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ADD: We Were There (Sandra Kerr)

13 Sep 25 - 11:45 AM (#4228514)
Subject: Have lyrics, but no author
From: GUEST

I have the lyrics and tune, but can't find any details of the author. Maybe I've got the song title wrong? Any help appreciated.

WE WERE THERE
(Sandra Kerr)

We were there, womankind beheld the earth
We were there, man beside us at our birth
And the world was made for sharing equal giving, equal caring
Learning, growing, doing, daring we were there
Friend and mother, sister, lover we were there

We were there through every strike through every war
We were there, wondering what we’re struggling for
Wondering when our time would come, would brothers, sisters fight as one
Or would we stand alone we were there
Friend and mother, sister, lover we were there

We were there throughout each changing century
We were there but still must write our history
For who heard us when we cried, how many fought how many died
Hand in hand and side by side we were there
Friend and mother, sister, lover we were there

We are here, though the way is long before us
We are here and the world cannot ignore us
We will celebrate our past, and when the future’s ours at last
Who will dare to ask if we were there
Friend and mother, sister, lover we were there


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7o-RKTHwWA


13 Sep 25 - 01:36 PM (#4228516)
Subject: RE: Who wrote We Were There
From: Helen

I searched for the first line of the song and it is quoted in full at the beginning of this article.

womankind beheld the earth

For some strange reason the songwriter is not credited as far as I can see but I did not read the article in full. I just quickly looked through it.

The song reminds me very much of the songs written and performed by the amazing Australian woman, Judy Small.

These are my usual questions:

To help with the search could you provide more information, please?

When did you hear the song or see it in written music collections? If it was in written music collections, what sort of collections are you likely to have seen it in?

Was it recorded? Did you hear it on the radio, see it on TV, hear it on vinyl, CD, digital, YouTube, etc?

Did you hear it live?

Singer(s) male, female, a group, solo?
Musicians? what instruments were used?

Lively, haunting, slow, fast, dance tune, etc, etc?

Any more information would be helpful.


13 Sep 25 - 01:42 PM (#4228518)
Subject: RE: Who wrote We Were There
From: Helen

Also, the main site for that page is for a video and resource company https://www.concordmedia.org.uk so I suggest you could contact them to ask for information on the song.

Please come back into this discussion and let us know what you find out so that we have the answers to the mystery.


13 Sep 25 - 03:32 PM (#4228526)
Subject: RE: Who wrote We Were There
From: FreddyHeadey

Wren Music:
Her Story 2018 - WE WERE THERE by Sandra Kerr

https://youtu.be/y7o-RKTHwWA 2018 - arranged by Sarah Owen

"This video is of a live performance from the Her Story project in 2018.
Her Story is run by Wren Music, one of the UK's leading folk and community arts organisations.
To find out more visit www.wrenmusic.co.uk/our-work/adult-choirs-and-orchestras/choirs/her-story"


13 Sep 25 - 03:54 PM (#4228529)
Subject: RE: Who wrote We Were There
From: FreddyHeadey

I dare say given time lots of mudcatters would have been along with info from their memory banks; but it was a quiet saturday evening for me. ;)

It's wonderful\frustrating how google can come up with so many better results when you chance upon the 'right' extra words to put into a search!
I'd added 'peggy seeger' when the video above came up. Now that we know it's Sandra Kerr there's all sorts of info.

Here's Reinhard's page for the album - 1987
https://mainlynorfolk.info/folk/records/sandrakerr.html#wewerethere

contact page
https://www.sandrakerr.net/contact.html


13 Sep 25 - 04:07 PM (#4228531)
Subject: RE: Who wrote We Were There
From: Helen

Thanks FreddyHeadey!


13 Sep 25 - 06:39 PM (#4228533)
Subject: RE: ADD: We Were There (Sandra Kerr)
From: Helen

FreddyHeadey, are you going to reveal your secret? What was the phrase in your successful internet search.

