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17 Mar 15 - 03:53 AM (#3694652) Subject: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Mr Red It has long crossed my mind that British Songs about our places are rare and often specific. Historic songs apart why can't we come up with songs like "Georgia on my Mind" "Train they Call the City of New Orleans", "Nutbush City Limits", "Country Roads" We have "I Belong to Glasgow" and inevitably a London has to be in on the act "Maybe it Because I'm a Londoner" which, lets face it, are parochial and territorial. "Caledonia" at least stands apart from those but ...... So what songs do we have that compare to the American tradition of allegorical love for a place without saying it directly? I have difficulty coming up with many. What does the Mudcat community come up with? My contribution would be the Adge Cutler song rarely sung by Acker Bilk "Down in Nempnett Thrubwell" but if it is a love song it is about the love of cider. And Brit humour replaces any nostalgia. Satisfying two of my passions but not in the same league as the typical American fare. |
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17 Mar 15 - 04:18 AM (#3694659) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST John Shuttleworth's You're Like Manchester... |
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17 Mar 15 - 04:34 AM (#3694664) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Leadfingers The Yetties - Dorset be Beautiful |
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17 Mar 15 - 04:38 AM (#3694665) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,Ed The Kinks: Waterloo Sunset |
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17 Mar 15 - 04:40 AM (#3694666) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,Ed The Beatles 'Penny Lane' & 'Strawberry Fields Forever' |
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17 Mar 15 - 04:48 AM (#3694668) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST Ferry Cross the Mersey |
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17 Mar 15 - 04:50 AM (#3694669) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Dave Hanson Ilkla Moor Baht 'At. Dave H |
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17 Mar 15 - 04:51 AM (#3694670) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST Over the Lancashire Hills |
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17 Mar 15 - 04:56 AM (#3694671) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,Ed Pink Floyd's Grantchester Meadows |
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17 Mar 15 - 05:04 AM (#3694674) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Will Fly The Leaving of Liverpool. |
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17 Mar 15 - 05:08 AM (#3694676) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler Beautiful dale home of the Swale Farewell Manchester Galway Bay What's the name of the one Sid Calderbank does about Friesland ? |
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17 Mar 15 - 05:11 AM (#3694678) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,Ed Bella Hardy - Peak Rhapsody |
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17 Mar 15 - 05:12 AM (#3694679) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Will Fly Noel Coward's "London Pride" |
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17 Mar 15 - 05:14 AM (#3694680) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,DaveRo My contribution would be the Adge Cutler song rarely sung by Acker Bilk "Down in Nempnett Thrubwell"....Sounds fascinating, but your link is recursive, Mr Red. |
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17 Mar 15 - 05:17 AM (#3694681) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Stu Dirty Old Town is about Salford. Lambeth Walk Bells Rhymney The Derby Ram Sweet Thames Flow Softly King of Rome Swansea Town or lotsa pop songs: Solsbury Hill Mull of Kintyre Sunshine on Leith Birmingham Blues Northern Sky At the Chime of a City Clock The Eton Rifiles London Calling Mancunian Way Blackberry Way Shipbuilding Baker Street Life in a Northern Town Glastonbury Song etc etc |
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17 Mar 15 - 05:36 AM (#3694686) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,ST Have a listen to Dick Henrywood's Both Barrels |
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17 Mar 15 - 05:42 AM (#3694687) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST Bit tenuous, Stu. Since when are Northern Sky, Shipbuilding or Life in a Northern Town about specific places? |
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17 Mar 15 - 06:05 AM (#3694688) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,Dave Streets of London (obviously) Farewell to Whalley Range (which is in Manchester) Aird Ui Chuain, though in the Irish language, is about a part of the United Kingdom |
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17 Mar 15 - 06:07 AM (#3694689) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,Dave Tunnel of Love is about Whitley Bay |
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17 Mar 15 - 06:28 AM (#3694691) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Stu "Since when are Northern Sky, Shipbuilding or Life in a Northern Town about specific places?" They're about place in the north and places wot build ships. |
