14 Jul 02 - 08:09 PM (#748020) Subject: As we keep the old music alive From: McGrath of Harlow Here's a new song I wrote today, after a weekend at Moreton Midsummer, a village celebration a few miles from where I live which has welcomed a sizeable and growing folk presence over the years, without turning from being being a village celebration into becoming a folk festival.
I think it's self explanatory, though you never can tell. The old Public Entertainment Licence issue makes its appearance in the second verse. Anyway, I thought I'd share it with the catfolks.
As we keep the old music alive
Well there's her and there's him and there's me and there's you,
There's a session tonight in the Bell or the Crown,
And every now and again there's a fete or a fair,
14th July 2002 By "the glory of England", of course, I mean Morris dancing. As it happens, there's a team called England's Glory, though they weren't one of the many sides who were at Moreton today.
Anyway, I'll stick a sound file of the song up, when I can. (I can't manage the dots; the chords are here with the song on this website of mine, though chords aren't much use without a tune.) |
15 Jul 02 - 04:23 AM (#748153) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: As we keep the old music alive From: Joan from Wigan I like the words and the sentiments, I'll look forward to hearing the song file when it's up. This looks like a song I'll be wanting to learn when I know the tune. Well done, McGrath! Joan |
15 Jul 02 - 04:31 AM (#748155) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: As we keep the old music alive From: greg stephens you sentimental old fogey you |
15 Jul 02 - 04:37 AM (#748157) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: As we keep the old music alive From: greg stephens McGrath: "and the glory of England is bravely displayed".Until I read your explanation I assumed this referred to the fact that thousands of people always light matches and wave them in the air whenever you break into song. |
15 Jul 02 - 01:34 PM (#748409) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: As we keep the old music alive From: McGrath of Harlow England's Glory - a Ladies Morris side, a variety of Dahlia, and a pub. And a brand of matches.. There's glory for you, as Humpty Dumpty put it, in Alice. A knockdown argument, though I'm not sure quite what for.
I've stuck that song file up there now, Real Audio. There's a link to it here - if you want it, click on "streaming", next to the words. And here's a direct link - Keep the Old Music Alive
I've adjusted the words a bit, espcially the first half of the first verse, which now goes:
Well somehow it seems there are always a few, |
15 Jul 02 - 06:40 PM (#748527) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: As we keep the old music alive From: McGrath of Harlow And the phrase Glory of England also crops up in this monologue by Marriott Edgar, "The Channel Swimmer". A pattern starts to emerge. True Glory, in this context needs to have a humorous aspect.
THE CHANNEL SWIMMER Would you hear a Wild tale of adventure
Our Channel, our own Straits of Dover
So great was the outcry in England,
For in swimming baths all round the country
So they wrote him, C/o Workhouse Master,
Joe jumped into t' breach like an 'ero,
"Though many have tackled the Channel
As soon as his words were made public
He borrowed a tug from the Navy
His wife strapped a mascot around him,
He entered the water at daybreak,
At last he were in, he were swimming
Then down came a fog, thick as treacle,
The tug circled round till they found him,
'Twere at sunset, or just a bit later,
One hasty glance over his shoulder,
On and on through the darkness he paddled
Was it Grisniz he'd reached?... No, it wasn't, (I'm sure it reallt should have been Margate.)
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16 Jul 02 - 09:25 AM (#748837) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: As we keep the old music alive From: Essex Girl Good song Mcgrath I'll look forward to hearing you sing it.Shame I had to miss the Sunday afternoon session, I've heard that it was very good. Linda |
16 Jul 02 - 10:52 AM (#748873) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: As we keep the old music alive From: McGrath of Harlow Well I hadn't made it up then, so you didn't miss that song anyway; but you missed some good ones. I think they might have to do some repairs on the structure of the building, what with Dave's singing going off the Richter Scale.
That song is crying out for parody, so I thought I'd get in first:
There's a session tonight at The Crown or The Bell, |
16 Apr 07 - 06:59 AM (#2026602) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: As we keep the old music alive From: Snuffy This is out there flourishing in the big wide world. I was at a singaround in the Forest of Dean yesterday afternoon, where it was sung by Bill from Newport. He told us he found it on Mudcat and it was written by Kevin McGrath - so it's not achieved "trad" status yet! |