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Lyr Req: Pub at the Crossroads? / Drink It Up Men

22 Nov 98 - 12:09 AM (#46420)
Subject: Pub at the Crossroads: anyone heard of it?
From: T.Welch

I think this was a Clancy Bros. or Dubliners recording. Heard of it?

22 Nov 98 - 06:06 AM (#46440)
Subject: RE: Pub at the Crossroads: anyone heard of it?
From: Philippa

I think you're looking for an Australia song - yes Ronnie Drew sang it with the Dubliners - called The Pub With No Beer. It's on the DT. I found it by writing [pub with no beer] in the enquiry box in the right-hans corner at the top of the page. Hope that's what you're looking for

22 Nov 98 - 09:04 AM (#46449)
Subject: Lyr Add: DRINK IT UP, MEN (from the Dubliners)
From: Bobby Bob, Ellan Vannin

I think it's a different song by The Dubliners, sung by Ciaran Bourke, DRINK IT UP, MEN.

At the pub on the crossroads there's whisky and beer.
There's brandy from cognac that's fragrant but dear.
But for killing the thirst and for raising the gout(?)
There's nothing at all beats a pint of good stout.

Drink it up, men, it's long after ten.

At the pub on the crossroads I first went astray.
There I drank enough drink for to fill Galway Bay.
Going up in the morning, I wore out me shoes,
Going up to the cross for the best of good booze.

Drink it up, men, it's long after ten.

Some folk o'er the water think bitter is fine,
And others they swear by the juice of the vine.
But there's nothing that's squeezed from the grape or the hop
Like the black liquidation with the froth on the top.

Drink it up, men, it's long after ten.

I've travelled in England, I've travelled in France.
At the sound of good music I'll sing or I'll dance.
So here me then, mister, and pour me one more.
If I canna drink it up, then throw me out the door.

Drink it up, men it's long after ten.

It's Guinness's porter that has me this way,
For its sweeter than buttermilk and stronger than tay.
But when in the morning I feel kinda rough,
My curse on Lord Iveagh who brews the damn stuff.

Drink it up, men, it's long after ten.

Cheers!

Bobby Bob.

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 29-May-02.

22 Nov 98 - 09:46 AM (#46455)
Subject: RE: Pub at the Crossroads: anyone heard of it?
From: Ian Kirk

If you mean a song I know as "Shanties by the Way" it is I am told a New Zealand song written in the 30's by a man called Thatcher.

The first verse goes

"It's in a first class business section
Where two bush roads cross and meet
It stands in quiet and neat direction
To rest the weary travellers feet...

The rest of this jolly number is about how the landlord takes the drovers' pay in those Shanties by the way.

Chorus:-

"Rows of bottle standing upright
Labelled with bright blue and gold
Beer so cold it needs no ice in
From the cellar we have hauled"

Sorry don't remember the rest of it though I guess somebody may have all the words. I've checked the DigiTrad database but couldn't find it.

Regards

Ian

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 29-May-02.

22 Nov 98 - 11:21 AM (#46458)
Subject: RE: Pub at the Crossroads: anyone heard of it?
From: Philippa

I expect Bobbie Bob of Eilean Mhannain, respondant 2, has the song T Welch wants. Bub now you've got THREE songs about pubs for your collection - soon as we get the remaining verses of Kirk's contribution.

22 Nov 98 - 11:34 PM (#46528)
Subject: RE: Pub at the Crossroads: anyone heard of it?
From: Bob Bolton

G'day all,

I presume Bobby Bob is correct with the Dubliners song posted.

Ian, That song Shanties by the Way is found in New Zealand but is of Australian origins. The gold miners practically commuted between the two countries going form gold rush to gold rush. Charles Thatcher was an Englishman who quickly realised it was much easier work getting gold miners to throw gold nuggets onto the stage than digging the bloody stuff out of rocks!

He performed in music halls in both countries with topical (and occasionally downright insulting songs) but he did not write this one.

Off the top of my head I seem to remember the name Thomas Spencer, but I can look it up and get back to you. The verses were originally published in NSW country paper and picked up by the folk. The song is quite popular around here and goes to the Irish tune The Spanish Lady ... the one starting "As I went out of Dublin City ...".