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17 Mar 15 - 06:34 AM (#3694692) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: MGM·Lion "Ashby-de-la-Zouch By The Sea", where "the skies are full of blue and the cows are full of moo", c 1940 -- actually an American spoof (Al Hoffman / Milton Drake / Jerry Livingston - writers also of Mairzy Doats), based on the fact that the town is in Leicestershire, about as far from the sea as you can get in England. ≈M≈ |
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17 Mar 15 - 06:40 AM (#3694693) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,M Will Fly suggested Noel Coward's "London Pride" - I've just taken part in a theatrical production featuring that song, and it's amazing. The "interlude" bit that you don't tend to hear too often is remarkable, taking a surprising turn from the main melody. |
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17 Mar 15 - 06:47 AM (#3694694) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,M Taking a more folky approach, I'm not sure "sentimental" is quite the adjective, but Jez Lowe's "Greek Lightning" is pretty much anchored in its geography. And though the places aren't explicitly identified, Huw Williams' songs "The Summer Before The War" and "Travelling By Steam" seem to have a locality in mind. |
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17 Mar 15 - 06:51 AM (#3694695) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Steve Shaw Over The Moor To Margate Fields of Hythe 'n' Rye It's a Long Way to Tipton, Mary I'll get me coat then... |
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17 Mar 15 - 07:42 AM (#3694705) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,mayomick Arrivederci Roma |
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17 Mar 15 - 07:52 AM (#3694708) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,DaveRo Summerfield Avenue by Chris Wood recalls a very specific place. But it's also evocative of hundreds of post-war estates and childhoods spent on the edge of the receding countryside. |
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17 Mar 15 - 08:05 AM (#3694711) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST Richard Thompson's 'Sights And Sounds Of London Town' |
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17 Mar 15 - 08:10 AM (#3694712) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Keith A of Hertford Sweet Thames by McColl. |
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17 Mar 15 - 08:10 AM (#3694713) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Thompson If It Wasn't For The Ouses In Between Ilkley Moor Bar Tat (sp?) |
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17 Mar 15 - 08:13 AM (#3694715) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Thompson The original thread title is "British" songs, which would cut out "United Kingdom" songs… I don't know that there are (currently sung, anyway) loving songs of place in Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) in the same way that there are in Ireland; perhaps in Scotland, perhaps in Wales, but I don't know that it's a thing in England. Maybe that intense commitment to a home place is a particularly Gaelic thing. |
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17 Mar 15 - 08:17 AM (#3694717) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Scabby Douglas From a Scottish perspective, there are many of these: Adam McNaughtan's "The Glasgow That I Used to Know" Trad: "Bonnie Glenshee" Michael Marra's : "Mother Glasgow" R.Y. Bell and Ian Gourley: "The Song of the Clyde" "The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen" "Bonnie Udny" Ian Davison's "Going Home to Glasgow" and many, many more... |
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17 Mar 15 - 08:21 AM (#3694719) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Steve Shaw I Wish I Was Back Home In Derry by Bobby Sands. |
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17 Mar 15 - 08:22 AM (#3694720) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST RED SMED - Bridgwater |
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17 Mar 15 - 08:29 AM (#3694724) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,DaveRo The original thread title is "British" songs, which would cut out "United Kingdom" songs…Unless the OP meant from the Britsh Isles. |
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17 Mar 15 - 08:30 AM (#3694726) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Steve Shaw Of course there's "Trouble Over Bridgwater" too! Sorry, I haven't a clue where that came from! There's Glorious Devon, best heard sung by Peter Dawson (it's on YouTube but I can't do links), in spite of some slightly curious pronunciations! |
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17 Mar 15 - 08:33 AM (#3694727) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,DTM They don't come any better than this .... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3hqdm0C_d8 |
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17 Mar 15 - 09:30 AM (#3694742) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,patriot John Watt's 'I don't like Dundee' also such gems as 'Take me back to Scunthorpe' 'Sheppey's Lovely Shore' 'Snodland Rhapsody' and 'The Lovely Groves of Hackney' ....doesn't really work, does it? |
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17 Mar 15 - 10:40 AM (#3694762) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,Van Dahn to Margate |
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17 Mar 15 - 10:49 AM (#3694770) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: MGM·Lion Day Trip to Bangor |
