Lyr/Chords ADD: Amelia (John Tams)

Subject: Lyr Req: 'Amelia' by John Tams
From: Chris Green
Date: 05 Oct 05 - 04:13 PM

Does anyone have the lyrics for this song? I've ordered the album but we have a rehearsal tomorrow night and we'd like to start looking at it then!

Cheers in advance

Chris

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Amelia' by John Tams
From: Peace
Date: 06 Oct 05 - 10:15 AM

If it's the one written by Joni Mitchell, here it is.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Amelia' by John Tams
From: Chris Green
Date: 06 Oct 05 - 11:54 AM

No, it's off his new album which only came out a coouple of weeks ago, so possibly everyone else is waiting for their copy to arrive as well! Thanks anyway! :-)

Subject: Lyr Req: AMELIA (John Tams)
From: rumanci
Date: 06 Oct 05 - 12:14 PM

Here we go then!

AMELIA
John Tams

The work was hard and wages low.
    Amelia, where you bound to?
Now's the time to roll and go.
    Across this western ocean,
    Oh, Amelia, where you bound to?

    Amelia, where you bound to?
    Amelia, where you bound to?

I've been in the army and I've worked on the farm.
    Amelia, where you bound to?
All I've got to show is the muscle in my arm.
    Across this western ocean,
    Oh, Amelia, where you bound to?

Birds in the air and fishes in the sea.
    Amelia, where you bound to?
A red-haired woman made a mess out of me.
    Across this western ocean,
    Oh, Amelia, where you bound to?

If I had the wings of Noah's dove
    Amelia, where you bound to?
I'd fly back home to the one I love.
    Across this western ocean,
    Oh, Amelia, where you bound to?

If there's just one thing that does me pain,
    Amelia, where you bound to?
That's to never see your fair face again.
    Across this western ocean
    Oh, Amelia, where you bound to?

Amelia
Amelia
Amelia

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Amelia' by John Tams
From: Peace
Date: 06 Oct 05 - 01:03 PM

That woman is a wonder.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Amelia' by John Tams
From: LesB
Date: 06 Oct 05 - 01:38 PM

As far a I can see it's either a a very nice re-working or one of the many versions of the traditional shanty Leave her Johnny / Amelia.


O the times are hard, and the wages low,
Amelia, whar' you bound to?
The Rocky Mountains is my home,
Across the western ocean.

That land of promise there you'll see,
Amelia, whar' you bound to?
I'm bound across that western sea,
Across the western ocean.

To Liverpool I'll take my way,
Amelia, whar' you bound to?
To Liverpool that Yankee school,
Across the western ocean.

There's Liverpool Pat with his tarpaulin hat,
Amelia, whar' you bound to?
And Yankee John the packet rat,
Across the western ocean.

Beware these packet-ships, I pray,
Amelia, whar' you bound to?
They steal your stores and clothes away,
Across the western ocean.

I have to say it was one of the most memorable songs in his set, last time I saw him.
Cheers
Les

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Amelia' by John Tams
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 06 Oct 05 - 02:59 PM

Yes, it's a variant of the "Leave 'er Johnny" tune, and Pete Coe has been singing a very nice version of Amelia for years, which, IIRC, he collected from Sarah Makem.

Kitty

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Amelia' by John Tams
From: Alio
Date: 06 Oct 05 - 04:56 PM

It's my favourite on the CD, definitely.

Ali

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Amelia' by John Tams
From: Chris Green
Date: 06 Oct 05 - 05:45 PM

Thanks guys! Have just rehearsed it and it's sounding most promising. If only everything in the world was as reliable as mudcat!

Chris :-)

Subject: Chord Req: Chords for Amelia
From: Joules
Date: 24 Jun 06 - 01:32 PM

Can anyone help with chords for Amelia as sung by John Tams please

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Chords for Amelia
From: muppitz
Date: 24 Jun 06 - 01:34 PM

Ay, mother! When you get them, can I 'ave em too please?

muppitz x

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Chords for Amelia
From: Sooz
Date: 24 Jun 06 - 02:23 PM

Strollin' Johnny does a lovely version.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Amelia (John Tams)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 15 Aug 09 - 09:31 PM

Refresh - we don't have chords posted...

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Amelia (John Tams)
From: GUEST,Eoten
Date: 18 Oct 10 - 12:11 PM

I guess I'm a few years late to the party, but this is how I play it in G. I play frailing banjo, so most of what I'm playing is the melody, but this is what I came up with when I tried to figure out what the chords would be. Also, I'm not sure this is the John Tams version, but hopefully it'll help anyway.


G
Oh the times are hard and the wages low

D7              G
Amelia, where you bound to?

          C    G             D7    G           
Well, the rocky mountains will be my home

En G                   D7 D
Across the western ocean

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Amelia (John Tams)
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Oct 10 - 12:18 PM

Oops, let me correct that. The formatting got messed up when I posted it.

 G
  Oh the times are hard and the wages low
  
  D7            G
  Amelia, where you bound to?
  
             C    G         D7         G
      Well, the rocky mountains will be my home
  
  En G               D7 G
  Across the western ocean

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Amelia (John Tams)
From: GUEST,Richard Hodgson
Date: 02 Nov 10 - 05:50 PM

Thank you for posting the lyrics of the "traditional shanty" "Leave her Johnny / Amelia"

John Tam's song is one of the greats, but the lyrics you have posted gave me an even better picture of the despair a parent or boyfriend must have felt when a young girl set off from Liverpool to the promises of America.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Amelia (John Tams)
From: GUEST,Nolan Lynch
Date: 03 Oct 11 - 08:34 PM

The Old Blind Dogs played a killer version of this song this weekend at the KVMR Celtic Music Festival. Anybody know what chords they use? Is it pretty much the same?

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Amelia (John Tams)
From: GUEST,z!
Date: 24 Sep 12 - 12:16 AM

Since I just went looking for this-
The same song, titled as "Across the Western Ocean", appears on "Green Fields of America" (album title and band name, Compass Records) released in 2009. They reference _Irish_Emigrant_Songs_and_Ballads_ by Robert Wright as their source.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Amelia (John Tams)
From: GUEST,Guest, SS
Date: 08 Mar 17 - 04:59 PM

The "Green Fields of America" is a great album with Mick Maloney and friends. John Doyle sings "Across the Western Ocean" on it, and I was looking here for some background on this song. One of the lines says "I'm bound across the western sea to join the Irish army." Is Irish army a euphemism for all of the Irish immigrants? Thanks!