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09 May 10 - 12:08 AM (#2902911) Subject: Lyr Add: I AM ONE OF THE OLDEN TIME (H Clifton) From: Artful Codger A Harry Clifton song, transcribed by Steve Gardham and myself from old sheet music in Steve's possession. I AM ONE OF THE OLDEN TIME or, Fifty Years Ago Written and sung by Harry Clifton, Arranged by M Hobson 1 Oh I was born some years ago When George the Third was King.... And yet it seems but yesterday, For time is on the wing.... Yes I am one of the olden time, And may be thought too slow.... But give to me the good old days Of fifty years ago. CHORUS. Yes I am one of the olden time, And may be thought too slow.... (or, A jolly old man am I) But give to me the good old days Of fifty years ago..... Yes give to me the good old days Of fifty years ago. 2 I hear the name of Benjamin, Tho' some they call me Ben.... And thro' this life I've roll'd along For three score years and ten...... The world is always on the move, At least they tell us so..... And ev'ry day we must improve, but I should like to know..... If folks are any better now Than fifty years ago! 3 When I was young then boys were boys, And went to bed at ten..... And never put on airs at all Or ap'd the ways of men...... But now they call for bitter beer, And in your face will blow...... The smoke from penny Cubas foul, Oh I should like to know...... What would our parents thought of that Some fifty years ago! 4 At midnight too we hear young men With husky voices sing..... "Champagne Charlie is my name!" And they know it's no such thing.... To hear them praise a sparkling wine, It makes a man severe...... When he knows they cannot raise the price Of half a pint of beer...... Yes they know they cannot raise the price Of half a pint of beer..... 5 Our ladies too, in dress, observe They cannot draw the line..... But wear both hats and jackets, and Appear quite masculine..... Of course they play at croquet, but They do not stitch or sew..... And chignons would surprise the folks Of fifty years ago....... Our girls would scorn to wear a wig Some fifty years ago...... Notes on the sheet music by Steve Gardham: I AM ONE OF THE OLDEN TIME or FIFTY YEARS AGO. Coloured litho, bust of Clifton by Maguire Sung with immense success by Mr Harry Clifton, at his popular concerts in Great Britain & Ireland. London: Hopwood & Crew, 42 New Bond St. Inside: Written and sung by Harry Clifton, Arranged by M Hobson This melody is Adapted by kind permission of Messrs Chappell & Co. Stock No. H&C 1288 Olis dates this at 1867 The final chorus is as sent [to AC, in the scans of the music portion] but under the words 'And may be though too slow', in brackets appears (A jolly old man am I) presumably an alternative line. ABC transcription of the melody: X:1 T:I Am One of the Olden Time T:or, Fifty Years Ago C:Written and Sung by Mr. Harry Clifton [1867] Z:Transcribed by Artful Codger from sheet music scans from Steve Gardham. % Chord symbols added by AC, corresponding to the piano accompaniment %%MIDI gchordon % Delete the following line if your MIDI converter correctly interprets chords: %%MIDI gchordoff M:3/4 L:1/4 Q:3/4=90 % transcriber's estimate K:C % Piano intro g | "C"c'2e' | e2f |g2c' | c2d | e2g | "G7"d'2e' | % % Song "C"c'3- | Hc'2 || G | "C"c2 e | E2 F | G2 c | C2 D | w: || Oh I was born some years a-go When E2 G | "G7"F2 D | "C"C3- | C z G | c2 e | E2 "D7"^F | w: George the Third was King_ And yet it seems but "G"G2 ^F | "A"G2 A | "G"B2 d | "D7"c2 A | "G"G3- | G z G | w: yes-ter-day, For time is on the wing_ Yes "G7"A2 G | A A>B | "C"c2 E | G2 G | "F"A2 A | "D"e2 d | w: I am one of the ol-den time, And may be thought too ("G"c3 {dc} | "G7"B) z G | "C"c2 e | E2 F | G2 c | "Am"C2 D | % Note: 1st chord in the above line changed from C to G, as in chorus w: slow_ But give to me the good old days Of "C"E2 G | "F"A2 c | "D"d3- | "G7"d z G | "C"e2 d | "C7"c2 ^G | w: fif-ty years a-go._ Yes give to me the "F"B2 A | "D7"c2 ^F | "C"A2 G | "G7"B2 d | "C"c3- | c z || w: good old days Of fif-ty years a-go._ % % Chorus "^Chorus" G | "G7"A2 G | A A B | "C"c2 E | G2 G | "F"A2 A | "D"e2 d | w: Yes I am one of the ol-den time, And may be thought too ("G"c3 {dc} | "G7"B) z G | "C"c2 e | E2 F | G2 c | "Am"C2 D | w: slow_ But give to me the good old days Of "C"E2 G | "F"A2 c | "D"d3- | "G"d2 G | "C"e2 d | "C7"c2 ^G | w: fif-ty years a-go._ Yes give to me the "F"B2 A | "D7"c2 ^F | "C"A2 G | "G7"B2 d | "C"c3- | c z || w: good old days Of fif-ty years a-go._ % % Pinao finale g | "C"e'2 d' | "C7"c'2 ^g | "F"b2 a | "D7"c'2 ^f | "G"a2 g | "G7"b2 d' | "C"c'3- | c' z x || Warning: this transcription uses some extended ABC features and will cause problems with many converters, but using Concertina.net's Tune-o-Tron you can get a PDF of the dots and a melody-only MIDI, while the Folkinfo ABC converter gave me a good MIDI with chords (just delete the line indicated above, and ignore the warnings).
Click to playClick to play (with chords) |
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09 May 10 - 01:23 AM (#2902938) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I Am One of the Olden Time (H. Clifton) From: Joe Offer refresh-MIDIs added |
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09 May 10 - 02:17 PM (#2903177) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I Am One of the Olden Time (H. Clifton) From: GUEST,leeneia Thanks, Artful. It's interesting. Don't you suppose that the first line of verse 2, "I hear the name of Benjamin...." should actually be "I bear the name of Benjamin..." ? |
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09 May 10 - 05:22 PM (#2903296) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I Am One of the Olden Time (H. Clifton) From: Steve Gardham Well spotted, leeneia. It's definitely a hadly printed 'b'. My transcrihing is as had as my bearing. |
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26 May 10 - 05:48 AM (#2914490) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I Am One of the Olden Time (H. Clifton) From: GUEST, Sminky A version under the title of Fifty years ago was collected by Alfred Williams. |
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26 May 10 - 04:18 PM (#2914850) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I Am One of the Olden Time (H. Clifton) From: Steve Gardham Sminky, This could well have been the source for Helen Watson's performance of it in the early 70s. |