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17 Mar 15 - 10:59 AM (#3694782) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,HiLo Waterloo Sunset, Oh England ,My Lionheart, Pasties and Cream . |
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17 Mar 15 - 12:03 PM (#3694811) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Dave Sutherland "Canny Newcastle" "North Country Maid" |
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17 Mar 15 - 12:34 PM (#3694817) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,mg white cliffs of dover |
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17 Mar 15 - 12:52 PM (#3694824) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST "There'll always be an England" |
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17 Mar 15 - 12:54 PM (#3694825) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST are we compiling the UKIP campaign trail song book ??? |
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17 Mar 15 - 01:46 PM (#3694846) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,HiLo No. we are not. We are naming songs about places, that's all. |
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17 Mar 15 - 02:26 PM (#3694857) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,mg English country garden? |
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17 Mar 15 - 02:29 PM (#3694858) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Steve Shaw Going Up Camborne 'ill Coming Down.... Oops, forgot that Kernow isn't part of the UK.... |
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17 Mar 15 - 03:03 PM (#3694866) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,patriot Kernow?- yes it is part of UK- not of England maybe...lucky sods and don't forget 'Sunset over Spennymoor' and 'Lovely Lochgelly' |
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17 Mar 15 - 05:37 PM (#3694897) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Jack Campin The Bonny Hills of Kielder The Rolling Hills of the Borders Byker Hill and Walker Shore |
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17 Mar 15 - 05:46 PM (#3694901) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Gallus Moll 'Always Argyll' and 'Home to the Kyles' are songs about the Tighnabruaich area of Cowal Peninsula (and composed locally) |
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17 Mar 15 - 05:53 PM (#3694902) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: MGM·Lion "Tour of the Dales: sung by Mike Waterson. ≈M≈ |
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17 Mar 15 - 06:20 PM (#3694904) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: DMcG Valley of Tees, by Vin Garbutt Ring of Iron, by the Teesside Fettlers Ah U Ma Hinny Bird |
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17 Mar 15 - 06:28 PM (#3694906) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Steve Shaw My Little Stick Of Blackpool Rock |
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17 Mar 15 - 09:53 PM (#3694949) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Mehitabel The Slow Train - Flanders and Swan |
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18 Mar 15 - 01:40 AM (#3694962) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Bert Burlington Bertie Blaydon Races Widdecome Fair I live in Trafalgar Square In my Liverpool Home Botany Bay The Dear Old Shannon Shore Winchester Cathedral Durham Town Land of my Fathers Swansea Town I do like to be beside the Seaside The white cliffs of Dover A Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square It's a Long Way to Tipperary Noreen Bawn (There's a glen in old Tirconnel) The old Woman from Wexford. Around the Marble Arch In your Easter Bonnet Nice Quiet Day Follow the White Line Little Millie I painted 'em |
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18 Mar 15 - 02:22 AM (#3694964) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: MGM·Lion "Easter Bonnet" won't do -- not a Brit song, but title-number of a 1930s Hollywood musical: there is no such thing in our tradition to match NY's Easter Parade down 5th Avenue, and pretending to adapt the Irving Berlin song to make up such occurring in Rotten Row was a terrible swiz! Our equivalent social occasion for ladies to show off their new hats is Royal Ascot. ≈M≈ |
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18 Mar 15 - 03:57 AM (#3694969) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,Allan Conn Sometimes people do sing songs which are about places but maybe Brits sometimes do it in a more subtle manner. So there is the likes of "Big River" by Jimmy Nail and "All This Time" by Sting both about Newcastle and the River Tyne."Tinsel Town In The Rain" by The Blue Nile about Glasgow. More in your face examples are "Highlands" by Teenage Fanclub. "Mother Glasgow" by Hue And Cry. Then the less pop/rock British type are "I Have Seen The Heilands" by Matt McGinn and who was it did "Ain't No Ferry To Glastonbury"? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBrvVdr6PsU As to the British/UK thing. Egg shells there. In Northern Ireland there are a great many people who do class themselves as British Citizens. At least that is on their passports if they decide to take a UK passport. And I had one client recently from there who said that some youngsters (don't know if this is valid or not) who would maybe prefer to take a UK passport now take an Irish one just to qualify for free uni fees in Scotland. Of course there are also many who would hate to be called British. So I don't think we outsiders can dictate how they see themselves. |
