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1. |
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THE RISING OF THE NORTH
[Instrumental]
(Gary Miller)
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2. |
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THE COAL-DIGGER’S GRAVE
There had just been a big cave-in in the depths of Belly Row
And Jim Greenwood was stretched out on the ground
And those with no guts were smiling at the back
While the strong men had failed to bring him round
The burial party had just reached the top of Dead Man's Hill
It was well past closing time and all the men had drunk their fill
They were starting to shovel the soil over his head
When he jumped up and yelled, "Give us whisky!"
The top men are calling for enquiries round the town
They've got a lot of face to save
And they've sent out appeals for the men to rally round
"Will someone put a body in the coal-digger's grave?"
Jim Greenwood had survived many pitfalls in his time
And the thinkers couldn't think what else to do
"We cannot starve your family and we cannot steal your home
But somehow we're going to get you"
The top men are calling for enquiries round the town
They've got a lot of face to save
And they've sent out appeals for the men to rally round
"Will someone put a body in the coal-digger's grave?"
And they sent him off to fight in the war
And the bullets knocked him to the ground
And they said, "That's the end of you my son"
But the bugger he came back round
The top men are calling for enquiries round the town
They've got a lot of face to save
And they've sent out appeals for the men to rally round
"Will someone put a body in the coal-digger's grave?"
(Gary Miller)
Copyright © 1988 Gary Miller / Whippet Records
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3. |
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PRIDE
I remember working winters
That were cold and filled with strife
But the winters of my winter years
Are the coldest of my life
But we’ll keep the fires burning
With the anger in our souls
And pray to God in Heaven
For the men who dig for coal
My youngest son called Terry
Was a shipbuilder by trade
And he told me he was proud to work
For a good and honest wage
Then his boss said, “Son we’re paying you off
With involuntary redundancy pay
Though you’ve built ships that have sailed
Down South America way”
When you’re faced with a crisis
We will never let you down
We’ll do just what’s required to a man
You can lead sheep to the slaughter
And we’ll follow every one
But you can’t destroy the pride
Of a hard working man
Sitting round with beers
With the lads who’ve never worked
And telling them all stories
Of the times when we worked hard
Then we’ll doff our caps in honour
To the old days long gone by
And drink to a good future
When we’ll never lay down and die
When you’re faced with a crisis
We will never let you down
We’ll do just what’s required to a man
You can lead sheep to the slaughter
And we’ll follow every one
But you can’t destroy the pride
Of a hard working man
The fighters throughout history
Have never been put down
And they’ll always keep on fighting
Though they’re stamped into the ground
And the marchers keep on marching
Though the blood drips from their feet
And the pride of a whole nation
Reaps a victory from defeat
When you’re faced with a crisis
We will never let you down
We’ll do just what’s required to a man
You can lead sheep to the slaughter
And we’ll follow every one
But you can’t destroy the pride
Of a hard working man
(Gary Miller)
Copyright © 1992 Gary Miller / Whippet Records
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4. |
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SHUT DOON THE WAGGON WORKS
The lights are going out on the edge of Ghost Town
As a coldness penetrates through curtained windows
For the colliery streets shed no warmth light or heat
There is no joy or friendship here in winter
As me and my marrers go to get ourselves a pint
All we get are looks which make us shiver
For the people have changed though the place still looks the same
But the waggons don't run here anymore
Times are hard in this world
When you get put out of work
The people up in power
Have shut down the waggon works
There are jobs up for grabs in other parts I hear
While our village has been scrapped through lack of care
They've decided to scrap jobs in the places they matter most
Though the towers still belch their smoke into the air
Times are hard in this world
When you get put out of work
The people up in power
Have shut down the waggon works
(Gary Miller)
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5. |
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COLLIER'S RANT
As me and my marrers were going to work
We met with the Devil it was in the dark
I up with my pick it was in the neet
I knocked off his horns likewise his clubfeet
Follow the horses Johnny me laddie
Follow the horses canny lad-o
Follow the horses Johnny me laddie
Away lie away me canny lad-o
Marrer oh marrer now what do you think
I've broken my bottle and spilt all my drink
I've lost my tools among the great stones
Draw me to the shaft lad it's time to go home
Follow the horses Johnny me laddie
Follow the horses canny lad-o
Follow the horses Johnny me laddie
Away lie away me canny lad-o
As me and my marrer were loading the tram
His laugh it went out and my marrer went wrong
You would have laughed to see the fine game
Old Nick took my marrer and I took the tram
Follow the horses Johnny me laddie
Follow the horses canny lad-o
Follow the horses Johnny me laddie
Away lie away me canny lad-o
So here's my horses and here's my tram
Two horns full of grease will make her to gan
There's my marrer all stretched on the ground
You can tear up his shirt his mining's all done
Follow the horses Johnny me laddie
Follow the horses canny lad-o
Follow the horses Johnny me laddie
Away lie away me canny lad-o
(Trad. arr. The Whisky Priests)
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6. |
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THE RISING OF THE NORTH
[Instrumental]
(Gary Miller)
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7. |
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GRANDFATHA’S FATHA
When I was a young lad and had never known a job
I would visit my grandfather once a week
And I’d listen to his tales whilst sitting on his knee
