AndyG: about those narrowboat songs . .

09 Jun 99 - 02:04 PM (#85227)
Subject: AndyG: about those narrowboat songs . .
From: rickter

Please see my entry under the narrowboat song thread. If your tape can be sent via the electric ethers, I have Real Audio capability

many thanks: Rickter [e-mail]

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14 Jun 99 - 04:57 AM (#86513)
Subject: RE: AndyG: about those narrowboat songs . .
From: AndyG

Sorry to any and all who may have asked:
I've been on holiday for the past week-and-a-bit and thus away from my free (read work) net access. :)
I'll be catching up with posts and seeing what's what during the day.

AndyG

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14 Jun 99 - 07:27 PM (#86703)
Subject: RE: AndyG: about those narrowboat songs . .
From: Susanne (skw)

Thanks, Andy! I'm looking forward to the info. Hope you enjoyed your holiday. - Susanne

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30 Jun 99 - 03:57 PM (#91112)
Subject: RE: AndyG: about those narrowboat songs . .
From: rickter

Yes, take some time before charging into this after your vacation. Hope it was restfull. -Rick

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14 Jul 99 - 11:28 AM (#95091)
Subject: RE: AndyG: about those narrowboat songs . .
From: Roger the zimmer

Refresh,Come on AndyG, you must be recovered from your holiday, it's been a month now! Dudley Tunnel, pretty please!
To torment me on one thread (Ballad of Bethnal Green) could be construed as carelessness but on two...[as Dear Lady New-Town-2-miles-from-me might have said].

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14 Jul 99 - 07:35 PM (#95231)
Subject: RE: AndyG: about those narrowboat songs . .
From: Susanne (skw)

Thanks, Roger! I didn't want to appear too impatient but the fact is, I am! Hope you'll find the time to do it before long, Andy. I'd offer my help, but only from 20 August as I'm going on holiday in ten days' time. - Susanne

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16 Jul 99 - 09:54 AM (#95841)
Subject: Lyr Add: 5 narrowboat songs^^^
From: AndyG

Italics denote words or phrases I can't decipher from the tape. Any boaties out there please post best guesses/corrections.

Poor Old Horse

Old number one came a battering by,
And we think so, And we hope so.
I said, Old man, that horse will die.
Oh, poor old horse!

You'll work all night and you work all day,
And they say so, And they hope so.
Put him on the inside he'll back her away.
Oh, poor old horse!

At Exhall wharf they go to load,
And they think so and they hope so.
Then they pulls out on the London road,
Oh, poor old horse!

On Atherstone in the half-sail length,
And the say so and they hope so.
T'was there that poor beast broke his strength,
Oh, poor old horse!

And after years of such abuse,
And the say so and they hope so.
You'll salt it down for sailor's use,
Oh, poor old horse!

cf THE DEAD HORSE which is a shanty variant.

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The Single Bolinder

I had a single bolinder
and she was a fine machine
She used to run like hell in the night
when all her parts were clean
I lit her up one morning
at the bottom of Ichington Ten
She pulled around the Basket Bound
before she fired again

And then she burned a gallon a stroke
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay
You could see sod-all for smoke
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay
The motor went so fast
I wound her up full blast
She pulled out the butties mast
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay

Tra, lah, la-la-la-lah
Smackin' it into the cut.

Oh do you ken Old Streeters Men,
the ones with heads of teak
They take a load, of D.S. down
the jam-hole once a week
I was standing on the inside
along the Langley wide
When I sees a pair of boats a-come
with half-an-inch a side

I said "Good God! just look at that boat
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay
It just can't be afloat
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay
The captain must be drunk
His butty looks like it's sunk
But it's only Jacky Monk
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay

Tra, lah, la-la-la-lah
Smackin' it into the cut.

I knew a Brauston lassie once
her age was thiry-four
She'd never had a man and so
her heart was very sore
One night when she was going to bed
she thought she heard a sound
And looking underneath her bed
a burgular she found

But she didn't shout nor scream
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay
She didn't scream nor faint
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay
She made quite sure 'twas a man
Then she cried hurrah!
She locked the bloody door
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay

Tra, lah, la-la-la-lah
Smackin' it into the cut.

Myself, the wife, the mother-in-law
went down to the Limehouse Quay
The Mother-in-law got out in a boat
for a sailor she would be
She hadn't been gone a quarter-an-hour
before we hears a shout
My Mother-in-Law's in the water
and there she's splashing about

She shouts "Help! I cannot swim"
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay
I said "Now's your time to learn!"
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay
My wife she says "You hound,
You'll never watch her drowned ?"
I said "I'll shut me bloody eyes!"
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay

Tra, lah, la-la-la-lah
Smackin' it into the cut.

I knew a man on Willow Wren
whose language did embarrass
The fellows on the pleasure boats.
They called him Georgie Harris
So they go up the Shroppie Cut
from Helston to Llangollen
To get away from Georgie's road
and mighty shouts of, "Collin -

- Get up that F---in' boat !"
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay
"I'll punch you up the throat"
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay
You can travel north and south
You can travel near and far
But look out at Worcester Bar
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay

Tra, lah, la-la-la-lah
Smackin' it into the cut.

As I was walking by the cut
down at Common Moor
I spied a boaties daughter
in the butty hatches door
She asked me in for a cup of tea
with all her might and main
And after the brew she served
to me I'm going there again

I slipped me hand along her calves
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay
She said "Don't do things by halves"
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay
I stayed to keep her company
Now she's very fond of me
And I'm a bugger for tea!
Titty-fa-la, titty-fa-lay

Tra, lah, la-la-la-lah
Smackin' it into the cut.

