The Transit Van

24 Mar 97 - 04:08 AM (#3432)
Subject: The Transit Van
From: Colm Doyle

Does anybody have the lyrics to this song? It's a humorous song about a smugglers travails in a transit van in and around the Irish border.

Colm

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28 Mar 97 - 06:56 PM (#3616)
Subject: RE: The Transit Van
From: [e-mail]

Hi Colm If you would like to send me your e-mail address I will look out the words of the Transit Van and send them to you asap All the Best Mike

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29 Mar 97 - 09:47 AM (#3639)
Subject: RE: The Transit Van
From: Martin Ryan

Mike

You might drop a copy to [e-mail] also

Thanks

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31 Mar 97 - 06:47 PM (#3702)
Subject: ADD: The Transit Van
From: [e-mail]

THE TRANSIT VAN

                    1  
Margaret Thatcher talking on T.V.  
Seemed so sincere when she says to me  
There'd be no unemployment if  
You'd all use a bit of initiative  
I was on the dole I was broke and bored  
Says I I'll take her at her word  
Got a lone from the credit union man  
And I bought myself a Transit Van  
                    2  
The next step up the ladder now  
I bought myself an old fat sow  
I crossed over the border quite legally  
And collected the common market subsidy  
Signed all the forms handed back the pen  
Then smuggled me pig back home again  
Ten times a day we'd work this plan  
Myself the sow and the Transit Van  
                        3  
Of travel sickness the old sow died  
So I thought it was time I diversified  
I took all the money from the biscuit tin  
Filled the van to the roof with whiskey and gin  
Around the South my wares I'd sell   
In public houses and hotels  
There was never a guard nor a customs man  
Got his nose inside that Transit Van  
                         4  
At festivals and Fleadhs and fairs  
 If the craic was good you would find me there  
At all big matches in Croke Park  
And I've danced with Springsteen in the Dark  
I fought with tinkers in Ballinasloe  
I've danced in the streets around Listowel  
Mothers had their daughters warned  
Stay well away from that Transit Van  
                         5  
But it being Lent and the drink trade slow  
I took to carrying videos  
While on the road to Ballybay  
Found a customs roadblock in me way  
To face the border I got her turned  
The engine roared and the tyres burned  
There were five patrol cars fully manned  
In hot pursuit of the Transit Van  
                      6  
Through Clontbruit I did run  
As quick as Peter Robinson  
Going round the corner I hit a dog  
Went over the hedge into Galla bog  
Well I sat on the bank and watched all I owned  
Sinking in the bog hole like a stone  
She was lying on her roof and the wheels still turning  
And the stereo was playing "Farewell to Erin"  
                          7  
So now I'm back where I first began  
No job no money but I have a plan  
There's a wee girl down in Tullysarn  
She could hold my future in her hand  
Now she doesn't look like a film star  
But she's been telling me about her Da!  
He owns no property or land  
But he has two sows and a Transit Van  
                           8  
The Queen of England drives a Rolls Royce car  
Her son Charlie drives a Jag-u-ar  
But when the Pope came to I-re-land   
He drove around in a Transit Van.

You didn't send me your e-mail Colm so I hope
you get this

All the Best
Mike

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03 Apr 97 - 03:48 PM (#3785)
Subject: RE: The Transit Van
From: [e-mail]

Colm I will send you this by e-mail if you wish it better written as it seems to be very hard to read/understand from the layout here. If so you must send me your e-mail address All the Best Mike

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09 Apr 97 - 05:58 AM (#4040)
Subject: RE: The Transit Van
From: Martin Ryan

Just a postscript to this thread. I was walking down Grafton St. - the most fashionalbe street in Dublin - the other day. I heard two tinker/traveller/itinerant (pick you noun - depends on how PC you want to be) belting out a song in perfect unison as they begged. It sounded familiar - the Transit Van! Those who know the community will see the irony, I think. It's a nice example of a modern song being rapidly absorbed into an oral tradition. They probably claim their grandfather wrote it!

Regards.

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21 Apr 97 - 08:09 AM (#4114)
Subject: RE: The Transit Van
From: Alison

Any chance of someone emailing a midi file of the tune? Thanks email [e-mail]

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26 Oct 01 - 08:09 PM (#580684)
Subject: The transit van
From: GUEST,[e-mail]

Do you have or do you know where we can obtain the music for the song entitled "the transit van'. The lyrics are on your site but we need to know the tune.

Thanks.

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14 Nov 06 - 07:13 AM (#1885384)
Subject: RE: The Transit Van
From: GUEST

Has anybody got chords for the transit van [not jump leads]

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14 Nov 06 - 04:56 PM (#1885757)
Subject: RE: The Transit Van
From: oldhippie

anyone got a mp3 recording?

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14 Nov 06 - 05:38 PM (#1885800)
Subject: RE: The Transit Van
From: Bob Bolton

G'day oldhippie,

You might try a PM to Alison (the email she gave in 1997 is no longer valid!) to see if she got the the MIDI file she asked for. (She might even have a recording that she can MP3 of her group singing the song ... ?)

Regards,

Bob

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