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18 Mar 15 - 06:49 AM (#3694989) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,patriot You can be a UK citizen but if you were not born in and don't live in the island of Britain, including its islands, you cannot be British, English, Scottish or Welsh, no matter how much you want to for ethnic/political reasons! Maybe you could qualify to play football (or cricket) for England via your grandparents (like Ireland also does in reverse) but you cannot be British, English, Scottish or Welsh- you could even vote for UKIP, God help us, but you still don't qualify. Recent arrivals in Britain from Eastern Europe or Asia have a much better claim! Eggshells indeed |
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18 Mar 15 - 06:10 PM (#3695150) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Bert Thanks ≈M≈ I didn't know that. |
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18 Mar 15 - 06:48 PM (#3695157) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,Allan Conn UK citizen isn't what it says on your passport! Look at it. It says British Citizen. British is the general adjective for someone from the UK. Like it or not that is so.......not unless we are being called United Kingdomers now!!! Saying that I fully realise many people in Northern Ireland wouldn't want to be called that. In fact there are a good many people on the island of Britain who don't want to be called that either. That is why I say you can't dictate to other people whether they are or aren't British. People will do that for themselves. |
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18 Mar 15 - 10:08 PM (#3695180) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Tattie Bogle More from John Watt: Fife's got Everything John Thomson came frae Bowhill Pittenweem Jo The Kelty Clippie Andy Shanks' "The Dancing's the dancing" mentions Kirkcaldy. And there are loads mentioning various Scottish islands and towns on them. |
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19 Mar 15 - 04:39 AM (#3695217) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Mr Red well thats a fair collection but Ilkla Moor Baht 'At. rather proves my point about the tendency to the self-deprecating British style. It is a comedy song and never an allegory for love of the place. |
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19 Mar 15 - 06:08 AM (#3695235) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GRex "Shining Down on Senen" from the Cornwall Song Writers. |
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19 Mar 15 - 03:46 PM (#3695324) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,patriot something in what you say, Allan Conn but it's misunderstanding of the geographical situation.... British equals 'from Britain' surely? I can't call myself Welsh or Scottish just because I want to! Mind you, how many war films are there where the fiendish Nazi says in broken English something like 'Ve vill destroy ze Engeland and vin ze var, schveinhund' Bet a lot of Scots Irish & Welsh soldiers still get annoyed about that! |
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19 Mar 15 - 05:42 PM (#3695345) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,Dave Patriot, you are wrong. None of my children were born in Britain. All are British and have been since birth. They have consular birth certificates which say so. They didn't live in Britain for the first few years of their lives either. But they were still British. They are British citizens by descent. |
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19 Mar 15 - 05:53 PM (#3695346) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Mr Red OK quit squabbling. I could have been very patriotic and asked if there were any allegorical love songs about my nationality - Staffordshiremanish well? I won't accept anything about "Sagar Maker's Bottom Knocker" and yes I do know what a sagar is. I have written songs about Wolverhampton and Wednesbury but they are hardly sentimental, and not remotely about love of the towns. More sort of honest. |
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20 Mar 15 - 05:37 AM (#3695428) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Long Firm Freddie The City of Bath held a competition to find a Song for Bath in 2011. The winner was The Golden City written and composed by Charlie Groves, YouTube performance with photos of Bath here: The Golden City When the sun shines on the golden stones. Then I know that I've come home. And the streets rise out of history. I can never be alone. Let's go down town By the Avon banks tonight. Watch this jewel in the valley Waking up tonight ! The Golden City, where the stones come alive. The Human City, where my heart has arrived. You're a medal-winner, a world-class singer In the great and the good Or maybe you are a voice like me Just trying to be heard Let's join hands and run Let the music lead the way To the Party in the City Turn it up Loud ! The Golden City, where the stones come alive The Human City, where my heart has arrived. The Golden City, where the stones come alive The Human City, where my heart has arrived. A hundred thousand hearts Stirring at the sound The choirs singing out A hundred thousand times This is our home.. this is our time And the waters rise from the ground below Like they did in ancient times And I'm seeing greatness all around In the reason and the rhyme Let's get carried away By the Recreation crowd As the boys start to rise Victory is ours ! The Golden City, where the stones come alive The Human City, where my heart has arrived. Where the stones come alive The Human City, where my heart has arrived. LFF (I have no connection to the Bath Tourist Board!) |