But of his days at work he’d never speak
I found out that his father had died long ago
When granda was a young lad like mysel’
It was down the pit he died whilst working on the gang
There was a big explosion so they tell
They were cut off from the world
When the big cage doors were closed
They sang and talked to keep their spirits high
Then his father told the tale
Of when he’d met Old Nick Himself
And then he joked he’d see them all in Hell
They’d both left home together
They were both on the same long shift
And with the other men they piled into the cage
But the clanging of machinery as they descended down
Was warning them “you’re going to your graves”
When the cage reached the bottom
All the men clambered out
And like tiny ants they laboured in the gloom
Then an almighty bang rent the air
As the men began to shout
And the roof caved in to seal them in their tomb
No one knew what had happened
Until the dust began to settle
It looked like there’d been a battle
With the Devil down in Hell
My grandfather had been knocked unconscious
By a beam that had grazed his skull
While his father just lay lifeless where he fell
They’d brought him to the surface
By the time that he’d come round
Someone said “Son forget what happened
To you down there in the dark”
But his mind could never escape the horror
Of seeing his poor father die
In that dark hole that was called his place of work
(Gary Miller)
Copyright © 1988 Gary Miller / Whippet Records
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8. |
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NO CHANCE
Tim Malone took the long road home
As the night was closing in
And the cruel wind struck and wailed in angry moans
With his scarf wrapped tight around his neck
And his cap pulled over his eyes
He fought to keep the cold out of his bones
As he passed by closed down factories
Waste ground and crumbling walls
He recalled the evening's events oh what a story
The cinema's woodbine smells
The patriotic war film as well
And the end to the tune of 'Land of Hope and Glory'
"Cheer up there bonnie lad"
Says the man who knows no cares
"It's no use crying needlessly"
(I'm all right Jack)
"Get up off your backside"
Says the man who knows it all
It’s no use waiting until your boat comes in
(I see no ships round here)
"Because you'll find out son it's never coming in"
At the shipyard on the quayside
He watched the men come out
And the boss said "Are you looking for a job"
He sang "Weel may the keel row"
To the tune of fifty quid
But the boss said "Try some busking with your gob"
(Weel may the keel row that my laddie's in)
"Cheer up there bonnie lad"
Says the man who knows no cares
"It's no use crying needlessly"
(I'm all right Jack)
"Get up off your backside"
Says the man who knows it all
It’s no use waiting until your boat comes in
(I see no ships round here)
"Because you'll find out son it's never coming in"
He'd sit and curse at four grey walls
And watch his life go slowly by
Waiting for next pay Friday to come
Then he'd sit and sup his beer
Watch people come then disappear
And wonder if their lives were fashioned out of stone
"Cheer up there bonnie lad"
Says the man who knows no cares
"It's no use crying needlessly"
(I'm all right Jack)
"Get up off your backside"
Says the man who knows it all
It’s no use waiting until your boat comes in
(I see no ships round here)
"Because you'll find out son it's never coming in"
(Gary Miller)
Copyright © 1988 Gary Miller / Whippet Records
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9. |
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JENNY GREY
I watched as you watched me with hope in my heart
And I wondered what your eyes were telling me then
But a wall drew around me and trapped me forever
And there was no key that could free me again
I passed by a headstone, which no shadows darkened
There I saw a young woman with flowers and tears
And I envied the soul for whom she was grieving
And I lost all desire to continue my years
When they are drying the blood from my body
And the flowers and grieving are all for me
And when I am gone into Hell or to Heaven
Oh dear Jenny Grey cry for me
We walked together in the cool summer morning
And the birds were all singing in the valley below
But the wind stole their voices as the sweet vision faded
And I walked home without you alone
When they are drying the blood from my body
And the flowers and grieving are all for me
And when I am gone into Hell or to Heaven
Oh dear Jenny Grey cry for me
The factory gates have all closed down before me
And the lights are dimming on the edge of the town
And they are singing a sad hymn in the church in the village
And your face looks so sad as the tears flow down
When they are drying the blood from my body
And the flowers and grieving are all for me
And when I am gone into Hell or to Heaven
Oh dear Jenny Grey cry for me
(lyrics: Gary Miller / music: Glenn Miller)
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10. |
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THE ROW BETWEEN THE CAGES
One morning when I went to work the sight was most exciting
I heard a noise and looked around and who do you think was fighting
I stood amazed and at them gazed to see them in such rages
I never saw a row like that between the Brockwell cages
The patent to the old cage says although I be a stranger
I can work my work as well as you and free the men from danger
But if the rope should break with me old skinny jaws just watch us
You'll see me clag on to the skeets for I'm full of springs and catches
The old cage to the patent says I warrant you think you're clever
Because they've polished you with paint but you'll not last forever
For when your paint is worn away then you'll have lost your beauty
Now they never painted me at all but still I've done my duty
When going up and down the shaft the patent cage did threaten
For to take the old one's life if they stopped it meeting
The old cage bawled out as it passed you nasty dirty patent
Rub your eyes against the skeets I think you're hardly wakened
The old cage says come over the gates because it's my intention
To let you see whether you or me is the best invention
The new one being raised took off his claes and at it they went dabbing
The blood was running down the skeets and past the weighman's cabin
The brakesman brought them both to bank the mischief for to settle
