River’s Pride
Our “River’s Pride” show is on July 6th, 2018 at Discover Museum, Newcastle.
All the songs tell the story of a river or it’s reliant community or industry. Here is part 3 of ‘Meet the Songs’…
Some of our regional pride!
Alex Glasgow – All In a Day (as recorded by Bob Fox)
The launching of a new ship from the Tyneside shipyards, often without the craftsmen who built it.
Born in Low Fell in 1935, Alex Glasgow was a folk singer-songwriter who also did some work in TV both musically and as a scriptwriter. In addition, he worked as a TV presenter, fronting the BBC 2 arts programme ‘New Release’ in 1967.
His songs often focussed on various aspects of Geordie life, and ‘All in a Day’ is no exception. As with many Geordie songwriters, Glasgow often wrote about the shipbuilding industry. ‘All in a Day’ tells the tale of the launching and christening of a new craft from the Tyneside shipyards, and the strange celebratory ritual which traditionally excludes the craftsmen whose labours made the event possible. Like many traditional folk writers, there is a distinct working class observation on behalf of the workers as Glasgow bitterly observes “And come tomorrow, Willy, when the peeping Toms have canned the final picture … I’ll see you seven thirty in the yard”.
Jez Lowe – Black Trade (as recorded by The Unthanks).
More observations on the decline of the north east’s shipbuilding industry.
Born in the 1950s, Jez Lowe is a folk singer-songwriter from County Durham. A prolific writer, his music has attracted widespread attention, including being commissioned to write a number of songs for the BBC Radio 2 documentary folk series ‘Radio Ballads’ in 2006. He has also been nominated for several BBC Folk Awards.
Having forged a reputation for his songs observing life in the north east, both the coal mining heritage of his home town of Easington Colliery and the region’s shipbuilding history have played a prominent part in his lyrics. ‘Black Trade’ sees
ship workers listing the trades that used to be essential to the industry, and includes various examples of trades slang and dialect – how many can you translate? “Red leaders” or “piece-poke” anyone?
Jimmy Nail – Big River.
The shipbuilding industry on the Tyne – and so much more.
A tribute to the shipbuilding heritage of the Tyneside region. Released in 1995, the lyrics lament the decline of an industry that once formed such a strong part of the region’s identity, as well as providing employment to so many. The famous Neptune Yard founded in Walker in 1860 gets a particular mention.
As well as the sadness of the industrial decline and the effects on the people, the song has additional layers of emotion as it is couched in the relationship between a father and a son. This not only takes the form of the pride the son has in his father’s trade, but also the tale of the father being sent to war. “Then came a time for him to sale across the sea and far away, Finally when the war was won you brought him home and home he stayed, And when his days were done under a golden sun you carried him where he longed to be, back to the sea”.
After the emotional rollercoaster, the song concludes with a stated belief that there will be a rebirth. Whether a proud Geordie or not, I’m sure many of you can identify with the emotions contained in this powerful song. “In my heart I know it will rise again, the river will rise again”.
