WHAT WOULD WILLIAM MORRIS SAY A (G 2nd)
A E D E
We used to go out in our town
A E D E
We’d go to the pub til the pub shut down
A E D E
They smashed the piano no money for bands
A E D E
Karaoke led the way, the bland leading the bland
We used to go out in our town
But the halls are quiet now shows don’t come ‘round
we ran the bar the place was full, council paid the fees
But corporate greed with slash and burn brought our culture to its knees
A D A E A D A F#m E
CHORUS) What would William say if he could see England today?
A D A E A D A E F#m A A E
What would William say, what would William Morris say?
A D A E
Hark, the wind in the elm-boughs! from London it blows,
A D A E
And tells us of gold, and of hope and unrest;
A D A E
Of power that helps not; of wisdom that knows,
A D E A
But teaches not aught of the worst and the best.
We used to see farms from our town
But now it’s all warehouse, industrial ground
Radio screams fill the air their lame electric lungs
And liars all spit politics with poison on their tongues . RPT CHORUS
The wind bears the message: “Rise up on the morrow
And go on your ways toward the doubt and the strife;
Join hope to our hope and blend sorrow with sorrow,
And seek for men’s love in the short days of life.”
Come back to the inn, love, the lights and the fire,
And the fiddler’s old tune and the shuffling of feet;
For there in a while shall be rest and desire,
And there shall tomorrow’s uprising be sweet.
TONY BENN’S TRIBUTE TO EMILY DAVIDSON D (C2)
She slips through the doorway
Away from the crowds down the stairs – she steals through the night
Just a plain looking woman
Concealed in her coat and her cares – pursuing her right
In a tangle of corridors
Furtively turning the locks – the day growing dim
Footsteps in the distance
She hears the men coming her way – the last door gives in
There in the dark with the mops and the brooms
She opens her handkerchief makes herself room
A small piece of bread and a small piece of cheese
And a jar filled with water between her knees
By the light of a candle she reads a small book
and she waits – and she waits
On the third day of April
Nineteen eleven she woke – and she gave her address
‘These houses of commons
houses of men and now me’ – she smoothed down her dress
‘I’m not asking for favours
Just claiming what’s rightfully mine’ – she cried to the world
‘To rebel against tyrants
Is to show your allegiance to god’ – she cried as she fell
A hundred years later he slips down the stairs
And he senses her purpose he breathes in her air
He’s made her a sign which he nails to the door
He knows the equality Emily gave her life for
He lights a small candle to honour her name
And he waits – and he waits
ENGLAND GREEN & ENGLAND GREY C (G5)
CHORUS
C G C G
England green and England grey Look out on a summers day
Am F F
To all things bright and fair and gay
C G C
To my home my love my England
C F G C F G G
I believe in dignity rich or poor we’re all born free
Am F C G
Austerity and slavery I thought they were behind us
C F G C G
I don’t believe the BBC monarchy or anarchy
Am F C G C
Or an empire built on piracy by our history you’ll find us
For years our women had no say no right to work or equal pay
God help the crippled and the gay the fragile flowers of England
Shut the factories shut the mines punish those fell on hard times
While they honour them who do the crimes the greedy men of England
How can a man respect a man who steals his house and sells his land
And takes the wages from his hand to pay his own expenses
The NHS our England’s jewel is bartered by Westminster’s fool
To justify his public school and military defences
Sing the songs of old John Bull Cecil Sharp and John and Paul
Come English folk come one and all to the sweet songs of our England
Take my hand and walk with me down the back roads to the sea
In spite of all we’ll both agree there is none so sweet as England
RIVER RAIL AND ROAD (C4 – E)
I’m going down the station getting on a train
I don’t care where it’s going I won’t see this town again
There’s nothing here to keep me now that my love has gone
Like the heavy clouds above me I’ll soon be moving on
She took the moonlight from me put the stars out one by one
Shut the light of hope inside me and then she took the sun
So I’ll go where none can find me and my name nobody knows
My future laid in ribbons of river rail and road
CHORUS River rail and road, river rail and road
Where my future lies in ribbons of river rail and road
My love was like the morning’s sweet promise of the day
And the cool embrace of evening that soothed my cares away
Now the hours hold nothing for me the light just comes and goes
My future laid in ribbons of river rail and road
(CHORUS)
No unkind words were spoken there were no such words to say
She just said I love another and I have to go away
Was I careless was I foolish or did I reap the seeds I sowed?