They fought from five o'clock 'til six and the patent won the battle
It took the brakesman half his shift to clag them up with plasters
The old cage sent his notice in just to vex the masters
(lyrics: Tommy Armstrong / music: Trad. arr. The Whisky Priests)
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11. |
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THREE RIVERS
An old man once told me a story
Of three rivers running through this land of mine
And men who would die to feed their loved ones
Now the work is all gone the rivers run clear again
And who would believe they've seen three rivers running clear
Who am I well I'll tell you I'm Jack Robson
And I'd cut you down with words as well as blows
I used to make the steel down at the foundry
Now it's gone the steel is rust the furnace cold
I had a wife and bairns who felt my kindness
And my belt and my rage when hard times came
They left one day to look for something better
I wonder if they found it
If the wounds upon my body had been money
If the tears I've shed for you had all been gold
If the times that I've been drunk had all been diamonds
Would the love you had for me have been so cold
I'm a welder by trade my name is Wilson
And I built the ships that fought my country's wars
I'd take my lad to see the game at Roker
Where he would dream of being captain of the team
To score a goal and get a winner's medal
And hold the cup for everyone to see
His sisters used to sing of Bobby Shaftoe
And what he'd do when he came home from sea
If the wounds upon my body had been money
If the tears I've shed for you had all been gold
If the times that I've been drunk had all been diamonds
Would the love you had for me have been so cold
Those who knew me they all would call me Tommy
A geordie collier to the core
Unsung hero of this country
Who never went away to fight a war
Fought my battles down there at the coal face
Two thousand feet below my home
Until a wiser man said "Tom the war is over
There's nothing left for you now go on home"
If the wounds upon my body had been money
If the tears I've shed for you had all been gold
If the times that I've been drunk had all been diamonds
Would the love you had for me have been so cold
What's my name it really doesn't matter
I'm the eyes now blinded by hot steel
I'm the hands all bloody black and broken
I'm the ears that heard the last ship leave
I'm the father crying for his children
I'm the husband begging to his wife
I'm the voice of doubt and fear politicians never hear
As three rivers run on silent to the sea
If the wounds upon my body had been money
If the tears I've shed for you had all been gold
If the times that I've been drunk had all been diamonds
Would the love you had for me have been so cold
(lyrics: Mick Tyas / music: Gary Miller)
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12. |
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WHEN THE WIND BLOWS, BILLY BOY
Where have you been all the day Billy Boy
Now you have put away all of your toys
I wish I had known you when you were a boy
But that's all gone now
I'll never forget when I first put you now
You were dancing all round the town
With your shoes all scuffed and your curly hair brown
But that seems such a long time ago now
When the wind blows you've got time on your hands
But when the time comes it blows by so fast
I'll dream of the days that are coming at last
When the wind blows Billy Boy
You in your innocence were such a sweet little thing
Now that's gone forever flown like birds on the wing
Did you ever regret it did you lose anything
Now it's all in the past Billy Boy
When the wind blows you've got time on your hands
But when the time comes it blows by so fast
I'll dream of the days that are coming at last
When the wind blows Billy Boy
Where have you been all the years Billy Boy
You threw them away like you didn't know how
All for the sake of just living for now
Well I still love you Billy Boy
When the wind blows you've got time on your hands
But when the time comes it blows by so fast
I'll dream of the days that are coming at last
When the wind blows Billy Boy
Now you and your sweetheart will walk hand in hand
You and the world and his wife make a stand
For all that we've ever held at our command
As you count down the years Billy Boy
When the wind blows you've got time on your hands
But when the time comes it blows by so fast
I'll dream of the days that are coming at last
When the wind blows Billy Boy
Now the wind's blown all the time from your hands
Now the time's come will you blow by so fast
Or welcome the days that are here at last
When the wind blows Billy Boy
(Gary Miller)
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13. |
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PITMAN TOM
Well I know of this little old gadgie
You can call him Pitman Tom
With lots of bairns and an indomitable thirst
How could the bugger go wrong?
Not so tall, bow-legged an' all
He looked a little bit frail
But stick a tanner in his pocket
And he was ready for his ale
He was down the pit at the age of nine
His brother carried him to work
And the first thing he could remember
Was sitting in the dark
Now the coal dust made him thirsty
And inspired him to verse
So he sold his songs so that all night long
He could satisfy his thirst
His glory was his pen
His muse was a mug of ale
His wit was as sharp as a knife in the dark
How could the bugger fail?
His legs were made of rubber
His hands were made of clay
His throat was made of sawdust
But his words were made to stay
One day he went to the co-op
But ended up in Durham Gaol
He nicked a pair of stockings
And the judge refused him bail
He said "Tom why did you nick 'em?"
And he answered in reply
"I'll never see another pair of bow-legged leggings
Until the day I die"
His glory was his pen
His muse was a mug of ale
His wit was as sharp as a knife in the dark
How could the bugger fail?
His legs were made of rubber
His hands were made of clay
His throat was made of sawdust
But his words were made to stay
But now the bugger's gone
And buried in his grave
And all the folks from 'round about
Never recognise his name
But if he was alive today
He'd write them all a song
About that silly old gadgie
By the name of Pitman Tom
His glory was his pen
His muse was a mug of ale
His wit was as sharp as a knife in the dark
How could the bugger fail?
