1. |
On Board a 98
02:36
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When I was young and scarce eighteen
I drove a roaring trade
And many’s the sly trick have I played
On many’s the pretty maid
But my parents saw it would not do
I soon would spend their store
So they resolved that I should go
On board a man of war
Well a bold press gang surrounded me
And their warrants they did show
They swore that I should go to see
And face a daring foe
So it’s off they dragged me to the boat
And there I cursed my fate
It’s there I found that I should float
On board a 98
When first I put my foot on board
How I did stamp and stare
But our admiral he gave the word
There is no time to spare
So we raised our anchors shook out sails
And off they bore me straight
To fight the French in storm and gale
On board a 98
Well as time fled I bolder grew
I hardened was to war
I could run aloft with my ship’s crew
And value not a scar
And so well I did my duty do
That I got Bos’un mate
And, blast me! Soon got bos’un too
On board a 98
Well the years rolled by and at Trafalgar
Brave Nelson he fought and fell
And when they capsized that hardy tar
I took a rap as well
So to Greenwich College I came back
Because I’d saved my pate
They’d only knocked a wing of Jack
On board a 98
So now I can my cocoa take
My pouch with baccy’s stored
In my blue coat and three-cocked hat
I’m happy as a lord
For I’ve done my duty, served my king
And now I bless my fate
But, blast me, I’m to old to sing
I’m nearly 98!
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2. |
All Among The Barley
02:43
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Come in 'tis now September
The hunters' moon begun
And from the wheat and stubble
Is heard the frequent gun
The leaves are turning yellow
And fading into red
And the ripe and bearded barley
Is hanging down his head
Chorus:
All among the barley,
Who would not be blythe
While the ripe and bearded barley
Is smiling on the scythe
The Spring is like a young thing
That does not know their mind
The Summer is a tyrant
Of a most ungracious kind
While Autumn is the old friend
Who as the leaves down fall
Will bring the ripened barley
To glad the heart of all
All among etc.
The wheat is like rich man
All sleek and well to do
The Oats are like a pack of kids
All giggling and dancing too
The rye is like a miser
All sulky, lean, and small
While the ripe and bearded barley
Is monarch of them all
All among etc.
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3. |
Night Visiting Song
03:11
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I must away now, I can no longer tarry
This morning's tempest I have to cross
I will be guided without a stumble
Into the arms I love the best
And when he's come to his true love's window
He's knelt down gently all on a stone
And through the window has whispered softly
"My darling dear, do you lie alone?"
She's raised her up from her down soft pillow
And snowy were her milk white breasts
And through the window, she's whispered softly,
"Who's that disturbing my long night's rest?"
"'Tis I your love, but don't discover
"I bid you rise love and let me in
"For I am went love, and very weary
"Yes I am wet unto my skin"
She's raised her up with the greatest of pleasure
Thrown open the window, she's let him in
And there they've kissed and embraced each other
Through that long night they lay as one
And when that long night was passed and over
And when the small birds began to sing
He's raised him up, they've kissed and parted
He's mounted his steed and away did ride
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4. |
Bill Norrie
04:35
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Young Bill Norrie's a fine lad and he lives like the wind,
Eyes shine like the silver or gold in morning sun.
“Oh friend John, and dear John, and do you see what I see?
Yonder stand the first woman that ever loved me.”
”And here's a glove, a glove John, it's lined with the silver grey,
Give it to her and tell her to come to her young Billy.”
“And here is a ring, a ring John, it's all gold but the stone,
Give it to her and tell her to ask for leave of none.”
“Oh friend Billy, dear Billy, you know my love for thee,
I'll not go to nobody to steal their wife away.”
“Oh Friend John, dear John, swim not against the tide,
Be with me in the stream John for I will be obeyed.”
John ran down to the high house and he rang low at the door,
Who was there but this woman to let young Johnny in.
“Here is a glove, a glove lady, lined with silver grey,
Bids you come into greenwood to meet your young Billy.”
“And here is a ring, a ring lady, all gold but the stone,
Bids you come into greenwood and ask for leave of none.”
