Lyr Req: Here's Adieu to Old England

08 Apr 01 - 11:09 AM (#435741)
Subject: here`s adieu to old england
From: jimmydemoonlight

i had this song many moons ago , but the ould grey cells...... here`s adiu to old england,here`s adiu here`s adiu to five thousand old barns if the world had been banished before i was born my troubles i`d never have known

along with this i had , "Martha the watercress girl"

i remember them being sung by either Martin Carthy, or John Kirkpatrick

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08 Apr 01 - 03:10 PM (#435866)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: here`s adieu to old england
From: Malcolm Douglas

Kirkpatrick recorded the song on One Man and His Box (MW Records MWCD 4024, 1998).  "some thousands of pounds", if I remember, rather than "five thousand old barns"!  Text doesn't seem to be in the DT or Forum, but I suspect that I have it on record somewhere, and will have a look.

Malcolm

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09 Apr 01 - 12:10 PM (#436429)
Subject: Lyr Add: HERE'S ADIEU TO OLD ENGLAND
From: A Wandering Minstrel

IIRC:

CH: Here's adieu to Old England, Here's Adieu
For your heart it is turning to stone
If the world had been banished before I was born
Such troubles I never had known

Once I could eat of the bread
That was made of the very best wheat
But now I am glad of a mouldy old crust
To give me poor body to eat

Once I could drink of that beer
The very best beer in the glass
But now I am glad of cold water
To ease me parched lips of their thirst

Once I could sleep in that bed
The bed of the very best down
But now I am glad of a bunch of oat straw
to keep me old bones from the ground

Once I could walk out in freedom
I could spend all the money I'd earn
but now I'm in prison so strong and so deep
and I don't know which way to turn

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Messages from multiple threads combined. Messages below are from a new thread.
Do we have a songwriter name for these lyrics, or are they traditional?
-Joe Offer-

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03 Sep 03 - 07:03 AM (#1011908)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: adieu to old england
From: Schantieman

And then there's Peter Bellamy's one from The Transports which I more or less know, if anyone wants it. I can't find it in the DT.

Steve

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03 Sep 03 - 07:08 AM (#1011909)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: adieu to old england
From: Schantieman

er... having just sung the chorus through, I think it may be called The Green Fields of England...

Here's adieu
Here's adieu to the green fields of England
Now we're parting from you.

Another one springs to mind, of which the chorus goes something like:

Here's adieu to old England for ever
Farewell to you ????? as well
For we're off to ?????   ?????
And we ??? ??? ?????? for a spell.

That's all I can remember of it, but I know all of the Peter Bellamy one (must start singing it again).

S

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03 Sep 03 - 08:09 AM (#1011928)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: adieu to old england
From: Noreen

Hey Steve, that last one sounds good...!

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03 Sep 03 - 12:21 PM (#1012053)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: adieu to old england
From: GUEST,guest tony

Thanks for the responses,but the song I,m looking for was sung by John Tams in the TV series "SHARPE" set in the Napolionic Wars.
    One of the verses goes something like "Farewell to Old England forever,farewell to the red white and blue and so on.I have the tune in my head and would love to find the lyric. Thanks,Tony.

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03 Sep 03 - 12:38 PM (#1012063)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: adieu to old england
From: Wolfgang

Have you already tried John Tams Homepage (with lyrics)?

Wolfgang

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03 Sep 03 - 12:56 PM (#1012073)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: adieu to old england
From: Wolfgang

And you should read this thread mentioning several songs from that series.

Wolfgang

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03 Sep 03 - 03:28 PM (#1012196)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: adieu to old england
From: GUEST,jennifer

To be fair, John did sing several snatches of songs during the Sharpe series which did NOT appear on the CD (including Rufford Park Poachers) and my site doesn't cover traditional songs unless he had a good go at them and added new wicker bottoms etc (as he puts it).
Jennifer

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24 Mar 05 - 06:14 AM (#1442369)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: here's adieu to old england
From: GUEST,anon

haha... that one's easy.
That's "Botany Bay."

Farewell to old England forever...
farewell to my home town as well
farewell to the well known old bailey
where i once used to look such a swell
singin' toorilai oorilai addity (sp lol)
singin' toorilai oorilai ay
singin' toorilai oorilai addity
for we're bound for botany bay


it's about people being sent as convicts to Australia.

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