I think that every time an artist brings something new to a song, the rendition should be welcomed as a gift. Here, The Imagined Village is giving new life to an old song. We need the song now! Highly relevant!
To this griping that this was a Steeleye Span number first, in case you didn't know, the guitarist up front is Martin Carthy who was in Steeleye Span in its early days. By the way, that's his daughter playing the fiddle.
To this griping. So fuckin what. He didn't write the song and Billy Bragg should know better than to crucify the original. His he starving with no employment to seek? Fuckin joke.
@Maddy4Me missing the point there Maddy4Me, it's an update of a song way older than Steeleye. Folk music is organic and must change to reflect the times, that's how it has always been.
"And given that the Young Coppers sing on this version I'd say that constituted a seal of approval" Plus given that a former member of Steeleye is playing guitar and doing backing vocals is a seal of approval too.
Excellent stuff. One of the best things I've seen in recent times if you can call WOMAD 2007 recent times and I've got some lovely zoom in photo's too. What a lovely festival it was , mud sharks and all. Get it on you guys !
As an old Scottish folk song goes: "Ye see yon birkie, ca'd a lord, Wha struts, an' stares, an' a' that; Tho' hundreds worship at his word, He's but a coof for a' that: For a' that, an' a' that, His ribband, star, an' a' that: The man o' independent mind He looks an' laughs at a' that."
@AEngleSaex you've completely missed the point of the lyric. It's a reference to city-dwellers who buy *second homes* in the countryside and price locals out of their own villages - hence the following line, "for their HOLIDAY COTTAGE to stand empty all day".
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folk_process "In the study of folklore, the folk process is the way folk material, especially stories, music, and other art, is transformed and re-adapted in the process of its transmission from person to person and from generation to generation..."
I know Steeleye did (and no doubt still do) sing a version of this but I'd never refer to it as a "Steeleye classic". If anything it's a "Copper Family classic" as most (all?) versions that I'm aware of derive in one way or another from the Coppers' repertoire. And given that the Young Coppers sing on this version I'd say that constituted a seal of approval.
Come all brother tradesmen that travel along O pray, come and tell me where the trade is all gone Long time have I traveled and I cannot find none And sing, O the hard times of Old England In Old England, very hard times Provisions you buy at the shop, it is true But if you've no money, there's none there for you So what's a poor man and his family to do? And sing, O the hard times of Old England In Old England, very hard times You must go to the shop and you'll ask for a job They'll answer you there with a shake and a nod Well, that's enough to make a man turn out and rob And sing, O the hard times of Old England In Old England, very hard times You will see the poor tradesmen a-walkin' the street From morning to night for employment to seek And scarce have they got any shoes to their feet And sing, O the hard times of Old England In Old England, very hard times Our soldiers and sailors have just come from war They been fighting for Queen and country this year They come home to be starved, better stayed where they were And sing, O the hard times of Old England In Old England, very hard times And now to conclude and to finish my song Let us hope that these hard times, they will not last long I hope soon to have occasion to alter my song And sing, O the good times of Old England In Old England, jolly good times
I agree with Pow. Unless I'm mistaken, the song was handed down by the Copper family of Rottingdean, and the late (great) Bob Copper was a fan of B. Bragg - just saying - Dave
You would probably like the American group, Old School Freight Train, which does a ballad-paced version of Blondie's "Heart of Glass." Not that I think all rock songs need to be done as folk songs but I like what a musician can do with old material. You might also like THe Red Stick Ramblers out of New Orleans who play Cajun, Blues and Roots Rock.
This is one of those songs which have had so many variations since the Copper Family version. The nature of the song lends itself to topical lyric changes every generation or so to suit the social and political climate of the day. Even Chumbawamba had a bash at it whilst pouring scorn on Tony Blair and his attempts to build an apartment up George W Bush’s rectum. I wonder how many variations there were around the country since the 18th century before the Copper Family collected it. It’s a great example of how the folk tradition works. Songs passing from place to place, era to era, often by word of mouth. A discarded verse here, an added lyric there. Someone misremembering a word or two causing a whole new version to spread. People messing with the tune to make it more interesting or just easier to sing. Bits being added or taken away depending on the sensibilities of the people singing it according to the time, place and situation they were living in. Great stuff.
This is happening all over, not just in the UK They don't want the goods people produce and they don't want to pay people a day's wage for fair work. I'm angry and I'm not job hunting right now. I am just sympathetic.