But her husband stood in the shadow and an angry man was he,
“I never thought the man lived my love loved more than me.”
So he's gone down to her room and he dressed in her array
Like some woman he's rode out to meet with young Billy.”
Young Billy sat in the greenwood and he whistled and he sang,
By there comes the woman that I have loved so long.”
And Billy's run down and down there to meet her where she came,
But oh the sight that he saw his heart grew still as stone.
Yes Billy's run down and down there to help her from the horse,
“Oh and oh,” he cries out, “A woman was never so gross.”
And the husband he had a long knife, it hung down his knee,
He's taken Billy's head right off of his fair body
And he's ridden home and home there and down into the hall,
He's thrown the head to her, crying, “Lady catch the ball.”
And she's picked up the head there, she's kissed it cheek and chin,
“Better I love this dead boy than all my kith and kin.”
Yes she's taken up the head there, she's clasped it to her womb,
“Once I was full of this boy as the plum is of the stone.
For when I was in my dad's house with my virginity,
A young man come to my room and we got young Billy.
And I've bore him in my room in secrecy and shame,
I loved him in the greenwood out in wind and rain.
And I will kiss his clay cold lips and I will kiss his chin,
I will vow and stay true and I'll never kiss man again
I'll make vow and I'll stay true I will never kiss man again.”
And up then spoke the husband and a sad sad man was he,
“If I had known he was your son he would not be killed by me,
If I had known he was your son he would never've been killed by me.”
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5. |
The Brisk Lad
02:26
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I am a brisk lad and my fortune's quite bad
Indeed I am wondrous poor
But I do intend my whole life for to mend
I shall build an house down on the moor, my brave boys
I shall build me an house down on the moor
My father he do keep fat oxen and sheep
And a neat little nag on the downs
And in the middle of the night when the moon's shining bright
There's a number of jobs to be done, my brave boys
There's a number of jobs to be done
Yes I'll rove around in some other man's ground
I shall take a fat yow from the flock
And with the aid of my knife I shall shorten it's life
And I'll carry it home on my back, my brave boys
I shall carry it home on my back
Then my children shall pull the skin from the wool
And I'll carve it up to the bone
And when the constable do come I'll stand there with my gun
And I'll swear all I have is my own, my brave boys
I shall swear all I have is my own
For I am a brisk lad and my fortune's quite bad
Indeed I am wondrous poor
But I do intend my own life for to mend
I shall build me an house down on the moor, my brave boys
I shall build me an house down on the moor
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6. |
Wayfaring Stranger
03:23
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I am a poor wayfaring stranger
Journeying through this world of woe
But there's no sickness toil nor danger
In that bright land to which I go
I'm going there to see my father
I'm going there no more to roam
I am just going over Jordan
I'm only going over home
I know dark clouds will gather o'er me
I know my way is dark and steep
But beauteous fields lie just before me
Where God's redeemed their vigils keep
I'm going there to see my mother
She said she'll meet me when I come
I am just going over Jordan
I'm only going over home
I want to wear that crown of glory
When I come home in that bright land
I want to shout salvation's story
In concert with that blood washed band
I'm going there to meet may saviour
To sing his praise forever more
I am just going over Jordan
I'm only going over home
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7. |
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Fair maids are a shining over valleys and towns
There lived a fair maiden who's name it was Miss Brown
She was courted by a young man so handsome tall and fair
His trade long and steady a ships' carpenter
Now the Queen she needed sailors for to go off to sea
Which made pretty Polly to moan and to grieve
"Oh Willy, handsome Willy don't go off to sea
Remember the vows love you made unto me."
It was early the next morning before the break of day
He's up and to her window and this to her did say:
"Oh Polly, pretty Polly won't you come along with me
Before we are married my friends for to see?"