Now my future lies in ribbons of river rail and road
(CHORUS)
THEY CHANGED HER MIND Cm (Am3)
Cm Ab
You closed the suitcase and you waited for the bus
Cm Bb
To take you from this place away from all of us
Cm Ab
They said you would be better and they said you’d be ok
Cm Bb Bb7 Cm
Just read and sign the letter they’re taking you away today
There’s pictures of your mother and there’s pictures of your sister
There’s nothing of your father but you want nothing of him
There’s pictures of your brother and his watch and medication
He wanted you to have to stop the devil getting in
CHORUS
Eb Cm Ab Bb
She got the shakes her love was wrong
Eb Cm Ab Bb
She grieved her stillborn child too long
Eb Cm Ab Bb
They locked her up to see what they could find
Eb Ab Bb
They changed her mind
There’s flowers from your wedding made of cloth and made of paper
You thought they wouldn’t last but they outlasted any love
There’s perfume for the morning and there’s perfume for later
Something special for a Sunday and some wisdom from above
“Take some writing paper you could be there for some weeks
In no time you’ll be better you’re not like those other freaks”
That was 1927 now it’s 1958
And she is just a number upon a nameless grave
Repeat CHORUS
Sometimes in the name of kindness man lets the devil loose
Is ignorance or blindness an acceptable excuse?
Remember the forgotten remember the condemned
Another time, free of crime you could be damned like them
COUNTING MY FOOTSTEPS TO YOU D (dadgad)
Waiting in line for the rain gathering pieces of blue
Frightened of cars and there’s too many stars
And I’m counting my footsteps to you
Somebody loved me ok I’m searching my mind to find who
So send me to bed if I lied when I said
That I’d always remember you
Mary I don’t know my age anymore My Mother says I’m 104
Listen to me, leave me alone Mary I can’t find my way home
Everything’s in the wrong place everything’s broken in two
I’ll start the repair when I find out just where
And I’m counting my footsteps to you
This place is just like a hotel or a prison sometimes I’m not sure
For my postal address try ‘Just Sleeping’ I guess
Or the weeping behind any door
Mary I’m lost and there’s enemies near
Speaking in voices I don’t want to hear
Listen to me, leave me alone Mary I can’t find my way home
Loved ones and friends come and go
like the sun and the moon fade from view
I pray the sun sets and I never forget
Who I’m counting my footsteps to
I’ve come here from so far away and my poor brain is broken in two
But the scent of your hair sometimes hangs in the air
And I’m counting my footsteps to you
SING TO ME A WORKING WEEK (Mayday 2014) D (C2)
Come sit by me you working men and play a song to soothe me
This place is full of bleating sheep and none the power to move me
They sing of lives unknown to me like pages from a diary
Like hot air and dry bones to me and nothing to inspire me
And sing to me a working week
To Friday from a Monday
And what you don’t sing Saturday night
Sing to me on Sunday
Come travelling man and sit by me and sing your song of sorrow
We may not get the chance again you might be gone tomorrow
Come singing girls raise up your voice and set the spring trees ringing
Let those who’ve lost the skill to hear be woken by your singing
Come sit by me you working man and sing me of your labour
Office farm or factory and the trials of your neighbour
Tell me how you earn your crust and how you gain your pleasure
Who you cherish who you trust and those you love and treasure
Come sit by me you rambling girl and bring your rambling brother
And talk to me of family and the man who loved your mother
And like the bird sweetens the air sweeten my night with honey
Your beauty and your history are more to me than money
Don’t chase the lightning flash of fame it’s the light of angels dying
And the song you sing that’s not your own is the sound of angels crying
And sit beside the fire with me and sing to all your story
A song that fills the air with truth, your small and perfect glory.
