Lyr Req: The Scavenger's Brigade

Subject: Lyr Req: The Scavenger's Brigade
From: GUEST,C.H.
Date: 15 Mar 05 - 11:29 PM

My Grandfather sang (to a tune similar to "the Hot Asphalt")

I'm just a common country boy
and I come from Donegal
When first I came to Belfast sure
I couldn't get work at all.
I searched around and up and down
and nearly was dismayed
Until at last I got an opening in
the scavenger's brigade.

Chorus:
We're always on our duty, boys
    In sunshine or in storm.
with our brooms upon our shoulders
    It's our only uniform.
In streets and squares you'll find us there
    we're always on parade
And we march in style, in the Indian file
    In the Scavenger's Brigade.

My mother writes to ask me
if my leave is coming soon
and she wonders if her darling
is a kiltie or dragoon
She asks about the hours I work,
the rates I'm geting paid
And if I'll soon become a sargeant
in the Scavenger's Brigade


............
I think there were more verses but that's all I can remember.

Does anyone know/remember it?
c.h.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Scavenger's Brigade
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 17 Mar 05 - 07:30 AM

Would you believe Google doesn't find ANY use of the term "Scavenger's Brigade" (or "Scavengers' Brigade")? You might have a truly rare song there.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Scavengers' Brigade
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Mar 05 - 02:25 PM

Well, there's a little bit at folktrax.org:
SCAVENGER BRIGADE, THE - "I courted three girls all at once" - Ch:"Always out on duty, in sunshine or in storm, march in file, Indian style, the SB" - 1st v gives the brigade "a week of women" Monday - Sunday, the 2nd mentions Capt McManus from Clare who "hates the North like poison" always curse and swear - GREIG-DUNCAN 3 #490 1v (w/o) - SSSA 1952/26/B13 John Strachan ("It's myself a decent Irish lad arrived from Donegal") -- Bob McCREESH rec by Seamus Ennis, Armagh, Co Armagh 11/8/54: RPL 21838/516

---

Not much in the Greig-Duncan Folk Song Collection - Greig recorded just this one fragment, from a Mrs. Duncan (Vo3, #490):

We're always upon duty boys in sunshine or in storm
With our brooms upon our shoulders it's our only uniform
It's everywhere in street and square we are daily on parade
As we march in style in Indian file in the Scavengers' Brigade.

-Joe Offer-

It's Roud 5978, but I don't have the Roud index - yet. I have to say I can't figure out what "SSSA 1952/26/B13 John Strachan" is. The McCreesh recording is on a folktrax cassette.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Scavenger's Brigade
From: masato sakurai
Date: 17 Mar 05 - 06:14 PM

According to Brunnings' Folk Song Index (Garland), "The Scavengers' Brigade" is in David Hammond's Songs of Belfast.

Subject: ADD: The Scavenger's Brigade
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 Mar 05 - 01:10 AM

That's twice I owe you thanks today, Masato!
-Joe Offer-

THE SCAVENGERS' BRIGADE

Chorus
For we're always out on duty boys
In sunshine or in storm,
With our brooms across our shoulders —
That's our only uniform!
And everywhere, in street or square,
We're always on parade
As we march in style and Indian file —
The Scavengers' Brigade.

It's myself's a decent country lad arrived from Donegal,
When at first I came to Belfast, sure I couldn't find work at all,
I wandered up and down the street and greatly was dismayed,
Till at length I found an opening in the Scavengers' Brigade.
Chorus

Our Captain's name's McManus and he comes from county Clare,
And he hates the North like poison, boys, and doesn't give its share,
He hasn't a bit of a sword at all, but an ornamented spade,
And he's a terror to every private in The Scavengers' Brigade.
Chorus

When my father gets my letters, sure he calls the neighbours roun',
And he tells them that his Rabbie is a credit to the town;
And my mother says her heart will break if she doesn't see me soon,
And she wonders if her darlin' is a kiltie or dragoon.
Chorus

I've friends in County Derry, and I've cousins in Strabane,
I've an uncle down in Crossmaglen, and I'll tell them every one
To be savin' up their pennies, and not for to be afraid
But to come and win promotion in The Scavengers' Brigade.
Chorus

A song in the same lineage as "McAlpine's Fusiliers," "The Hot Asphalt," "Patsy Fagan." Sing it to any popular tune, like "The Wearing of the Green" or "The Gallant Forty-Twa."

Source: Songs of Belfast, edited by David Hammond (Mercier Press, 1978).


Anybody have a better idea of the tune?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Scavenger's Brigade
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 19 Mar 05 - 06:23 PM

D'oh! I didn't think to try "Scavenger Brigade." THE SCAVENGER BRIGADE, sung by Bob McCreesh, Armagh, 1954, is on the collection "The Deadly Wars: Songs of Barracks & Battlefield," Folktrax FTX-516.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Scavenger's Brigade
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Mar 05 - 10:12 PM

Thanks
C.H.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Scavenger's Brigade
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 21 Mar 05 - 10:21 PM

The song also appeared on broadsides. You can see a copy (though the first verse is illegible) at  Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads:

The Scavenger brigade

Subject: Lyr Add: SCAVENGER BRIGADE (from Bodleian)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 23 Mar 05 - 08:33 AM

The text of the broadside (see Malcolm's link above) has some additional verses. I've italicized the differences between this and the version that Joe posted above.

[The beginning is illegible, at least in the online image.]
He hasn't a bit of a sword at all but an ornamental [?] spade.
He's a terror to every private in the Scavenger Brigade.

And we always are on duty, in sunshine or in storm,
With our brooms upon our shoulders that's our only uniform,
And everywhere in street and square, we're daily on parade
As we march in style in Indian file, in the Scavenger Brigade.

When my father gets my letters, shure, he calls the neighbours round,
And he tells them that his Felix is a credit to the town,
For he thinks that I'm a sojer, with a gun, and all complete.
Could he see our heather rifles when we're drilling on the street!

And my mother says her heart will break, if she does not see me soon.
Ay, and wonder if her darling is a kilty or dragoon.
She thinks I'm sure of promotion with the genius I've displayed,
And I'll soon become a General in the Scavenger Brigade.

And my sweetheart writes me kindly that I've never been forgot,
And when I am an officer she's willing to share my lot,
That for my sake she's not afraid to leave her native land
And risk a soldier's life with me whenever I get command.

I have friends in Londonderry. I have cousins in Strabane.
I have an Uncle down in Limerick, and I'll tell them everyone,
To be saving up the pennies, and not to be afraid,
But to come and gain promotion in the Scavenger Brigade.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Scavenger's Brigade
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Dec 19 - 07:37 PM

The tune I remember is the same as the High Kings "Irish Pub"