Lyr Req: The Miner's Dream of Home

06 Oct 00 - 06:14 PM (#313782)
Subject: A coalminer's dream of home
From: GUEST,[e-mail]

Help, Please, can you point me to the lyric of "The Coalminer's Dream of Home". She is unable to speak following a stroke, but if you start the tune for her, she can sing, and this is often her only form of communication. Can you help please? Thanks Harry

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07 Oct 00 - 09:37 AM (#314078)
Subject: RE: A coalminer's dream of home
From: Quincy

Well Harry, have been searching and searching and could only come up with the title, the song-writers and a recording of it.....but sorry no lyrics.

A Miner's Dream of Home,
written by Will Godwin/Leo Dryden (1900)
Recorded by Peter Dawson.

A cd of the song is shown on this link click here


Good luck with your search,
best wishes, Yvonne

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07 Oct 00 - 09:58 AM (#314089)
Subject: Lyr Add: THE MINER'S DREAM OF HOME (Leo Dryden)
From: GUEST,GUEST,[e-mail]

Harry asked for the words to "The Coalminer's Dream of Home" I think it must be the same as "The Miner's Dream of Home" sung by Leo Dryden and co-written by him with Will Godwin. I have it in a book called "News Chronicle: Sixty Old Time Variety Songs". The song was a favourite of my dear late mother Joan's. We often used to work our way through the book, singing our hearts out to the choruses. Her mother used to be a singer on the English Halls, and apparently when orphaned was taken in by a theatrical famiy who were contemporaries of the great Marie Lloyd.

Anyway Harry, here's the words.

The Miner's Dream of Home:

It is ten weary years since I left England's shore,
In a far distant Country to roam.
How I long to return to my own native land,
To my friends and the old folks at home!
Last night, as I slumber'd, I had a strange dream,
One that seem'd to bring distant friends near;
I dreamt of Old England, the land of my birth,
To the heart of her sons ever dear

Chorus: ((x2 each time)

I saw the old homestead and faces I love,
I saw England's valleys and dells;
I listened with joy, as I did when a boy,
To the sound of the old village bells.
The log was burning brightly,
'Twas a night that should banish all sin,
For the bells were ringing the Old Year out,
And the New Year in.

While the joyous belss rang, swift I wended my way
To the cot where I lived when a boy;
And I look'd in the window, Yes! there by the fire,
Sat my parents, my heart filled with joy!
The tears trickl'd fast down my bronz'd, furrow'd cheek
As I gazed on my mother so dear,
I knew in my heart she was raising a pray'r
For the boy whom she dreamt not was near!

Cho x 2

At the door of the cottage we met face to face
'Twas the first time for ten weary years;
Soon the past was forgotten, we stood hand in hand
Father, mother, and wand'rer in tears.
Once more in the fireplace the oaklog burns bright,
And I promised no more would I roam;
As I sat in the old vacant chair by the hearth,
And I sang the dear song "Home, sweet Home!"

Cho x 2

Rick

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Line breaks added. --JoeClone

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07 Oct 00 - 10:21 AM (#314091)
Subject: RE: A coalminer's dream of home
From: karen k

This song is on the CD LOST IN A SONG by Finest Kind - Ian Robb, Shelley Posen and Ann Downey. Many of the words are the same but some are different. Don't have time to post the words as they appear on this CD.

Shelley got the version they sing when living in Quebec in the mid 70's from a singer named Loy Gavan who got it from another local singer, Frank Ryan. It is tributed the same men as listed above.

Shelley states that the song was an English music hall hit in 1891. He also says that it appears on Topic release 12TS225 by Bob Hart of Suffolk.

The one time that Mr. Gavan sang it for Shelley, he collapsed the second and third verses into one. He also substituted "Erin" and "Ireland" for "England" in the verses, but for some reason, retained "England" in the chorus. FINEST KIND decided to sing it the way Shelley learned it.

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09 Oct 00 - 04:39 PM (#314937)
Subject: RE: A coalminer's dream of home
From: GUEST,Harry Whitcher

Thanks for the responses, it has taken me 10 months of fruitless, (but entertaining) looking before one message brought a response, Thank you all, Mum was singing it back to me over the phone, as I prompted her with the first words of the song. Thanks once again

Harry

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