SAILOR GO DOWN F (Tenor 3- Gtr C5)
Go down go down you restless boy
Go down into these arms
She’ll hold you like a child at night
Or like a ship becalmed
Lay down and sleep where seamen sleep
One eye on those above
While safe beneath the secret sea
In her redeeming love
Go down go down you restless boy
Into the flesh of night
Where all are scared but no one cares
And only love is right
Lay down among the pleasure boats
Their silk embroidered sails
And leave the priests their righteous peace
And martyrs with their nails
Sailor go down Sailor go down
Go down go down you restless boy
And leave behind your fear
On bended knees the angels please
There’s no unkindness here
Lay down with her where heroes lay
The queen of broken things
Your wisdom is your weakness now
Oh give your weakness wings
LOVESICK JOHNNY E (Dulcimer)
Sally you’re the one i love
Sally you’re the one i love
Where did you stay last night
Where did you stay last night Sally my love
I went down to the Sailor’s Bar
I went down to the Sailor’s Bar Johnny Johnny
I thought I’d find you there handsome Johnny
I thought I’d find you there Johnny my love
I was drinking in the Port Hotel
I was drinking in the Port Hotel Sally Sally
The captain’s man was there drinking talking
The Captains man was there talking bout his new love
Johnny, you’re the one I love Johnny, Johnny
Johnny you’re the one I love Handsome Johnny
I’m not the captain’s girl my sweet Johnny
I’m not the captain’s girl I did not, stay with him
Sally don’t you hide from me, Sally sally
Sally don’t you hide from me cruel sally
I’ll shoot the man behind your door I’l shoot, your captain
I’ll shoot the man behind your door Sally you’ll be my love
Johnny, why are you so cruel Johnny Johnny
Johnny why are you so cruel Johnny Johnny
To shoot me through the wooden door Silent, deadly
To shoot me through the wooden door Johnny, my love
The captain’s man comes in “They’re hanging Johnny”
The Captain’s man comes in “Lovesick Johnny”
The Captain says “poor girl, poor sweet Sally”
And pours himself a drink His arms round his new love
THE BAND PLAYED ‘SWEET MARIE’ (dadgad 4)
G D G C G D
I bought my love a violin so he could play for me
G D G C G D G
I bought my love a violin to calm the waves of the stormy sea
G C D Em G D
Though he’d be gone the longest time he’d return again to me
G D G C
And every note my darling played
G D G
Took further away my love from me
My name’s Maria Robinson he called me Sweet Marie
And that’s the song that all night long my darling boy would play to me
All through that long remembered night I heard that melody
And the notes he played while the few were saved
Took further away my love from me
That ship went down to the mournful sound
Of my sweetheart’s violin
With no safety vest he strapped to his chest the case he’d placed it gently in
And the icy water froze his breath but it never froze his heart
By the song he played a pact was made
That my love and I would never part
I bought my love a violin so he could play for me
I bought my love a violin to calm the waves of a stormy sea
There are those who say Wallace Hartley played
‘Nearer my God to thee’
But our souls were bound as that great boat went down
And in my heart the band played ‘Sweet Marie’
I’LL BE THERE TO LOVE YOU (DADGAD)
I hear your voice in love songs and a distant midnight train
When the owl calls in the moonlight I hear your voice again
The barmaid’s unfamiliar and the barflies’ lost in time
And I’ll be there to love you in the morning
There’s a picture of an actress and her hair’s a lot like yours
And the woman in the corner wears a dress like you once wore
The clock ticks into Sunday but no one seems to care
And I’ll be there to love you when there’s no one there
I know you’ve heard those lines before
But this time love it’s true
There’s nothing here can stop me
Bringing all my love back home to you
Three hundred miles between us and there’s snowstorms down the line
I killed that car a hundred times it came back ninety nine
I know I’ve let you down before but I’m coming through this time
And I’ll be there to love you in the morning
Just one more night without you
Just one night til you are mine
I’ll be there to love you in the morning time.
FLORA SANDES Dm (Am5)
She was born to God’s disciple she was born to hold a rifle
She taught herself to fight while all the other girls played mum
Learned to ride and learned to drive fix a wound and stay alive
How to use a sword and how to shoot a gun
When the war broke in the east she begged her father to release her
To a front line nurse’s station in North Albania
He said ‘women are created to give life and men to take it
So care for and repair them and remember who you are’
She strapped a soldier’s tunic round her charms
She said ‘let the girls bear armies I’ll bear arms’
CHORUS
Flora Sandes Flora Sandes Wasn’t born a fighting man
But God help the man who finds himself At war with Flora Sandes
Drawing close she heard the rattle of the angry guns of battle
She begged her captain free her to the raging heart of war
He said ‘there is a way but you must swear an oath today
That you will love no man completely Give your body to your country
And wear the clothes that other soldiers wore’
And flora smiled sweetly and she swore
To her a woman’s life was boredom only fighting brought her freedom
Her lethal independence craved the brotherhood of men
Between killing them she healed them later married and concealed them
But their annihalation was her greatest pleasure then
She took comfort in their silence and their moans
Only then she knew she’d brought death’s victory home
She fought hand to hand with men winning time and time again
Til an enemy grenade cut her down – cut her down
She was honoured and promoted for her injuries deported
And her doctors tried to lead her to a woman’s life again
She said ‘I never came this far to lose
And I will be a woman when I choose’
She died at home among the flowers in the quiet English hours
The soft hands of a woman lay still upon her chest
Hands that killed and mutilated lie content and compensated
It was a woman that they buried and a woman laid to rest
But as she breathed her last she felt the joy
Remembering when she was a boy
