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07 Jan 10 - 04:29 AM (#2805560) Subject: Scottish MPs From: GUEST,Brummie How about this in the present political climate? Scottish MP |
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07 Jan 10 - 04:49 AM (#2805566) Subject: RE: Scottish MPs From: Joe Offer I'm sure there are lots of nuances we won't understand here in California. Who are the man and woman in kilts, dancing in what I presume is Parliament? -Joe- |
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07 Jan 10 - 05:10 AM (#2805573) Subject: RE: Scottish MPs From: VirginiaTam Gee Joe - do you sleep? It must be 3 am where you are? I don't know the faces superimposed on the dancing figures? Scottish MPs I guess who have had dodgy dealings. Didn't find the video very funny or the song very good for that matter. |
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07 Jan 10 - 05:19 AM (#2805576) Subject: RE: Scottish MPs From: BobKnight It's obviously and old recording - it mentions Joe Grimond who was leader of the Liberal Party in the late 60's. Alec Salmond is in it. (Scottish First Minister) Which would suggest the video is more up to date than the record. |
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07 Jan 10 - 05:21 AM (#2805579) Subject: RE: Scottish MPs From: John MacKenzie Well there you have it in a nutshell, two Americans making dismissive comments on something they know nothing about. I thought it was bad enough with the English superciliousness at times! So much for multiculturalism. Or does that only work if your skin is a different colour, or you speak a foreign language? |
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07 Jan 10 - 05:27 AM (#2805580) Subject: RE: Scottish MPs From: MGM·Lion ... and why the tune an Irish song ('Off to Dublin in the Green') to set these words to? |
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07 Jan 10 - 05:29 AM (#2805582) Subject: RE: Scottish MPs From: VirginiaTam Giok Sorry if I have offended. The song was just not to my taste. Maybe too in your face for me. I enjoy more subtle barbs. Guess I should say that my very English husband did like it and found it funny. |
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07 Jan 10 - 05:30 AM (#2805583) Subject: RE: Scottish MPs From: Leadfingers Nigel Denver is a Glaswegian who was a major performer of mostly Scottish Orientated folk song - He is now (I Believe) retired . The song is one of his OLD songs and the video is inspired by the recent MP's Expenses Scandal in UK . For what its worth , the song IS better than the video i m h o |
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07 Jan 10 - 05:37 AM (#2805587) Subject: RE: Scottish MPs From: Leadfingers MtheGM - Dublin in the Green is a steal from English Folk Song , so why shouldnt a Scottish writer use it ? |
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07 Jan 10 - 05:53 AM (#2805594) Subject: RE: Scottish MPs From: MGM·Lion Yay - good point Leadfingers. OTOH, Dublin In The Green, becoz familiar from Dubliners record, surely first assocn which would come to mind — surely a more Scot-associated tune would have been a more effective choice for what is, after all, supposed to be a bit of Scot-oriented satire? |
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07 Jan 10 - 09:33 AM (#2805696) Subject: RE: Scottish MPs From: Jim McLean I wrote a dozen or so songs including this one for a Scottish Republican LP, sung by Nigel Denve and sleeve notes by Hugh MacDiarmid in 1966. It was intended for a Scottish audience as I have no truck with English MPs. I used fairly well known tunes as some folkies then as now find written music difficult to read. The choice of tune was to make the song instantly singable as Off to Dublin ... was well known in Scotland then and the parody is obvious. I repeat, the song was written almost 45 years ago. |
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07 Jan 10 - 10:45 AM (#2805733) Subject: RE: Scottish MPs From: GUEST,Jack Campin It's a Scottish nationalist song from the 1950s. I forget who wrote it (I'm not at home and can't check) but Jim MacLean will know (in fact he might well have written it himself). |
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07 Jan 10 - 10:47 AM (#2805734) Subject: RE: Scottish MPs From: GUEST,Jack Campin Oops. I didn't see the end of the thread for some reason. Still, nice to have my guess confirmed that fast. |
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07 Jan 10 - 10:54 AM (#2805739) Subject: RE: Scottish MPs From: GUEST,Allan C "Why an Irish tune" This tune and the likes of "The Sash" are pretty much associated with and very well known in Scotland too. Especially in west-central Scotland which has a significant percentage of people with Irish heritage of both persuasions. |
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07 Jan 10 - 02:45 PM (#2805911) Subject: RE: Scottish MPs From: Joe Offer But who are the dancing people in kilts? I enjoyed the video and liked the song, and would like to understand the nuances better. Jim, can you post the lyrics? -Joe- |
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07 Jan 10 - 04:17 PM (#2806008) Subject: RE: Scottish MPs From: Jim McLean Joe, I'll have a look at the video and see who I recognize and post the lyrics also. |
