Lyr Add: Streets of London

Subject: Lyr Add: STREETS OF LONDON (Ralph McTell)
From:
Date: 14 Jan 00 - 02:03 AM

Song salvage brings you:
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STREETS OF LONDON
(Ralph McTell)

Have you seen the old man in the closed down market
Kicking up the paper with his worn out shoes
In his eyes you see no pride
And held loosely by his side,
yesterday's paper telling yesterday's news

How can you tell me you're lonely
And say, for you, that the sun don't shine
Let me take you by the hand
And lead you through the streets of London
I'll show you something to make you change your mind

Have you seen the old gal who walks the streets of London
Dirt in her hair and her clothes in rags
She's no time for talkin, she just keeps right on walkin
Carryin her home in two big shopping bags
In the all night cafe at a quarter past eleven
Same old man sitting there on his own
Looking at the world over the rim of his teacup
Each tea lasts an hour and he goes home alone

Have you seen the old man outside the seaman's mission
Memory fading like the ribbons that he wears
In our winter city, the rain cries a little pity
For one more forgotten hero in a world that doesn't care

Copyright Westminister Music Co.
@age
recorded by Guy Carawan on Telling Takes me Home

S OF

Subject: RE: Streets of London
From: roopoo
Date: 14 Jan 00 - 02:13 AM

Always takes me back to my college days and going down the market at the back of Waterloo Station where an old girl dressed in a ragged old coat tied round with string used to wander about with two very full, but neatly packed, brown paper carrier bags holding all her possessions.

Doesn't the song mention the old woman with carrier bags? I often wonder if she was the inspiration for that verse.

mouldy

Subject: RE: Streets of London
From:
Date: 14 Jan 00 - 10:51 AM

I see it's already in the Database. At least at first glance, it looks the same

Streets of London

Subject: RE: Streets of London
From: Wolfgang
Date: 14 Jan 00 - 11:06 AM

George, it looks the same for it is the same. An elf has copied it to here. Reason: see here

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Streets of London
From: GUEST,Erin
Date: 16 Jun 04 - 05:00 PM

Mcginty also sings it...but they say the "How can you tell me you're lonely And say, for you, that the sun don't shine
Let me take you by the hand
And lead you through the streets of London
I'll show you something to make you change your mind" alot more....i really like it.

Subject: RE: Streets of London
From: mack/misophist
Date: 16 Jun 04 - 05:40 PM

The closest I've ever been to London was Heathrow. Any large city would do, I bet. The saddest thing is that some of them (on the street) are young. They say that 6 months on the street can warp you for the rest of your life. I'm lucky, I only had 3 or 4.

Subject: RE: Streets of London
From: Joe_F
Date: 16 Jun 04 - 07:19 PM

Yes, "carrier bags". "Big shopping bags" must be an Americanization -- unnecessary, thinks this Yank, who guessed the meaning with no trouble.

Another Britishism I took note of is "on his own" in the sense "unaccompanied" rather than "unassisted". I might say an infant or an invalid could sit up on his own, but in my dialect at least, the context of the song would require "by himself" (which wouldn't rhyme).

Subject: RE: Streets of London
From: s&r
Date: 16 Jun 04 - 07:25 PM

Strangely some (wrong )versions have 'hands held loosely at his side; even odder - 'picking up the papers with his worn-out shoes'.

Should be 'wanders home alone' and old girl.

stu

Subject: RE: Streets of London
From: Foolestroupe
Date: 16 Jun 04 - 08:56 PM

Both midis referenced here are now not available.

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We've been having trouble with the server that holds our MIDI files. It'll be back, off and on.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Streets of London
From: DonMeixner
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 12:17 AM

A long time favorite of mine and not over done this side of the pond. One of the most often requested songs by our audiences.
And my Mom's favorite.

Don

Subject: RE: Streets of London
From: Leadfingers
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 12:28 PM

Funny thing Don but its one of my old Mum's favourites too.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Streets of London
From: Foolestroupe
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 07:56 PM

I went off this song after it first came out as a 'pop' song - the Christian groups trying to hook in 'young people' played it to death...

Robin

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Streets of London
From: BDenz
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 11:55 PM

When I sing it, it's still a hit at local folk sing-alongs/open mics. But I can see how a pop or an Americanized version would get done to death. McTell's version was magical.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Streets of London
From: BK Lick
Date: 18 Jun 04 - 02:45 AM

MIDI available at Yet Another Digital Tradition Page -- a mirror of the DT with a few extras:

Here's yet another index of the Digital Tradition Folk Music Database; you can read about the Digital Tradition at their main site at Mudcat. This version differs in that songs which have tunes have those tunes available as GIFs or PostScript scores. This version is currently using the Spring '02 version of the database.

The score is also offered in ABC, SongWright, and Lilypond format, as well as Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab!

-- BK