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20 Mar 15 - 06:18 AM (#3695432) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,Wee Jock The Road and the Miles tae Dundee a great favourite of mine as i am a very proud Dundonian. |
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20 Mar 15 - 06:47 AM (#3695436) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker I couldn't write a sentimental song about my west country home town without recourse to words such as "narrow minded, pissheads, thugs, depressing, shit hole, etc" It would be very difficult.... BTW.. That Bath song is toe curlingly cringeworthy... |
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20 Mar 15 - 03:05 PM (#3695570) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Mr Red Ah! The self-deprecating Brit character re-surfaces. |
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20 Mar 15 - 07:15 PM (#3695632) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,henryp Show of Hands have already captured the spirit of south west towns in 'Yeovil Town'. |
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20 Mar 15 - 08:55 PM (#3695641) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,Tim hague My late friend, Malcolm Jones's song, Building boats in Stony Stratford. |
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21 Mar 15 - 08:23 PM (#3695823) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Tattie Bogle Shame upon me for not mentioning songs from my home town of Edinburgh - not all sentimental and not all naming the actual place - songs of people like Burns, Tannahill, Lady Nairne and Ferguson. Ae Fond Kiss Rattlin' Roaring Willie Silver Tassie (er, Leith - not Edinburgh!) Willie's Gone tae Melville Castle Bonnie Dundee (no, it's NOT about Dundee!) 'Twas within a Mile of Edinburgh Toon Caroline of Edinburgh Town The Union Canal and Forth Bridge songs by Robin Laing "The Edinburgh Rambler" (based on "The Manchester Rambler" but with changed locations - Ed Miller) A Sandy Bell's Man Greyfriars Bobby The Keel Row (Edinburgh version!) and a much more recent one by Scott Murray "We'll Follow the Music" and others I'll remember later! (Or see thread re Edinburgh songs) |
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21 Mar 15 - 09:52 PM (#3695834) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,bernieandred Some may say it isn't about any specifc place, but "We'll Gather Lilacs" by Ivor Novello. Beautiful melody, & a fine lyric which brings a tear to the eye of this expat whenever I hear it. |
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21 Mar 15 - 10:28 PM (#3695836) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Bert While London sleeps. |
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22 Mar 15 - 12:02 AM (#3695842) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,Bill S in Adelaide There are loads of them, an obvious few include Gorton Town The Manchester Rambler Dalesman's Litany Oldham Edge Sheffield on Saturday night The wonderful effects of the Leicester Rail road Sheffield's a Wonderful Town, O Truro Agricultural Fair The Barnsley Anthem The Scenes of Manchester Helston Furry and I have kept to England |
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22 Mar 15 - 08:17 AM (#3695896) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Mr Red Dalesman's Litany - sentimental? From Hull & Hell & Halifax Good Lord deliver me. Self-deprecating honest schmozzal maybe! Sentimental? Tough love? - I don't think so. Like defining Folk, every take is different. Manchester Rambler is about Manchester people & rambling and Kinder Scout is implied. Manchester gets a mention but doesn't get a vote on the sentimental spectrum. IMNSHO. But there you are. Anyone care to write a complimentary song about Wednesbury - I couldn't (didn't). |
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22 Mar 15 - 08:25 AM (#3695897) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,Dave the Gnome Manchester Rambler is about Manchester people & rambling and Kinder Scout is implied. Have you ever actually listened to the song Mr R? :-) Kinder is far more than implied as are many other places, in quite a sentimental way. It's not about Manchester people particularly either although the title says so. I see it as far more about anyone from and industrial area wanting to get to any of our lovely countryside when the working week is over. |
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22 Mar 15 - 11:21 AM (#3695937) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Thompson What this thread (so far) seems to prove is that songs of place, with that particular tone of longing and nostalgia that make such songs, are a thing in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, but not in England; there are a few English songs of place, but they're a) mostly slightly ironic, and b) modern. Odd, that; as far as I know, all other countries - Ireland, France, Spain, Germany, the US, African countries - have such songs in abundance. Don't know about Scandinavia. |
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22 Mar 15 - 02:10 PM (#3695969) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,Dave Thompson, I think that there are plenty of songs in this thread which are nostalgic about regions of England, we have list of songs about London, the North East, the North West and the South West. Probably ones about Kent and Sussex too. But not about England as such. Which is because England is not a country in the same sense that Scotland and Wales are, it is an amalgam of regions, created by Aethelstan and reinforced by the Norman invaders. Which, to be political for a moment, is the whole problem with William Hague's "English Votes for English Laws" proposal. There is no coherent English identity. |