His legs were made of rubber
His hands were made of clay
His throat was made of sawdust
But his words were made to stay
(Gary Miller)
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14. |
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MANIMAL FARM
The cock crows dawn and signals time to rise
Manimal Farm is soon full of life
The horse is in the field or down the mine
The cock just sits there and bides his time
The cock just sits there and bides his time
Spring brings in the lambing time
School days over in summer time
We bring in the harvest at autumn time
But winter is cold at the slaughter time
Winter is cold at the slaughter time
We will grow old before our time
We will taste sorrow and bitter wine
We will bring the crops in until the day that we die
We will feed the swine
The power of authority is thine
The power of the Lord is mine
The harvest fails when God is unkind
He will punish us and we will cry
He will punish us and we will cry
We will grow old before our time
We will taste sorrow and bitter wine
We will bring the crops in until the day that we die
We will feed the swine
(Gary Miller)
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15. |
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LEAD THEM TO THEIR GRAVES
The moon is up the stars are out
You're in your shining tower
And love is shining down on you
From its heavenly bower
But the man in the moon will come too soon
Destroying all he saves
And you'll catch a falling star tonight
As you lead them to their graves
Bite the hand that feeds
Are the words you know so well
Yet you fight the hand that bleeds
In your self made living hell
Your love has withered down the years
Yet theirs grows with the days
And you'll reap their crop until they drop
As you lead them to their graves
A million tears count the years
From your cradle to their graves
On faces once so beautiful
Which love could not have saved
Do the flowers of romance still touch their hearts
Do they yearn for days now past
Will they bloom again in their twilight years
Or will they just fade away
The moon is up the stars are out
You're in your shining tower
Yet the architects have failed you
Their work has never flowered
A deep dungeon hides the greatest gift
Once beheld by eyes now glazed
Will they finally free what they long to see
As you lead them to their graves
As you lead them to their graves
As you lead them to their graves
(Gary Miller)
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LAND OF THE DINOSAUR
Here amongst the memories
That belong to yesterday
The monolithic metal beasts
No longer rule the waves
The ruins of a greater age
Lie strewn across wasteland
The dinosaurs are now extinct
Their bones rust in the sand
The timbers burned
The wheels have turned
The ships have sailed away
Yet the dinosaurs stand tall and proud
In the graveyard that remains
See the greatness now expired
In the hearts and lives of men
Monuments of men
Monumental men
And their epitaph shall be:
'They walked on water
They parted the waters
Until the seas of power engulfed them'
The timbers burned
The wheels have turned
The ships have sailed away
Yet the dinosaurs stand tall and proud
In the graveyard that remains
(Gary Miller)
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17. |
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SEE THE WHIPPET RUN
I was born and bred into a race of skill
It's the drug that gives me speed and thrills
With a never ceasing heat in my heart and brain
To give me the power of a speeding train
See the whippet run
Watch it leap the highest hurdles
Run rabbit run
Keep on heading down that track
See the whippet run
As it hurtles to the finish line
Racing past your train and never looking back
There's many a pleasure and delight
In being the victor through another man's plight
I can see the gold at the rainbow's end
So carry me up as the gods descend
See the whippet run
Watch it leap the highest hurdles
Run rabbit run
Keep on heading down that track
See the whippet run
As it hurtles to the finish line
Racing past your train and never looking back
This race has led me to grief and woe
And brought me to arms against friend and foe
Yet the fire still burns as bright as before
I can win this race and a thousand more
See the whippet run
Watch it leap the highest hurdles
Run rabbit run
Keep on heading down that track
See the whippet run
As it hurtles to the finish line
Racing past your train and never looking back
(lyrics: Gary Miller / music: Glenn Miller)
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18. |
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BALLAD OF JOHN EGAN
John Egan is a meek man
A miner, a meek man
And 'The meek shall inherit the Earth', they say
'The meek shall inherit the Earth'
John Egan mined for 50 years
He slaved for 50 years
He mined in the morning
He mined all those days
He served for 50 years
John Egan has a tale to tell
He has a life to tell
And 'It's time that tale was told
Time his life was told
The bells toll, the bells toll
John Egan sleeps and dreams
He dreams of Heaven
He dreams of His Maker
He dreams of Paradise Row
He dreams that the meek shall inherit the Earth
The meek shall inherit the Earth
John Egan is a meek man
A miner, a meek man
And this is the tale the bell tolls
This is the tale he tells
(lyrics: Keith Armstrong / music: Gary Miller)
Copyright ©1998 Keith Armstrong / Gary Miller / Whippet Records
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19. |
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BONNIE WOODHA'
Down by yon green bushes near Calder's clear stream
Where me and my Annie oft times we have been
Oh the hours flew right past us, right happy we'd be
It was little she thought that a soldier I'd be
So it's farewell to Annie, for I must away
For the king he needs soldiers and I must obey
But if providence proves kind love until my return
I'll wed with my Annie near Calder's clear burn
On the Fourteenth of August our regiment was lost
And a ball from the enemy our lines came across
Oh it struck me on the temple, the blood trickled down
I reeled and I staggered and I fell to the ground
"Come here" cried our captain, "Come here with great speed
For I fear by this bullet young Dimsmore lies dead"
Two men with a stretcher did quickly prepare
And they carried me away to a hospital bed
Cold water and brandy they poured out so free
And they turned me all over my wounds for to see
But if I had my Annie to bind up my wounds
One kiss from her sweet lips would soon deaden this doom
And it's when I am weary and think of Lang Syne
When I was a miner and worked in the mine
Oh the tears they do trickle and down they do fall
Like the roses that bloom around bonnie Woodha'
(Trad. arr. The Whisky Priests)
Copyright © 1998 Gary Miller / Glenn Miller / Whippet Records
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20. |
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EVERYBODY’S GOT LOVE BITES BUT ME
In this two-bit town
It’s once bitten twice shy
Chewing streets up and down
My tongue’s asking “Why?”