Regards,

Bob Bolton

25 Nov 98 - 06:43 AM (#46741)
Subject: RE: Pub at the Crossroads: anyone heard of it?
From: Ian Kirk

That's fascinating Bob I would really like to know if you can find out who the original author was.

The version I know of was sung by a small group in a pub local to me here in Kent , England and they sang it to a different tune. I think I have a recording of there stuff somewehere I'll dig through the archives and see if I can find it. I have down loaded the Miditxt file as mentioned by Joe so as soon as I get a chance I'll post the words and the tune I know on the cafe site.

I'll also try the verses to Spanish Ladies.

Good to hear from you

Ian

25 Nov 98 - 04:21 PM (#46794)
Subject: RE: Pub at the Crossroads: anyone heard of it?
From: Bob Bolton

G'day all & Ian Kirk,

The song Shanty by the Way was collected (post W.W.II) in New Zealand by Australian researcher Dr Percy Jones. He had it from a man who had learned it from two old gold diggers who, in turn, learned it from an Australian miner working on NZ's West Coast in the last century.

The song itself is a folk-processed version of a poem by E. J. Overbury - printed in the Creswick and Clunes Advertiser in the 1860s. Creswick and Clunes are towns in Victoria, just north of the Ballara(a)t gold fields.

BTW: The Thomas Spencer I mentioned earlier was a later, rather more popular Australian poet whose work also found its way into song form. His most popular poem would be How MacDougal Topped the Score ... an hilarious account of a most irregular country cricket match>.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

26 Nov 98 - 01:24 PM (#46865)
Subject: RE: Pub at the Crossroads: anyone heard of it?
From: Ian Kirk

Good on ya Bob. Interesting. Again thanks for the info.

I tried the bits of the song I know to the Spanish Ladies tune. It all seemed to fit except for the chorus

Rows of bottles standing upright Labelled with bright blue and gold Beer so cold it needs no ice in From the cellar we have hauled

Anyway I'll be working on posting the version I know of on the cafe/net shortly so you can have a look see!

By the way thanks for the chance to win the first test. If only it hadn't rained we might just have pulled it off

All the best

29 Nov 98 - 12:06 PM (#47183)
Subject: Lyr/Tune Add: SHANTIES BY THE WAY
From: Ian Kirk

Hi Bob and all

Here is the song called SHANTIES BY THE WAY I mentioned earlier. I have done my best with the ABC format I hope it gives you an idea of how the tune goes. I have never created tunes before at all but undaunted he ploughs on
:-

X:1
T:Shanties by the Way
L:1/8
M:4/4
K:G
d3 d |d A2 B2 A2 F |A2 d3 dd A2 |B2 A2 E3 F2 |F2 F2 EE F2 |A2 B A2 d2 d2 |B A3 F E2 D4 |d3 d d A2 B2 |A2 F A2 d3 |dd A2 B2 A2 |E3 F2 F2 F2 |EE F2 A2 B A2 |d2 d2 B A2 F |E2 D4 ||F2 F2 %CHORUS
F E2 |F2 A2 B A2 d |d3 d2 A2 B |A2 E3 F2 F2 |F2 E2 F2 A2 |B A2 d2 d2 B |A2 F E2 D8 |

SHANTIES BY THE WAY

In a first class business section
Where 2 bush roads cross and meet
It stands in a quiet and neat direction
To rest the weary travellers feet
Kerosene lamps are shining brightly
Cards and lo the billiard balls
Men and maids are dancing sprightly
To the music within these walls

Chorus
------
Rows of bottles standing upright
Labelled with bright blue and gold
Beer so cold it needs no ice in
From the cellar we have hauled

There's quoits and games and bagatelle
Its all to take your fancy Oh
But better far behind the bar
Is smiling darling Nancy Oh
Now Nancy's smiles are quite beguiling
To make some fun she's willing Oh
You give a wrap she turns a tap
And thanks you for your shilling Oh

Chorus

The landlord stands with smiling face
He likes to see you cash forked out
The landlord stands with smiling face
And sometimes he will stand a shout
But the landlord shouting that's uncommon
He's kidding you to dance and play
How on earth can a man stay sober
In those shanties by the way

Chorus

Now when you wake up in the morning
In your thirst without a fag
You cast around a sad reflection
As you shoulder up your swag
Penniless you'll have to wander
For many a long and weary day
Until you earn another cheque to squander
In those shanties by the way

Chorus

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 29-May-02.