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22 Mar 15 - 02:11 PM (#3695970) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: MGM·Lion Thompson -- "that particular tone of longing and nostalgia ... but not in England" "The Oak & The Ash"? ≈M≈ |
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22 Mar 15 - 03:41 PM (#3695994) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: MGM·Lion "Dalesman's Litany - sentimental? From Hull & Hell & Halifax Good Lord deliver me. Self-deprecating honest schmozzal maybe! Sentimental? Tough love? - I don't think so. .,,. What about the "20 miles of heathery moor"? And where does the concept of 'tough love' come into the question whatever, Mr Red? ≈M≈ |
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22 Mar 15 - 04:01 PM (#3696002) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,Dave the Gnome ...there's 20 miles of heathery moor twixt me and the coal pit's stack. And from Hull and Halifax and Hell the good lord has delivered me. Maybe there are more sentimental 'Brit' songs than the initial post seems to suggest and it is the thread itself that is self deprecating>? |
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23 Mar 15 - 12:56 AM (#3696058) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Bert Thompson, What do you call modern? |
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23 Mar 15 - 02:43 AM (#3696072) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,Allan Conn "Which is because England is not a country in the same sense that Scotland and Wales are, it is an amalgam of regions, created by Aethelstan and reinforced by the Norman invaders." Surely England was created in much the same way as Scotland was? That is there were various smaller kingdoms (ie the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms as well as British kingdoms to the west) which gradually through the centuries amalgamated into a wider entity. Scotland was the same. Pictland itself was created from smaller kingdoms then merged with Dalriadi which in turn merged with the Brittonic kingdom of Strathclyde to the south as well as half of Northumbrian Bernicia which had previously been the Kingdom of the Gododdin! I don't see much diffrence if any. Even Wales was previously several smaller kingdoms. The idea that Scotland wasn't, and still isn't, made of regions is a bit daft!!! Surely every country on earth will be? |
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23 Mar 15 - 02:46 AM (#3696074) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Thompson Bert, I'd call modern anything post-1940s, but especially anything 1960s on. |
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23 Mar 15 - 02:08 PM (#3696214) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,M London Pride by Noel Coward. |
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24 Mar 15 - 04:02 AM (#3696316) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Mr Red "Dalesman's Litany", clues in the name? And it does rather tell it like it is - delivered. There are more songs listed than sprang to my mind, but that was the intention. And English place songs are as likely to be self-deprecating in a way that other UK regions rarely exhibit. IMNSHO. If there is any defining "Englishness" character, self-deprecating is on that list. "London Pride" is one of Coward's best. Jingoism hidden in sentimentality. It was written to bolster the morale of the country in the face of difficulty. But one might (in a provocative vein) say it is a song about a flower............ I'll get my gardening coat. |
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24 Mar 15 - 04:46 AM (#3696322) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,DaveRo Thompson wrote: What this thread (so far) seems to prove is that songs of place, with that particular tone of longing and nostalgia that make such songs, are a thing in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, but not in England...I don't think it does seem to prove that, but if it were so - that songs of 'longing and nostalgia' are more prevalent about Scotland and Ireland (and Wales?) - then this might be because of greater involuntary migration from those countries, particularly to America. Perhaps emigrants from England were more likely to go by choice. Are there any songs along the lines of "Glad to see the back of Smethwick!"? |
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24 Mar 15 - 04:59 AM (#3696326) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Thompson GUESTDave wrote "Which is because England is not a country in the same sense that Scotland and Wales are, it is an amalgam of regions, created by Aethelstan and reinforced by the Norman invaders." (How do you get it to go into italics, by the way?) This statement astonished me. I would have thought that England, of all countries, with its history of colonisation and its colonists harking back to England, would very much be a country. Were/are English emigrants more likely to go by choice? I don't think so; what's that famous painting - ah, Ford Madox Brown's The Last of England - with the emigrants looking longingly back to their homeland. And in every country where English people have settled they have retained their culture and customs with great care. |