My teeth are on edge
No work and no necking
Just sucking this ledge
No future worth wrecking
Nothing to say
No reason to pray
Wish something lovely would hit me
Everybody’s got love bites but me
Everybody's got love bites but me
In the back of my mouth
There’s a taste of success
And word has it down south
You can talk oral sex
But in this dingy town
My lips are all cracked
Speechless at home
All sleepless and sacked
Nothing to say
No reason to pray
Wish something lovely would hit me
Everybody’s got love bites but me
Everybody’s got love bites but me
Everybody’s got love bites but me
Everybody's got love bites but me
In this two-bit town
It’s once bitten twice shy
Chewing streets up and down
My tongue’s asking “Why?”
My teeth are on edge
No work and no necking
Just sucking this ledge
No future worth wrecking
Nothing to say
No reason to pray
Wish something lovely would hit me
Everybody’s got love bites but me
Everybody's got love bites but me
Nothing to say
No reason to pray
Wish something lovely would hit me
Everybody’s got love bites but me
Everybody's got love bites but me
Everybody’s got love bites but me
Everybody's got love bites but me
Everybody’s got love bites but me
Everybody's got love bites but me
(lyrics: Keith Armstrong / music: Gary Miller)
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21. |
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ANGELS PLAYING FOOTBALL
Sprinkle my ashes on St. James’s Park
Fragments of goals on the grass
Hear the Gallowgate roar in the dark
All of my dreams come to pass
Pass me my memories
Pass me the days
Pass me a ball and I’ll play
Play with the angels
Play on their wings
Play in the thunder and lightning
I leave you these goals in my will
Snapshots of me on the run
I leave you these pieces of skill
Moments of me in the sun
Pass me my memories
Pass me the days
Pass me a ball and I’ll play
Play with the angels
Play on their wings
Play in the thunder and lightning
Pass me my memories
Pass me the days
Pass me a ball and I’ll play
Play with the angels
Play on their wings
Play in the thunder and lightning
(lyrics: Keith Armstrong / music: Gary Miller)
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22. |
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WIDOWS OF HARTLEY
“What was it there on Hartley Heap
Caused the mother and child to weep”
(George Cooke)
Cold January’s gripped our throbbing hearts
And torn them
Still the sea rolls on
The earth’s bowels stink
Of our loved one’s deaths
The air tastes foul
Still the sea rolls on
They don black gloves
Drag out the bodies one by one
The death-stained faces seem to smile
Still the sea rolls on
We are the widows of Hartley
Our men and boys are dead
Our lives cracked open
Damp corpses in our beds
Still the sea rolls on
We are the widows of Hartley
Our men and boys are dead
Our lives cracked open
Damp corpses in our beds
Still the sea rolls on
Still the sea rolls on
Still the sea rolls on
We clutch cold messages
From dukes and queens
We wipe the coal dust
From our widowed eyes
The coffin-makers heavy hammers beat
Keep time with lapping parlour clocks
And still the sea rolls on
We are the widows of Hartley
Our men and boys are dead
Our lives cracked open
Damp corpses in our beds
Still the sea rolls on
We are the widows of Hartley
Our men and boys are dead
Our lives cracked open
Damp corpses in our beds
Still the sea rolls on
We are the widows of Hartley
Our men and boys are dead
Take away your stumbling words
And give us bread
(lyrics: Keith Armstrong / music: Gary Miller)
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23. |
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THIS VILLAGE
This village draws me
I hear it calling me back through the years
Its people are its life-blood
I am its joy; I am its tears
Makers were forged here
To forge a bond no cruel hands could destroy
Artists' hands seized it
Lost lovers grieved for it
Builders have reached for its skies
Poets have captured its beauty
They speak of its sad beauty now
This village haunts me
Its whispering hurt tears at my soul
Why did I forsake you?
