker shop window
She saw the fresh (cream ?) cakes being thrown in the bin
Oh & (....?) oh a sadnesss (....?) me
I've worked all my life now I feel that it's time to give in

And oh (............?) stood the cupboard
She read the newspaper while sipping her tea
The headlines (.....?) no free meals for the children
While on the next page they dumped 10 tons in the sea

Oh Sissy Lee bleary eyed feeling weary
(Accended ?) the stairs for some much needed sleep
She never awoke she was found 3 days later
A few at the grave (..........................?)

Thanks for any help. Barry

Subject: RE: Need Lyr: Sissy Lee
From: Barry Finn
Date: 29 Aug 98 - 11:57 PM

Sorry, Club Passims is the old club 47 in Cambridge, Mass & the group of women I think were called the Poodles> Barry

Subject: RE: Need Lyr: Sissy Lee
From: Barry Finn
Date: 12 Dec 98 - 05:08 PM

The thread about songs of the young & old reminded me of "Sissy Lee". Still trying, any help?. Thanks, Barry

Subject: RE: Need Lyr: Sissy Lee
From: Barry Finn
Date: 27 Nov 99 - 10:35 AM

Still liiking for this one, three. Thanks Barry

Subject: Lyr Add: THE BALLAD OF CISSY LEE (Vin Garbutt)^^
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 07 Jul 00 - 12:31 PM

I keep meaning to reply to this, but every time I think of it, my record deck is buried under books.  Here it is at last, with apologies for the delay.

THE BALLAD OF CISSY LEE

(Vin Garbutt: Copyright Leading Note Music, 1976)

Old Cissy Lee was in Eston Square sitting,
Knitting a cardigan, never to wear;
At 79, with her memory failing,
The joys of this life she'd forgotten, and nobody cared.

Old Cissy Lee, through the baker's shop window,
Was just an old widow, no money to spend.
They bade her move on, for they gave no reduction;
Yet all in that window was thrown to the pigs at day's end.

Old Cissy Lee gazed up at the statue
Of the unknown soldier who died long ago,
When food it was cheap, ah, but life was still cheaper;
Her Tommy fought for his country and fell to the foe.

Old Cissy Lee passed the baker's shop window;
She saw the fresh cream cakes being thrown in the bin.
"What madness is this? Oh what sadness it brings me;
I've worked all my life, now I'm feeling that it's time to give in."

At home by the fire, Cissy brewed up a cuppa;
She read the newspaper while sipping her tea.
The headlines declared "No more free milk for children"
And on the next page they threw 8 million tons in the sea.

Old Cissy Lee, blurry eyed, feeling weary,
Ascended the stairs for some much needed sleep.
She never awoke; she was found 3 days later.
Though few at her grave stood, the kind baker sent her a wreathe.

Vin recorded this song on his album King Gooden (Trailer LER 2102, 1976), and wrote:

"To read about old people dying of hypothermia and even starvation in this affluent country of ours, makes me wonder if we're not all a bit too selfish, especially when I read, in the same newspaper, about "butter mountains" and "wine lakes" rotting because the price isn't right.  Cissy Lee could be anybody's granny who's been turned away from a shop because she couldn't afford the food that was to be thrown in the bin at the end of the day anyway."

"No more free milk for children": This refers to Margaret Thatcher's decision, when Education Minister, to end the provision of a free 1/3 pint of milk each day to schoolchildren.  The practice was instigated to ensure that even children from poor families would get adequate calcium; she, however, affected to believe that poverty no longer existed, and preferred to spend the money on something more interesting.  For some years after that, she was known as "Thatcher the Kids' Milk Snatcher".  It would still make a suitable epitaph.

As many will know, the Trailer and Leader catalogues are now owned by Celtic Music, so the album is unlikely to be reissued.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Need Lyr: Sissy Lee
From: GUEST,Barry Finn
Date: 07 Jul 00 - 02:20 PM

Hi Malcolm, it's been a long time since I first heard this, thanks so much for suppling the words & author. After all these years the tune is still quite fresh in my memory. Barry