I am also really hoping that the Guest who posted the original question will come back to see the amazingly quick results.


13 Sep 25 - 07:37 PM (#4228536)
Subject: RE: ADD: We Were There (Sandra Kerr)
From: FreddyHeadey

;) - I'd found your Making History\Concord Media page too and gone off to a few dead ends!


Well it was not
https://www.google.com/search?q=%22We+Were+There%22+lyrics
or
https://www.google.com/search?q=%22We+Were+There%22+peggy
but
https://www.google.com/search?q=%22We+Were+There%22+peggy+seeger
to which AI says
"There isn't a well-known Peggy Seeger song titled "We Were There" or a song she co-wrote with that title. Instead, the phrase "We Were There" may be a misunderstanding, as the song "We Were There" is a well-known women's anthem written by Sandra Kerr, not Peggy Seeger."
& had the Wren Music video

,,, Actually
https://www.google.com/search?q=%22We+Were+There%22+folk
finds it on MainlyNorfolk
- but would it have done that six hours ago - or has it been learning ?
;)


13 Sep 25 - 07:55 PM (#4228537)
Subject: RE: ADD: We Were There (Sandra Kerr)
From: Reinhard

I had been away for a double birthday visit, Freddy, so I only created the song's page We Were There a few hours ago.


13 Sep 25 - 07:58 PM (#4228538)
Subject: RE: ADD: We Were There (Sandra Kerr)
From: Helen

".. but would it have done that six hours ago - or has it been learning?"

My guess is that you taught it a thing or two. Well done!


14 Sep 25 - 09:19 AM (#4228558)
Subject: RE: ADD: We Were There (Sandra Kerr)
From: GUEST

I contacted Sandra Kerr directly. She tells me that she wrote "We Were There " in 1984 and it appeared on her album of the same name. It can be heard here: https://mainlynorfolk.info/folk/songs/wewerethere.html
I am not sure, however, why this doesn't come up in an internet search. Google AI spouts some nonsense about the first lines being from a Tennyson poem called The Princess. Sandra said: "As far as I know, Tennyson had nothing to do with it!"
Thanks for all the suggestions though


14 Sep 25 - 12:14 PM (#4228566)
Subject: RE: ADD: We Were There (Sandra Kerr)
From: Helen

So Guest, did that information answer your question? Or is there something else you need to know?


14 Sep 25 - 04:16 PM (#4228578)
Subject: RE: ADD: We Were There (Sandra Kerr)
From: GUEST

All solved thanks. Mainly Norfolk now has a page about the song I see, with SistersUnlimited singing it

https://mainlynorfolk.info/folk/songs/wewerethere.html


14 Sep 25 - 05:23 PM (#4228582)
Subject: RE: ADD: We Were There (Sandra Kerr)
From: Helen

Thanks Guest. Glad we could help you. :-)


14 Sep 25 - 09:51 PM (#4228597)
Subject: RE: ADD: We Were There (Sandra Kerr)
From: Joe Offer

So, is there any chance that Sandra Kerr and Nancy Kerr are relatives? Can somebody tell us something about Sandra Kerr?


14 Sep 25 - 10:00 PM (#4228599)
Subject: RE: ADD: We Were There (Sandra Kerr)
From: Reinhard

Yes, they are mother and daughter.


14 Sep 25 - 10:21 PM (#4228600)
Subject: RE: ADD: We Were There (Sandra Kerr)
From: Joe Offer

And both are brilliant.


15 Sep 25 - 04:11 AM (#4228604)
Subject: RE: ADD: We Were There (Sandra Kerr)
From: GerryM

Joe, check out the Scalene CD, Sandra Kerr, Nancy Kerr, and James Fagan. https://www.discogs.com/release/5002860-Sandra-Kerr-Nancy-Kerr-James-Fagan-Scalene?srsltid=AfmBOooS0VJ0YVZNKn0Uj0IPzfbOUhFfEVVxq