Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon

Subject: Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon
From: fogie
Date: 26 Mar 04 - 12:55 PM

Someone help me here, All I remember is " Them all his other wives came in..... He must have been a mormon and me mother never knew.
It took place at the aforesaid chap's funeral, and I remember it was very funny!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon
From: GUEST,Martin Gibson
Date: 26 Mar 04 - 12:57 PM

That was about Donny Osmond wasn't it?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon
From: Micca
Date: 26 Mar 04 - 01:12 PM

This is "the Funeral song" By Keith Marsden and the words can be found in bill/sables post Here

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon
From: GUEST,Andy
Date: 26 Mar 04 - 01:15 PM

yes i've heard it and dont know it, so i'm keeping an eye on this thread

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 26 Mar 04 - 01:22 PM

Andy - follow the link in Micca's post.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 27 Mar 04 - 12:39 AM

One of Keith's great comic songs, also try ' Billy Armitage ' no-one
ever illustrated West Yorkshire folk like Keith. There is a wonderful book of his songs compiled by the rest of Cockersdale, ' Picking Sooty Blackberries '
eric

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 27 Mar 04 - 09:19 AM

What's the significance of "co-op ham tea"?

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon
From: katlaughing
Date: 27 Mar 04 - 09:39 AM

I would suspect it's a mondegreen, Dave. Probably supposed to be "co-op AND tea?" Co-op meaning food stuff brought in by friends or something from the feed store!?**bg** OR, it's some kind of name for a special tea, i.e. Cohampton tea?:-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon
From: breezy
Date: 27 Mar 04 - 09:44 AM

co-operative society org the funereal and lay on the grub, known as Tea, inc ham sandwiches, hence co-op ham tea

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon
From: Mark Dowding
Date: 27 Mar 04 - 09:47 AM

The Co-operative company run a funeral service and one of the things they provide for "afterwards at" (the wake) is a ham tea i.e. a running buffet - hence the co-op ham tea

Cheers
Mark

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon
From: gnomad
Date: 27 Mar 04 - 09:47 AM

The Co-Operative movement is particularly strong in the north of England, though somewhat weakened now from its heyday.

It is quite likely that the Co-Op would also be the funeral directors, as they provide(d) a wide range of services to the community. Several of my friends can recite their mother's Co-Op "Divi" number fifty years after they last heard it used in real life, and more than one claim it is the first thing they can remember learning. The Co-Op loomed very large in the life of many families, especially in the period 1900-65ish.

The ham part, well you'll be familiar with the butchery aspect, so I won't explain that. I think Keith would be describing that a "high tea" was provided to the mourners. This is still quite usual in the north (in the south too for all I know) and would consist of mainly cold dishes, such as a ham salad, plus tea, and serious quantities of baked goods. To consume a typical northern high tea takes stamina, and often a slackening of the belt.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon
From: Mark Dowding
Date: 27 Mar 04 - 09:48 AM

Breezy can type faster than I can!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon
From: Abuwood
Date: 27 Mar 04 - 10:10 AM

Poor Steve sang this at Cheltenham folk festival and every time he came to the bit about 'send for extra chairs' they were piled in front of him! You could not see him by the end of the song!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon
From: MoorleyMan
Date: 28 Mar 04 - 08:57 AM

Well you all beat me to't - I've been off-PC for two days - so I'll just endorse above comments. The celebrated Funeral Song is one of Keith's most inspired creations, a superb vignette if ever there was one. Great to sing too (it's become one of me most requested), but watch not to let the chorus become a dirge (after all, it is a comic song)!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon
From: fogie
Date: 28 Mar 04 - 11:30 AM

My grateful thanks for the words. Who is Keith Marsden?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon
From: open mike
Date: 28 Mar 04 - 01:57 PM

maybe the word in question is co-habitation?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon
From: Willa
Date: 28 Mar 04 - 05:05 PM

Breezy/mark/gnomad have given the correct information- it's definitely no mondegreen.
Fogie; here http://www.freenetpages.co.uk/hp/trg/focsle/cocker.htm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 28 Mar 04 - 06:30 PM

Just to confirm that "co-op ham tea" is indeed no mondegreen.

I cannot remember the name of the sitcom, but I do remember in the early seventies there was a televised sitcom (based in Yorkshire)in which one of the characters was an elderly granny whose catchphrase was
" I'm not having HIM, I'm having the Co-op. They do a nice ham tea at the Co-op".

"HIM" was the local undertaker, whom she disliked for some reason.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 29 Mar 04 - 04:05 AM

Fogie - very sadly your question should be "Who was Keith Marsden ?".
Keith was a wonderful singer, songwriter and founder of the group "Cockersdale" - he died in 1991. Find more information here. I met him and heard him perform on several accasions - a wonderful man.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon
From: breezy
Date: 29 Mar 04 - 05:06 AM

On friday 21st May Cockersdale will be appearing at the St Albans 'Windward' Folk-song club at the Duke of Marlborough where the stone floor and brick walls make the accoustics awesome for accapella.

I have specifically requested that they feature as many of Keith's songs as possible thereby performing
'Picking sooty Blackberries'

I consider this work to be compulsory listening for all folk song enthusiasts, my regret is that I took the course too late and yet I was in Leeds 64-67 and attended the clubs.

Tortoises

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon
From: Schantieman
Date: 29 Mar 04 - 06:16 AM

I well remember being surrounded by chairs at Chelters last month; Derek has a few photos on his super-duper-trendy mobile 'phone that he showed me yesterday. Time for publication I think!

Steve

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon
From: Ned Ludd
Date: 29 Mar 04 - 04:21 PM

Keith was the greatest writer of 'traditional' songs I knew! I'll bet many people sing his songs thinking them to be traditional!
The General.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon
From: Schantieman
Date: 30 Mar 04 - 07:36 AM

He made a point of making people think that, especially with 'Bring Us a Barrel'.   He used to say that he'd collected them from Charlie Watts (or someone) - who was a clerk at the bank! Read Cockersdale's book, Picking Sooty Blackberries for the full story - and lots of others.

The good die young.

S

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 12:56 PM

I have clicked on the links given and still can't find the lyrics can anyone help?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon
From: MartinRyan
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 01:01 PM

GUEST

Yes, those links seem to have been scrambled.
Try this one!" . The lyrics are well down the thread.

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 01:10 PM

Sorry Martin but I can't find the lyrics here either

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon
From: GUEST,Fran
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 01:19 PM

Thanks Martin:-)

Guest if you scroll down to ill Sables post they are there.

Thanks again
Fran (cookieless)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 01:21 PM

Bill Sables !

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon
From: Carol
Date: 05 Oct 06 - 03:58 AM

Why don't you go mad and treat yourself to the book 'Picking Sooty Blackberries', it's worth every penny.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: He must have been a Mormon
From: breezy
Date: 05 Oct 06 - 07:18 AM

and the Cds and tapes of cockersdale

'Oh we can be hard and mean, like the tykes on the yorkshire scene