Welcome me back welcome me home
A sacred bond exists here
Between the land and the people it owns
It grants no escape from the realms of its fate
It reaps the crops we have sown
This village has made me all that I am
This village is calling me home
(Gary Miller)
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24. |
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WORKHORSE
Out across the cold grey fields
Like a monument to the damned
He ploughs the fields and scatters
The good seed on the land
And in the evening when the sun goes down
And the whole world is asleep
He carries on with one last shift
To earn his mind some peace
He suffers all the taunts and jibes
Of the cruel ploughboy lads
As they idle all their time away
Though there's money to be had
He carries on regardless
Though his back is bruised and sore
His heart beats faster than a train
And his lungs are clogged and slow
This old workhorse will work 'til he drops
When his work is all done, he refuses to stop
When he's put out to pasture will he finally be free
Will his body and mind at last feel relief
He no longer heeds the danger signs
He no longer hears the warning chimes
Deaf, dumb and blind, just the straight line ahead
Driving him on 'til he drops down dead
Out across the cold grey fields
Like a monument to the damned
He ploughs the fields and scatters
The good seed on the land
And in the evening when the sun goes down
And the whole world is asleep
He carries on with one last shift
To earn his mind some peace
This old workhorse will work 'til he drops
When his work is all done, he refuses to stop
When he's put out to pasture will he finally be free
Will his body and mind at last feel relief
Now who will hold him close and weep
In their deepest thoughts his love to keep
And ease his body from dusk 'til dawn
This self-made martyr with his crown of thorns
(Gary Miller)
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25. |
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BROTHERS IN ARMS AGAIN
You came to me with cap in hand
While kid gloves were on mine
I worked all the hours God sent me
While you wasted my time
But my best was never good enough for you
I could never do right for doing wrong
And now you want me to apologise
For all the bad things that you've done
When one man digs for buried treasure
There's always another man standing close by
Waiting to step in to take the glory
Waiting to pluck out the other man's eyes
Its a fact of life those who stand idle
May find success when it isn't even theirs
While those who break their guts
And hearts while others profit
Find life doesn't always deal fair shares
So hold those feelings close to your heart
Keep those devils in
For when the saints go marching in
Who will count your sins
Or bang the bitter aching drum
You've hammered on in vain
While I must hang my head in shame
Until we are brothers in arms again
Some people might say that I'm bitter
To them I say "What do you know?"
I only know I'm feeling tired now
I only know I'm growing old
From propping up the deep dark tunnels
Of your crumbling mind
But 'though my mental back is broken
Mine will heal in time
So hold those feelings close to your heart
Keep those devils in
For when the saints go marching in
Who will count your sins
Or bang the bitter aching drum
You've hammered on in vain
While I must hang my head in shame
Until we are brothers in arms again
Until we are brothers in arms again
Until we are brothers in arms again
(Gary Miller)
Copyright © 1998 Gary Miller / Whippet Records
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26. |
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27. |
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CAR BOOT SALE
I went to the car boot sale
At the racecourse one fine June
I had nothing else better to do
On a boring afternoon
There were cars and stalls and people obsessed
As far as the eye could see
But there wasn't a fucking horse in sight
At the sale of the century
Oh me lads, you should've seen them gannin'
Millin' around like flies 'round shite
With no real sense of plannin'
Hagglin' and fussin', hustlin' and bustlin'
In search of the Holy Grail
Some folks' rubbish is other folks' gold
At the car boot sale
There were people arriving while others were leaving
A lot of them pushing prams
I hope the ones that had just been bought
Were the unoccupied ones
Amidst the clamour you could hear a man cry
"Everything fifty pence!"
But you wouldn't have bothered to look in his box
If you had any sense
There were second-hand clocks and watches
With a history to tell
They might have been worth a fortune
If they told the time as well
Broken toys, torn books, scratched records
Electrical goods of every degree
Finding they don't work when you get home
Is your only guarantee
There was Mister Softee ice cream
Next to a burger van from Hell
In a cone or a tub with monkey's blood
Next to people with no sense of smell
I was trying to find one of those
Backward-facing baseball caps
'Cos no matter how hard I've looked
I've only seen forward ones in the shops
So if you're bored or depressed
With the National Lottery
Come along for a grand day out
With the shell-suit family
Grab a piece of the action
Of this latest national craze
Rogues by the score amid bargains galore
At your local car boot sale
Oh me lads, you should've seen them gannin'
Millin' around like flies round shite
With no real sense of plannin'
Hagglin' and fussin', hustlin' and bustlin'
In search of the Holy Grail
You might find it for a couple of quid
At the car boot sale
Gary Miller)
Copyright © 1998 Gary Miller / Whippet Records
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28. |
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29. |
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BLACKLEG MINING MAN
Who is that blackleg mining man?
Who is that blackleg mining man?
He’s the one who helps the boss
Nail his brothers to the cross
Who is that blackleg mining man?
Where was that blackleg mining man?
Where was that blackleg mining man?
He was nowhere to be seen
When they killed young Jones and Green
Where was that blackleg mining man?
He was that blackleg mining man
He was that blackleg mining man
He was deep down in the mine
Gone through the picket line
He was that blackleg mining man
Why does that blackleg mining man?
Why does that blackleg mining man?
Dig the blackleg coal
Puts his marrers on the dole
Why does that blackleg mining man?
Someday that blackleg mining man
Someday that blackleg mining man
Will rue what he has done
When there’s no work for his son
Someday that blackleg mining man
One day that blackleg mining man
One day that blackleg mining man
Will realise he’s sold his soul
For a tub of blackleg coal
One day that blackleg mining man
He’ll see that blackleg mining man
He’ll see that blackleg mining man
When he looks into his glass
A traitor to his class
He’ll see that blackleg mining man
Who is that blackleg mining man?
Who is that blackleg mining man?
He’s the one who helps the boss
Nail his brothers to the cross
He is that blackleg mining man?