Can somebody help me out with the Countryside Alliance verse. I've got up to The Countryside Alliance expects I suppose my support when their marching to ?????? But they said not a word when our Post Office closed Can anybody help me out with the missing lyric?
@AEngleSaex U prat, the song says 'for the holiday cottage to stand empty all day'. He lives in dorset and he's not even from from a city so wtf are u on?!
I was never a liker of Billy too. But this wee ditty has changed that. Is it OK if I come to live in Olde England if this independence vote happens to get through??
I've been trying to work out the lyric in the second verse, he sings: when tescos turned up all the ?????? have gone can someonre help meout here? Thanks Hammer
Not sure what Jools has to do with it apart from getting him on the show. Give the band all the credit they are due and hope that someone like Amy Whinehouse doesn't try to hijack the idea!
Classic? Shoving a 3/4 beat up the behind of a traditional song does not a classic make. 'Hard Times' was the worst track on Steeleye's worst album. Imagined Village brings the song back into the world of mature music and makes it relevant again.
I'm a fan of some of these musicians, and I have the album (it's okay, not outstanding), but this thing makes me cringe and I usually bypass it. Not to belittle the concerns in this update of the song (I do sympathise) but come on, they are pretty small fry in the grand scheme of things, the local post office closing etc, for a chorus that suggests we've got it so very very bad. Now we need an Iraqi band to parody it with Hard Times In Old Iraq.
Nauseating. Billy (Mansion by the Sea) Bragg singing about hard times. Hypocritical fraud. He's less qualified than David Cameron to sing about such things.
Graham S : I agree that the hypocrisy is a bit grating. Glad I wasn’t the only person to think so. But it’s a great version, and unlike most of Mr Bragg’s stuff, i actually enjoy his singing on this.
I think that every time an artist brings something new to a song, the rendition should be welcomed as a gift. Here, The Imagined Village is giving new life to an old song. We need the song now! Highly relevant!
Billy Bragg has the perfect voice for this song.
Do you people know how folk music works? You have a traditional song and NO two versions are the same, that's the beauty of it
Hell, I don't even play anything the same way twice through!
The best bit is that we all own it, so we don’t have to listen to your opinion about it if we don’t want to.
'zactly!
To this griping that this was a Steeleye Span number first, in case you didn't know, the guitarist up front is Martin Carthy who was in Steeleye Span in its early days. By the way, that's his daughter playing the fiddle.
To this griping. So fuckin what.
He didn't write the song and Billy Bragg should know better than to crucify the original.
His he starving with no employment to seek?
Fuckin joke.
The entire point of The Imagined Village is to reinterpret folk songs giving them new life to a younger, broader generation.
@@johnsissons1527 is this a joke? the song is from the 18th Century
That's bloody brilliant. Lord William of Bragg, a refashioned English folk song and a multicultural band. What's not to like?
@Maddy4Me missing the point there Maddy4Me, it's an update of a song way older than Steeleye. Folk music is organic and must change to reflect the times, that's how it has always been.
"And given that the Young Coppers sing on this version I'd say that constituted a seal of approval" Plus given that a former member of Steeleye is playing guitar and doing backing vocals is a seal of approval too.
This song break my heart it is so true
Excellent stuff. One of the best things I've seen in recent times if you can call WOMAD 2007 recent times and I've got some lovely zoom in photo's too. What a lovely festival it was , mud sharks and all. Get it on you guys !
You know what, live in the US with all the crap we have to listen to on the radio and this song is wonderful by comparison, dreary or not.
As an old Scottish folk song goes:
"Ye see yon birkie, ca'd a lord,
Wha struts, an' stares, an' a' that;
Tho' hundreds worship at his word,
He's but a coof for a' that:
For a' that, an' a' that,
His ribband, star, an' a' that:
The man o' independent mind
He looks an' laughs at a' that."
@AEngleSaex you've completely missed the point of the lyric. It's a reference to city-dwellers who buy *second homes* in the countryside and price locals out of their own villages - hence the following line, "for their HOLIDAY COTTAGE to stand empty all day".
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folk_process "In the study of folklore, the folk process is the way folk material, especially stories, music, and other art, is transformed and re-adapted in the process of its transmission from person to person and from generation to generation..."