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24 Mar 15 - 05:10 AM (#3696329) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,DaveRo Were/are English emigrants more likely to go by choice?I was thinking of the Highland Clearances and the Irish Famine. Was there an equivalent English event that forced so many to emigrate? |
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24 Mar 15 - 06:14 AM (#3696336) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,Dave the Gnome I have always argued that the first target of British Imperialism was the English working class! Maybe sentimental English songs about times gone by are more relevant than places? Still think there are plenty of such songs about places though. It is just that us English are more reserved than our neighbours and ex colonials... :-P |
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24 Mar 15 - 08:27 AM (#3696380) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,Allan Conn DaveRo there was mass movement off the land and both migration and emigration from the Lowlands of Scotland too. In fact some places like Berwickshire (which is on the English border) lost a higher percentage of folk than the vast bulk of Highland counties did in their peak period. It is just that the Highland Clearances were slightly later and more abrupt and are entrenched in the nation's consciousness more than the movement of the land in the Lowlands. Hence it still being called "Improvement" in the Lowlands. In the 1690s the north-east Lowlands lost vast amounts of people too during the so called ill-years. There was a massive movement off the land in England too and of course substantial emigration. Nothing in Britain on the scale of the Irish famine though! |
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24 Mar 15 - 08:35 AM (#3696383) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,Dave Thomson, they may have been looking back longingly, but they were looking back to Yorkshire, or Liverpool, or Newcastle, or Norfolk, or Kent, or Cornwall, or London even. Not England. DaveRo, not sure about being forced to emigrate, but many were transported as slaves to the West Indies after the Bloody Assize. Dave the Gnome, exactly right. The reason that people are not nostalgic about England, is that England was exploiting them. In exactly the same way as it was the Scottish, Irish and Welsh. Hence it is to your city or county that your loyalty really lies. |
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24 Mar 15 - 08:40 AM (#3696384) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Paul Reade How about Oldham Tinkers - Oldham's Burning Sands |
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24 Mar 15 - 08:44 AM (#3696386) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,Dave the Gnome On Owdam Edge, the grass is green Nicest view that e'er 'ave seen If tha' stands on t'top and looks about Nowt but mills wi' a chimney spout... |
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24 Mar 15 - 08:48 AM (#3696389) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,Dave the Gnome Forgot to ask, has anyone mentioned the WI anthem yet? |
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24 Mar 15 - 09:44 AM (#3696416) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,DaveRo Thompson wrote: (How do you get it to go into italics, by the way?)Like this: <i>Something in italics</i> (I use a bookmarklet to generate my quotes. If anybody wants it I've documented it HERE. I usually remove the "so-and-so wrote:" bit if I'm quoting a recent post. If you have questions about it I suggest a new tech: thread rather than here.) |
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24 Mar 15 - 04:45 PM (#3696530) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,Guest Roger Jones "I'm Going Back To Rochdale" - Geoff Alexander |
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24 Mar 15 - 06:02 PM (#3696549) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,Dave Dave the Gnome, had forgotten that, its supposed to derive from some utterly implausible legend involving Joseph of Arimithea, and the first verse poses four questions, the answer to each being a resounding 'no'. Parry's second best known hymn tune, but the lyrics were not Blake's finest hour. |
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24 Mar 15 - 06:15 PM (#3696554) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: GUEST,Dave Going back to the very first post in this thread, I would take Jerusalem over Country Roads though. |
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25 Mar 15 - 03:30 AM (#3696618) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Thompson Thanks, DaveRO very handy! |
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25 Mar 15 - 04:09 AM (#3696624) Subject: RE: Any sentimental Brit songs about places? From: Mr Red Were/are English emigrants more likely to go by choice? If you had to compare then "brogue" of SE England and Ozzie "strine" You would be a very foolhardy person to discount the obvious closeness compared to Welsh, Scottish, Geordie, West Country or even the Midlands. I think you will find the surviving accent is heavily biased to London and the Home Counties. How's that for forced emmigration? I am sure what I spotted will be commented on but I leave it to the debating chamber. Over to you. BTW if you want italics try this: <I> paste/type your text & italics text will appear </I> (type as seen - I have used a bit of HTML to display it for you) |
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