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Push Boys Push (1-Straight from thr Tunnel's Mouth)

Were legging this old tunnel
push boys push
Were legging this old tunnel
push boys push
It's the pride of Dudley Town
And they're going to pull it down

So,
push boys push
push boys push
push boys push
push boys push

We'll leg through Castle Mill
push boys push
Cathedral Arch as well
push boys push
There'll be no more fresh-air smell
'til we get to the well

So,
push boys push
push boys push
push boys push
push boys push

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Push Boys Push (2-The English Canals)

Were going though this tunnel
push boys push
Were trying to save this tunnel
push boys push
It's the pride of Dudley Town
And they're trying to close it down

So, push boys push
Ho! push boys push

We'll go through Castle Mill
push boys push
Cathedral Arch as well
push boys push
There's no more fresh-air smell
while you pass by the well

So, push boys push
Ho! push boys push

The boat's been going through
push boys push
Since seventeen-ninety-two
push boys push
It's a crime and it's a shame
That we cannot do the same

So, push boys push
Ho! push boys push

Don't let your strength to fail
push boys push
'Cos we're coming to the jail
push boys push
We may get stuck inside
If the boat it is too wide

So, push boys push
Ho! push boys push

The tunnel's two miles long
push boys push
That's why we sing this song
push boys push
It keeps our spirits high
While we cannot see the sky

So, push boys push
Ho! push boys push

And now we're coming nigh
push boys push
Oh don't you seee the sky
push boys push
We'll have a celebration
Now we've sung it to the nation

So, push boys push
Ho! push boys push
Yes! push boys push
Now! push boys push
Well push boys push

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Tom Beech's Last Trip

Beechy lay a loading at Exhall Basin Hole
Loading of a pair of boats with fifty tons of coal
'Twas in the dreadful winter of eighteen-ninety-three
That Beechy loaded up his boats to go to Banbury

At Sutton Stop the Toll Clerk came to gauge Tom Beech's boats
And Beechy gave him siver coins and showed his loading notes
"No credit tolls for number ones," the Toll Clerk said to him
Said Beechy "That leaves me two bob to go to Banbury"

That night he went to Marston Doles the wind was blowing shrill
Snow and sleet came howling down from over Knapton Hill
He took his horses to the farm to bed them comfortably
The farmer said "You'll never get to the town of Banbury"

The next day round the Summit Pound he faced the icy blast
And in the Fifteen Bridges length he found the boats were fast
All day he tried to break the ice but not a foot moved he
Froze up in the summit fifteen miles from Banbury

The snow did fall 'til seven days and seven nights were past
The drift ran from the towpath head clear up to Beech's mast
Two little children and his wife died cold and hungrily
Froze up in the summit fifteen miles from Banbury

When at last the thaw did come the sun came shinng through
We brought the ice-boat smacking round with twenty in her crew
But when we came to Beech's boats a frozen corpse was he
Froze up in the summit fifteen miles from Banbury

Round to the farmhouse we did go to find the reason why
In the mid'st of plenty poor Tom Beech he had to die
"I had no food to spare for him" the farmer said to we
So we killed his chicks and fired his ricks in Beech's memory

This hasn't been easy 'cos everything's broke except my walkman. Still here's a start for yer.

AndyG

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16 Jul 99 - 10:11 AM (#95853)
Subject: RE: AndyG: about those narrowboat songs . .
From: Rana

Hi,

It was great coming across this thread. For some reason, I have never forgotten a newsfeature on the Dudley tunnel which was shown some time in the '60s on Midlands Today on the Beeb (or was it the other lot). It showed a barge going through the Dudley tunnel, feet pushing and all while the song was played. Being brought up in Smethwick/Birmingham (Holly Lodge Grammar School (for Boys) too answer another thread) we often went to Dudley (Castle+Zoo). but I never actually saw the tunnel.

Anyway cheers for the words.

Regards Rana

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16 Jul 99 - 07:00 PM (#95999)
Subject: RE: AndyG: about those narrowboat songs . .
From: Susanne (skw)

Hurrah! Thanks a lot, AndyG, great job!
I'd hoped for more than one song to help my collection but that certainly isn't your fault. Have a nice weekend - Susanne

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17 Jul 99 - 05:44 PM (#96294)
Subject: RE: AndyG: about those narrowboat songs . .
From: Mike Cahill

re poor old horse. one of the words in Italics should be "Hearts Hill". When I've a mo I'll find out what the other one is

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17 Jul 99 - 08:46 PM (#96327)
Subject: RE: AndyG: about those narrowboat songs . .
From: The Shambles

Thanks for those.

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19 Jul 99 - 04:33 AM (#96769)
Subject: RE: AndyG: about those narrowboat songs . .
From: Roger the zimmer

Bostin! Well done AndyG
Grateful Brummie exile
Roger

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19 Jul 99 - 02:37 PM (#96952)
Subject: RE: AndyG: about those narrowboat songs . .
From: rickter

Boy, thanks! I actually anticipated a realaudio transmission, not your transcription. This makes the learning a lot easier. Unfortunately, I had counted on the transmission to provide me with the tune, so (blush) is there any way of getting that without you having to do so much work that you swear off of admitting any knowledge of folksongs in the future? Rickter [e-mail]

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22 Jul 99 - 02:11 PM (#98079)
Subject: RE: AndyG: about those narrowboat songs . .
From: rickter

refresh

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05 Sep 01 - 10:14 AM (#542428)
Subject: RE: AndyG: about those narrowboat songs . .
From: GUEST,Frances

Have you got access to the tunes/recordings of those songs? I'm putting together a short oral history tape about Grand Union at brentford some of which is about the past, some contemporary and I need some songs/sections of songs to put on it. Do you know of any songs about the brentford/grand union as such?

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