Davy Steele and Sumerlee - April 26th 2002
The late Davy Steele wrote and
recorded many folk songs in his life and a particular collection
is entitled Summerlee after the coal mining company that ran
Prestongrange until nationalisation in 1947.
The tape and CD are available from his distributors by mail
order from CM Distribution ( all you have to do is phone +44
(0)1423 888979 or write to them at 2-4 High Street, Starbeck,
Harrogate, North Yorkshire. UK HG2 7AY. The current cost including
postage and packaging for the CD is £13.
They are also available from Anne Taylor at the Arts festival
office - phone: +44 (0)1875 819922 - at the same price including
postage and packaging
You can hear two of the songs here as a foretaste but be sure
to order the full recordings - Johnny Moat being the
tale of the inexplicable rock on the foreshore at Morison's
Haven named after a colliery manager; and The Rose O' Summerlee
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When you click on the link for the song, you can either open
the file directly to listen to it, or you can download it to your
computer & listen to it using your 'Windows Media Player'.
JOHNNY MOAT
ON THE GIRDLE ROCKS AHINT AULDHAMMER HOUSE
STANDS A STANE NEARLY NINE FOOT HIGH
NAMED EFTER A MAN THAT LIVED HERE LONG AGO
SOME SAY HE WIS BUILT THE SAME WAY
WHY IT'S STANDING'S A MYSTERY THAT'S NEVER BEEN SOLVED
THOUGH IT'S BEEN STUDIED BY MEN OF GREAT NOTE
BUT THERE'S NONE CAN BE SURE HOW IT COMES TO BE THERE
THAT GREAT ROCK THEY CALL JOHNNY MOAT
CHORUS
KEEP STANDING, KEEP STANDING, THE TOON FOLK A' CRIED
KEEP STANDING ALONG THE FORTH SHORE
FOR WHILE YOU ARE STANDING THE TOON 'LL NO DIE
WE'LL PRAISE JOHNNY MOAT EVERMORE
IF YOU START AT THE EAST WHERE THE BLACK ROCKS ARE NAMED
TRAVEL WEST 'TIL YOU COME TAE THE CUTHILL
YOU'LL PASS BY THE HUMLICKS THE HATTLES THE HAYS
THE DOOS RINGANS HOLE AND THE GIRDLE
THEN IT'S ON TAE THE CANTY THE MATHIES THE OX
ALL NAMED EFTER SOME WEEL KENT FOLK
BUT THERE'S NONE O' THESE CRAGS O' BLUE WHINSTON ARE MADE
LIKE THE GREAT ROCK THEY CALL JOHHNY MOAT
(CHORUS)
SOME SAID IT WIS PLACED BY THE HAND O' GOD
SOME SAID TWAS THE ICE AGE THAT BROUGHT IT
FROM WHEREVER IT CAME IT WAS SEEN AS A SIGN
OF GOOD FORTUNE BY THOSE THAT LIVED ROUND IT
SO LONG AS IT'S STANDING THE TOON'LL SURVIVE
THE PEOPLE WOULD OFTEN SPEAK O'T
A BUT IF IT SHOULD FA' THEN THE PANS WIN AN A'
SO THEY A' SAID ABOOT JOHNNY MOAT
(CHORUS)
SO JOHNNY STOOD OWER THE TOON THROUGH THE YEARS
WATCHING IT PROSPER AND GROWING
IT HAD OYSTER BEDS THE BEST IN THE LAND
WEEL KENT FOR IT'S POTTERY AND BREWING
IT HAD SALT WORKS OF WORLD WIDE FAME
THE GRANGE AND LINKS PITS FOR IT'S MINING
ALL THESE THINGS AND MORE GREW ALONG THE FORTH SHORE
WHILE JOHNNY MOAT WAS STILL STANDING
(CHORUS)
THEN ON ONE DARK NIGHT THE GREAT ROCK FELL
AND NOBODY KNEW TILL THE MORNING
AND SOME FOLK RETOLD THOSE STORIES OF OLD
WHILE OTHERS JUST LAUGHED AT THEIR WARNING
BUT THE OYSTER BEDS DRIED AND THE SALT MINES SHUT DOON
THE POTTERY AND BREWERIES SOON FOLLOWED
THEN BOTH THE MINES CLOSED THAT CRUELLEST OF BLOWS
WHEN JOHNNY NO MORE CAST HIS SHADOW |
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THE ROSE O' SUMMERLEE
THE TINY SNOWDROP SLOWLY RISES PUSHING THROUGH THE FROZEN
GROUND HER SLENDER BODY PASTEL GREEN, HER YOUNG GIRL'S HEAD
COYLY BOWED HER PETALS WITH THEIR PALE COMPLEXION MOISTENED
BY THE MORNING MIST THE SNOWDROP IS THE MAID O' SPRING, I
MIND
WHEN MAGGIE WIS LIKE THIS
CHORUS
O' A' THE FLOWERS THAT GROW AROUND HOWEVER COLOURFUL THEY
BE THEY'RE PUT TO SHAME WHEN MA MAGGIE BLOOMS
SHE'S THE ROSE O' SUMMERLEE
THOUGH SHE WIS JUST A WORKIN' LASSIE WI' NEITHER FRILLS OR
PAMPERED AIRS HER BEAUTY WIS A NATURAL THING NO PREENED WI'
JEWELS OR FANCY CLAES AND WHEN WE WALKED WILD SUMMER
PLACES WHERE BROOM AND IRIS GREW SAE BRAW
THEIR BRIGHTNESS IN HER PRESENCE DIED, MA MAGGIE SHONE ABUNE
THEM A'
(CHORUS) |
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