29 Nov 98 - 10:55 PM (#47267)
Subject: RE: Pub at the Crossroads: anyone heard of it?
From: Bob Bolton

G'day Ian,

I will post the Australian version of Shanty by the Way to a new thread: LYR ADD:Shanty by the Way, along with my ABC of the tune, as I know it as well as a collected version from Victoria. I will see if I can get over my setup's problems reading other peoples ABC from Mudcat and see how your tune compares with mine.

Shanty by the Way is an Australian song collected (post W.W.II) in New Zealand by Australian researcher Dr Percy Jones. He had it from a man who had learned it from two old gold diggers who, in turn, learned it from an Australian miner working on NZ's West Coast in the last century.

The song itself is a folk-processed version of a poem by E. J. Overbury - printed in the Creswick and Clunes Advertiser in the 1860s. Creswick and Clunes are towns in Victoria, just north of the Ballarat gold fields.

I was going to post another of Overbury's poems/songs The Springtime it Brings on the Shearing (folksong name) or The Wallaby Track (original poem name), but I see that is already in the Digital Tradion database.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

02 Dec 98 - 06:13 PM (#47693)
Subject: RE: Pub at the Crossroads: anyone heard of it?
From: Bob Bolton

G'day again Ian,

I did say back on 29 November that I would post the full words and the two tunes - well-known and a collected variant - for Shanty By The Way. Well, then I forgot the disc with the ABC on it ... and the next few days our server was down!

I could almost suspect the computer of censoring my musical taste! Anyway, it is there now.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

03 Feb 04 - 05:57 AM (#1108009)
Subject: RE: Pub at the Crossroads: anyone heard of it?
From: Mr Happy

Bobby Bob, Ellan Vannin,

There's a line in your offered first verse which is slightly different to the version I know:


At the pub on the crossroads there's whisky and beer.
There's brandy from cognac that's fragrant but dear.
But for killing the thirst and for raising the gout(?) *
There's nothing at all beats a pint of good stout.


The line I have goes: 'But for killing the thirst and for gracing (greasing) the throat'

03 Feb 04 - 06:44 AM (#1108033)
Subject: RE: Pub at the Crossroads: anyone heard of it?
From: Dave Bryant

Ian Kirk - Was the group that you heard singing "Shanties by the Way" called "Skinner's Rats" ?   Barry Laing (of the The Rats) has sung it for many years now - originally at the now defunct "Coach House" club at the "Pied Bull" Farningham and more lately at "The Wheatsheaf" Bough Beech.

Incidently mudcatter Blossom (Pete Curry) is the other longterm member of "Skinner's Rats"

04 Feb 04 - 05:52 AM (#1108921)
Subject: RE: Pub at the Crossroads: anyone heard of it?
From: Dave Bryant

Have spoken to Blossom - waitng for him to post.

04 Feb 04 - 07:01 PM (#1109544)
Subject: RE: Pub at the Crossroads: anyone heard of it?
From: GUEST,Blossom of Skinner's Rats

Barry of Skinner's Rats has sung the song for at least thirty-three years, to my knowledge, and claimed he learned it from 'Glad' of 'Glad's Trad'. His stage introduction used to take the form: '...an Australian song written by a New Zealander called Thatcher...he's dead now...one down and one to go...' (a reference to the then British Prime Minister, not universally admired).
I believe that the Thatcher in question is known to have performed the song as part of a music hall act, rather than written it, but the song itself seems to have been developed from a poem written by E.J. Overbury entitled 'The Public by the Way', around the 1860s. I further understand that Fyffe's book 'Shanties by the Way' sheds more light on this but I have yet to find a copy.
We (Skinner's Rats) are still performing this song on an almost weekly basis. It is recorded on ESSAR 003 'My Boys Can Play Anything'(1981)- formerly vinyl with gatefold sleeve, later a tape cassette version and now remastered as a CD.
+
blossom@quatuorcoronati.go-plus.net
www.skinnersrats.com

08 Nov 11 - 05:37 AM (#3252684)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pub at the Crossroads? / Drink It Up Men
From: MGM·Lion

Refresh in relation to new 'Where Is NZ' thread, to which I have contrib'd chorus of Shanties By The Way {with variant last line} which I learned about 50 years ago from NZ friend called Jim McNeish.

~Michael~