(Jock Purdon)
Copyright © Jock Purdon / Pit Lamp Press
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30. |
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SONG FOR EWAN
Hello precious one, so small and frail
May you grow to be strong and may your strength never fail
'Though you enter a world of sorrow and pain
May you find peace and may wisdom be your reign
Go forward with laughter and joy in your heart
Be positive in everything you do
Always believe in what you seek to achieve
And I will believe in you
This whole world is yours to paint and explore
May your colours be vibrant, may your canvas be broad
May each path you choose be sure and bold
May the secrets of the universe be yours to unfold
May your journey be exciting, may you reach for the stars
May all your dreams come true
Should you walk on Mars or through war-torn lands
May your aim always be true
The love I feel is deep and real
It's pouring down on you
My heart is on my sleeve for all to see
As I sing this song for you
But hush for now, may your life bring joy
And may you find happiness too
And when I am blessed with a child of my own
May he or she be beautiful like you
(Gary Miller)
Copyright © 1998 Gary Miller / Whippet Records
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31. |
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THIS VILLAGE
This village draws me
I hear it calling me back through the years
Its people are its life-blood
I am its joy; I am its tears
Makers were forged here
To forge a bond no cruel hands could destroy
Artists' hands seized it
Lost lovers grieved for it
Builders have reached for its skies
Poets have captured its beauty
They speak of its sad beauty now
This village haunts me
Its whispering hurt tears at my soul
Why did I forsake you?
Welcome me back welcome me home
A sacred bond exists here
Between the land and the people it owns
It grants no escape from the realms of its fate
It reaps the crops we have sown
This village has made me all that I am
This village is calling me home
(Gary Miller)
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32. |
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33. |
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GOING TO THE MINE
Into the smoky morning
And I'm trudging down the line
Past the dirty tanky engine
Going to the mine
Rows of pit folks' houses
Like regiments in time
Taste the gritty daylight
When you're going to the mine
Whistle of the buzzer
Time to rise and shine
How I long for Sunday
When I'm going to the mine
Falling snow around us
Turning into grime
Down the coaly track-way
When you're going to the mine
Flying birds and freedom
But I must serve me time
One day I'll be flying too
From going to the mine
Falling down the shaft
And I'm leaving the sun behind
Born to be a human mole
Going to the mine
Into the smoky morning
And I'm trudging down the line
Past the dirty tanky engine
Going to the mine
(Johnny Handle)
Copyright © Johnny Handle
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34. |
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LEAVE HER JOHNNY, LEAVE HER
I thought I heard the old man say
Leave her Johnny leave her
It's a long hard pull to the next payday
And it's time for us to leave her
Leave her Johnny leave her
Leave her Johnny leave her
Now the voyage is done and the winds don't blow
And it's time for us to leave her
Oh the skipper was bad but the mate was worse
Leave her Johnny leave her
He'd blow you down with a spike and a curse
And it's time for us to leave her
Leave her Johnny leave her
Leave her Johnny leave her
Now the voyage is done and the winds don't blow
And it's time for us to leave her
It's pull you lubbers or you'll get no pay
Leave her Johnny leave her
Pull you lubbers and then belay
And it's time for us to leave her
Leave her Johnny leave her
Leave her Johnny leave her
Now the voyage is done and the winds don't blow
And it's time for us to leave her
(Trad. arr. The Whisky Priests)
Copyright © 1998 Gary Miller / Glenn Miller / Whippet Records
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35. |
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CAR BOOT SALE
I went to the car boot sale
At the racecourse one fine June
I had nothing else better to do
On a boring afternoon
There were cars and stalls and people obsessed
As far as the eye could see
But there wasn't a fucking horse in sight
At the sale of the century
Oh me lads, you should've seen them gannin'
Millin' around like flies 'round shite
With no real sense of plannin'
Hagglin' and fussin', hustlin' and bustlin'
In search of the Holy Grail
Some folks' rubbish is other folks' gold
At the car boot sale
There were people arriving while others were leaving
A lot of them pushing prams
I hope the ones that had just been bought
Were the unoccupied ones
Amidst the clamour you could hear a man cry
"Everything fifty pence!"
But you wouldn't have bothered to look in his box
If you had any sense
Oh me lads, you should've seen them gannin'
Millin' around like flies 'round shite
With no real sense of plannin'
Hagglin' and fussin', hustlin' and bustlin'
In search of the Holy Grail
Some folks' rubbish is other folks' gold
At the car boot sale
There were second-hand clocks and watches
With a history to tell
They might have been worth a fortune
If they told the time as well
Broken toys, torn books, scratched records
Electrical goods of every degree
Finding they don't work when you get home
Is your only guarantee
There was Mister Softee ice cream
Next to a burger van from Hell
In a cone or a tub with monkey's blood
Next to people with no sense of smell
I was trying to find one of those
Backward-facing baseball caps
'Cos no matter how hard I've looked
I've only seen forward ones in the shops
Oh me lads, you should've seen them gannin'
Millin' around like flies 'round shite
With no real sense of plannin'
Hagglin' and fussin', hustlin' and bustlin'
In search of the Holy Grail
Some folks' rubbish is other folks' gold
At the car boot sale
So if you're bored or depressed
With the National Lottery
Come along for a grand day out
With the shell-suit family
Grab a piece of the action
Of this latest national craze
Rogues by the score amid bargains galore
At your local car boot sale
Oh me lads, you should've seen them gannin'
Millin' around like flies 'round shite
With no real sense of plannin'
Hagglin' and fussin', hustlin' and bustlin'
In search of the Holy Grail
Some folks' rubbish is other folks' gold
At the car boot sale
Oh me lads, you should've seen them gannin'
Millin' around like flies round shite
With no real sense of plannin'
Hagglin' and fussin', hustlin' and bustlin'
In search of the Holy Grail
You might find it for a couple of quid
At the car boot sale
(Gary Miller)
Copyright © 1998 Gary Miller / Whippet Records
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36. |
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ALICE IN WONDERLAND
First she dries the dishes then she dries her eyes
'Though her tears could fill an ocean, her own river's running dry
She's moved to Dead End Street from Opportunity Rise
Where the spirits of dead dreams haunt the back lanes of her mind
Sometimes he shows affection in a way that makes her proud
But mostly he can't stand her; she's just a stupid cow
To one who doesn't love her or respect her anyhow
And cares nothing for their future just his own here and now
So come on now, get your head out of the sand
You're just like Alice dreaming of a wonderland
But yours could be reality if you just take a hand
Think positive! Think confidence! Think, "I am in command!"