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07 Jan 10 - 06:13 PM (#2806114) Subject: RE: Scottish MPs From: GUEST,Allan C I'm pretty sure the woman shown in the kilt is Anne McGuire the Labour MP for Stirling who's expenses were investigated. Not sure about the guy but I'm sure it'll be the same scenario. |
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07 Jan 10 - 06:31 PM (#2806130) Subject: RE: Scottish MPs From: TheSnail Is it worth pointing out that the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a Scotsman? |
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07 Jan 10 - 09:06 PM (#2806210) Subject: RE: Scottish MPs From: BobKnight Ach! He's nae a real Scotsman - he's a labour politician first. I could say mair, bit I'll haud ma tongue. |
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08 Jan 10 - 05:56 AM (#2806409) Subject: ADD: Scottish MP (lyrics, Jim McLean; tune trad) From: Jim McLean Joe, as promised. THE SCOTTISH MP Words: Jim McLean Tune: Off to Dublin in the Green (The Merry Ploughboy) I am a Scottish MP From a city grey and black So I'll shut my mouth when I'm in the South Just in case they send me back. Now some folk work for Labour, And some for the Tory class, But I work like hell for me my sel(f) And the rest can kiss my kilt. CHORUS: For I'm off to London in the morn, in the morn, In Westminster I will be, And I'll leave behind my brains and mind, And try for an MBE. Oh Scotland, dearest Scotland, You have given me your trust, And if I make the grade to the Board of Trade, Just guess who I'll trade first? I'll trade the Lowlands for a peerage, Give me an earldom for the Isles And the whole damn lot can be easily bought With one of Lizzie's smiles. CHORUS: I am a Scots Home-Ruler At my English Queen's command, For my real birthright is to be a knight And the rest can be republicans. So come Grimmond, Home and Ramsey-Mac, Our Scottish Englishmen, Nationality for a Scots MP Means tea at number ten. CHORUS: Joe, there are so many people on the film, it would take too long to name them all. Suffice to say they are Scottish MPs although the Speaker of the House of Commons was forced to resign over the question of defrauding the people in the expenses scandal., which seems to be the motivation behind this video. The song was included in a selection I wrote in the build up to the election in Hamilton in 1967 which was won by the Scottish Nationalist candidate Winnie Ewing who wrote me afterwards to say that the LP helped her cause. See here: The Balladeer I had to go to England to get the album recorded as it was considered too 'controversial' by Scottish record companies at that time. Some of my earlier songs were included on an LP called Ding Dong Dollar (Anti Polaris and Scottish Republican Songs) which, again, was produced outside Scotland by Pete Seeger for the Folkways label. NOTES: (Joseph) Grimmond was the leader of the Liberal Party, Ramsey MacDonald was a Scottish leador of the Labour Party but formed a National Government in which a majority of MPs were from the Conservatives (Tory) party and as a result, was expelled from the Labour Party, which accused him of 'betrayal'. (Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home) Home (pronounced Hume) was a Conservative Prime Minister. "Lizzie" is the present Queen Elizabeth. Snail, the answer to you posting is in the last verse. |
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09 Jan 10 - 04:56 AM (#2807319) Subject: RE: Scottish MPs From: GUEST,Brummie The man in the kilt is John McFall, the chairman of the Treasury select committee enquiring into the banking fiasco. |
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09 Jan 10 - 07:44 AM (#2807394) Subject: RE: Scottish MPs From: Backwoodsman Nigel Denver was the Guest at the first-ever meeting of the Gainsborough Folk Club (then The Bothy) at The Horse & Groom pub back in the late 60's (or maybe early 70's - the years from leaving school to getting married the first time tend to blur into one nowadays!). Nigel used to live in Lincoln, but not sure where he is now. |
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09 Jan 10 - 04:51 PM (#2807771) Subject: RE: Scottish MPs From: McGrath of Harlow Great to hear Nigel again, evennif it's in a recording of so manyt year sago - here is a page about him - "Nigel has now pronounced himself retired, although he is still in fine voice, and can usually be persuaded to do fund raisers, and parties. He has travelled more in the last few years than he ever did whilst performing having been twice to Australia, and to California and Mexico. I know he has plans to do more travelling in the future, so if he turns up in a bar near you, come over and say Hello because in the words of the song, He's a man you won't meet every day." And that's true enough. |
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09 Jan 10 - 08:19 PM (#2807916) Subject: RE: Scottish MPs From: Tattie Bogle So that's the Scottish Westminter MPs: how about a song for oor Holyrood MSPs, Jim? (For our American watchers that's the Scottish Parliament in Holyrood, Edinburgh, since we are now devolved!) I think there were a few topical songs in circulation when the new building opened! (And a friend has done a great parody of "Tae the begging I will go" only he's called it "Tae the banking I will go" - since the Royal Bank of Scotland fiasco) |