And he's led her through the groves and through the valleys so deep
'Til at length pretty Polly began for to weep
"Oh Willy, handsome Willy you've led me astray
Through fields and through valleys my life to betray"
"It's truth that you say to me, it's just the truth you say
Since late late last night I've been digging of your grave
Your grave that is open with the spade standing by
And into the grave your fair body will lie"
And he's stabbed her, he's stabbed her 'til the red bloody did flow
And down into the grave her fair body he did throw
He's covered her so neatly, he's made the grave so sound
Never thinking this murder would ever be found
It was early one morning, just at the break of day
It's up spoke our captain, and this to us did say:
"There's a murderer on board and it's lately been done.
Our ship lies in mourning and cannot sail on"
And up steps a sailor, "Indeed sir, not I"
And up steps another, "Indeeed sir, not I"
Then up steps young William to storm, curse and swear
"Indeed sir, not I sir, I vow and declare"
And has he was returning from the captain with speed
He's met pretty Polly, which made his heart grieve
She's whipped him, she's stripped him, she's torn him in three
Saying "That's for the murder of my baby and me"
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8. |
The Cuckoo's Nest
03:06
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As I was a walking one morning in May
I met a pretty fair maid and unto her did say
"For love I'm inclined, I'm telling you my mind
That my inclination lies in your cuckoo's nest"
"My darling," said she, "I'm innocent and young
And I scarcely believe your false deluding tongue
Yet I see it in your eyes, it fills me with surprise
That your inclination lies in my cuckoo's nest"
Chorus:
Some like a girl who is pretty in the face
And some like a girl who is slender in the waist
Ah but give me a girl, will wriggle and will twist
At the bottom of your belly lies the cuckoo's nest
"My darling," said he, "I'm telling you no lie
I'm thinking of fondness and do not be surprised
For I love you my dear, I'll marry you as well,
If you'll let me clap my hands upon your cuckoo's nest"
"My darling," said she, "I cannot do such thing
For my mother often told me it was committing sin
For my maidenhead to lose, my sex to be abused
So have no more to do with my cuckoo's nest!"
Chorus
"My darling," said he, "It's not committing sin
For common sense should tell you it is a pleasing thing
You're brought into this world to increase and do your best
And to help a man to heaven in your cuckoo's nest"
"My darling," said she, "I cannot you deny
For you fairly won my heart by the rolling of your eye
And I see it in your eyes, your courage is delight
So gently lift your hands into my cuckoo's nest"
Chorus
This couple they got married and soon they went to bed
And now this pretty fair maid has lost her maidenhead
In a small country cottage they increase and do their best
And he often claps his hand upon her cuckoo's nest
Chorus (x2)
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9. |
Child of the Library
03:11
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Chorus:
I’m a Child of the Lib’ry, it made me who I am,
It taught me about freedom and the fellowship of Man
A sea of story waits for you behind the lib’ry door,
Don’t say we can’t afford them any more.
The Lib’ry’s where I made some friends I’ve known my whole life through
The Walkers and the Blacketts and the Pevensies so true.
Simp the canine cannonball, Galadriel the fair.
The daughter of a pirate king and Paddington the Bear
Chorus
I’ve travelled South with Shackleton and all his gallant crew
And to the African interior that Mary Kingsley knew
I’ve rode the trackless prairie where the bison used to roam
And travelled round the Universe, not half an hour from home.
Chorus
And as I grew the libr’y fed my curiosity,
All there for the asking. All of it for free.
It’s there I found the stories that I couldn’t find at home.
It’s there I learned I was myself and not my father’s clone.
Chorus
So make friends with your library, don’t let it fade away.
Teach your kids the lib’ry’s where you go on Saturday.
Don’t let the bastards tell you they will cost to much to save
While they’re shovelling your taxes down the hole that COVID made
Chorus
To the chorus tune:
So make a stand for the lib’ry. Stand up while you can.
Stand up for your freedom. Stand for your fellow man.
Ignorance is never bliss, don’t close the lib’ry door.
For a lib’ry lost is lost forever more.
Chorus
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Piers Cawley Doncaster, UK
A singer for as long as he can remember, Piers (he/they) sings Old Songs with a clarity and conviction that makes them as fresh as paint.
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