Time is a prison time is our own Hell
Time is the destroyer; it's the fire in which we burn
And on this one-way ticket, which offers no return
Time never heals is something you will learn
And as time slips away, it seems such a crime
To see one so young growing old before their time
Life offers too few chances don't let them pass you by
For perhaps the greatest crime is never to have tried
So come on now, get your head out of the sand
You're just like Alice dreaming of a wonderland
But yours could be reality if you just take a hand
Think positive! Think confidence! Think, "I am in command!"
So come on now, get your head out of the sand
Don’t waste your whole life trapped in dreams of wonderland
The reality could be yours if you just make a stand
Think positive! Think confidence! Think, "I am in command!"
Think positive! Think confidence! Think, "I am in command!"
Think positive! Think confidence! Think, "I am in command!"
(Gary Miller)
Copyright © 1998 Gary Miller / Whippet Records
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37. |
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"FAREWELL JOBLING!"
"Farewell Jobling!" rang the shout from the crowd
As he was launched into eternity
And on Jarrow Slakes Gibbet 21-feet high
He was left to rot in the hot summer sky
William Jobling an illiterate man
A scapegoat an innocent victim
An example to the striking miners of the time
Sentenced to hang for another man's crime
On a cold winter's night outside Turner's public house
William Jobling and Ralf Armstrong were standing about
The magistrate Fairles came riding along
Recognised by Armstrong for he'd sent his brother down
Armstrong swung a stick knocking Fairles to the ground
Then he upped and left the scene with Jobling close behind
Armstrong escaped but Jobling was caught
And soon to Durham assizes was brought
Fairles dying plea was for Jobling to be freed
But his innocence contradicted the authority’s need
Without legal defence and an example to be made
Murder was the verdict execution was his fate
"Farewell Jobling!" rang the shout from the crowd
As he was launched into eternity
And on Jarrow Slakes Gibbet 21-feet high
He was left to rot in the hot summer sky
Now Jobling had rehearsed a speech for the crowd
But his nerves failed and he uttered no sound
Then a shout rang out to send him on his way
As the gallows took his life and the angry crowd were held at bay
His pitch-covered corpse was strapped in a cage
Then hung from the gibbet at Jarrow Slake
The last man in England to suffer this fate
As the strike collapsed and the authorities got their way
Compare this to another case of the time
When a miner’s leader tried to break up a fight
Without justification a policeman shot him dead
But leniency prevailed as he was gaoled for half a year
The century has changed but some things stay the same
Injustice is still with us and injustice will remain
As long as we let politics rule the course of liberty
Scapegoats will be made while the guilty ones go free
"Farewell Jobling!" rang the shout from the crowd
As he was launched into eternity
And on Jarrow Slakes Gibbet 21-feet high
He was left to rot in the hot summer sky
(Glenn Miller / Gary Miller)
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A comprehensive chronological compilation of demos and radio sessions recorded by The Whisky Priests between 1986 and 1998.
Tracks 1 & 2 recorded on 4-track at Fowlers Yard, Durham City, England on 20th December 1986.
Previously released on 'A Few Drops More' [WPTCD17]
Tracks 3-6 recorded on 8-track at The Pigpen, Trimdon, County Durham, England on 14th February 1987.
Track 3 - Previously released on 'A Few Drops More' [WPTCD17]
Track 4 - Previously unreleased
Tracks 5 & 6 - Previously released on 'The First Few Drops' (1994 Reissue Version) [WPTCD10]
Tracks 7-10 recorded on 8-track at The Pigpen, Trimdon, County Durham, England on 14th February 1988.
Tracks 7, 8, 10 - Previously released on 'A Few Drops More' [WPTCD17]
Track 9 - Previously released on 'The First Few Drops' (1994 Reissue Version) [WPTCD10]
Tracks 11-19 recorded on 16-track at Studio 64, Middlesbrough, England on 22nd & 23rd October 1993.
Previously released on 'A Few Drops More' [WPTCD17]
Tracks 20-22 recorded and mixed live direct to tape at BBC Radio Newcastle, England on 31st August 1996.
Previously unreleased
Tracks 23-24 recorded and mixed live direct to tape at BBC Radio Newcastle, England on 12th June 1996.
Previously released on 'A Few Drops More' [WPTCD17]
Tracks 25-34 recorded and mixed live direct to tape at Radio Heemskerk, Netherlands for the Mark C. Deren Show on 14th December 1987.
Previously released on 'Live on Radio Heemskerk' [WPTCD16]
Tracks 35-37 recorded and mixed live direct to tape at Radio Sieben, Ravensburg, Germany on 31st October 1998.
Previously released on 'Full Circle EP' [WPTCD23]