I know Steeleye did (and no doubt still do) sing a version of this but I'd never refer to it as a "Steeleye classic". If anything it's a "Copper Family classic" as most (all?) versions that I'm aware of derive in one way or another from the Coppers' repertoire. And given that the Young Coppers sing on this version I'd say that constituted a seal of approval.
Come all brother tradesmen that travel along
O pray, come and tell me where the trade is all gone
Long time have I traveled and I cannot find none
And sing, O the hard times of Old England
In Old England, very hard times
Provisions you buy at the shop, it is true
But if you've no money, there's none there for you
So what's a poor man and his family to do?
And sing, O the hard times of Old England
In Old England, very hard times
You must go to the shop and you'll ask for a job
They'll answer you there with a shake and a nod
Well, that's enough to make a man turn out and rob
And sing, O the hard times of Old England
In Old England, very hard times
You will see the poor tradesmen a-walkin' the street
From morning to night for employment to seek
And scarce have they got any shoes to their feet
And sing, O the hard times of Old England
In Old England, very hard times
Our soldiers and sailors have just come from war
They been fighting for Queen and country this year
They come home to be starved, better stayed where they were
And sing, O the hard times of Old England
In Old England, very hard times
And now to conclude and to finish my song
Let us hope that these hard times, they will not last long
I hope soon to have occasion to alter my song
And sing, O the good times of Old England
In Old England, jolly good times
Sounds beautiful, thanks.
Lovely version.
Very good! More restrained than the Steeleye Span version - really brings out the force of the lyrics.
Guys, it's a folk song. It's not an Imagined Village original, nor a steeleye span original. Please get some perspective,
+ThePowenator No it all
I agree with Pow. Unless I'm mistaken, the song was handed down by the Copper family of Rottingdean, and the late (great) Bob Copper was a fan of B. Bragg - just saying - Dave
@@evilofisalm what a dickhead
I saw these live in Leicester - amazing!
Thanks for that rebellionsucks, can now make a feeble attempt at this song myself. Happy New Year
Wonderful version of this old song. Bet old man Copper would be smilling.
You would probably like the American group, Old School Freight Train, which does a ballad-paced version of Blondie's "Heart of Glass." Not that I think all rock songs need to be done as folk songs but I like what a musician can do with old material.
You might also like THe Red Stick Ramblers out of New Orleans who play Cajun, Blues and Roots Rock.
Love it!!!
I like the Steeleye version, I also like this version, there's only one thing for it "fight"
This is one of those songs which have had so many variations since the Copper Family version. The nature of the song lends itself to topical lyric changes every generation or so to suit the social and political climate of the day. Even Chumbawamba had a bash at it whilst pouring scorn on Tony Blair and his attempts to build an apartment up George W Bush’s rectum. I wonder how many variations there were around the country since the 18th century before the Copper Family collected it.
It’s a great example of how the folk tradition works. Songs passing from place to place, era to era, often by word of mouth. A discarded verse here, an added lyric there. Someone misremembering a word or two causing a whole new version to spread. People messing with the tune to make it more interesting or just easier to sing. Bits being added or taken away depending on the sensibilities of the people singing it according to the time, place and situation they were living in. Great stuff.
This is happening all over, not just in the UK
They don't want the goods people produce and they don't want to pay people a day's wage for fair work. I'm angry and I'm not job hunting right now. I am just sympathetic.
11 people live in london with holiday cottages in the country.
F*cking gorgeous song. 🎻
THis is a sort of Folk super-group: Bragg, Martin & Eliza Carthy! Who else is in it? Check out Steeleye Span's version to compare.
Thank you. That was bugging me
Superb
Most powerful and most hard up
No fan of Bragg, or the new lyrics and yet... it's an outstanding performance.
great :)
Can somebody help me out with the Countryside Alliance verse. I've got up to
The Countryside Alliance expects I suppose my support when their marching to ??????
But they said not a word when our Post Office closed
Can anybody help me out with the missing lyric?
Broomeister bloody Blair’s nose
@Broomeister marching to bloody Blair's nose
ah, just listen to that sound :)
Valid point Reg
@AEngleSaex U prat, the song says 'for the holiday cottage to stand empty all day'. He lives in dorset and he's not even from from a city so wtf are u on?!
I was never a liker of Billy too. But this wee ditty has changed that. Is it OK if I come to live in Olde England if this independence vote happens to get through??
scotsenailer No. No you can't.
@@ianlindsay4134 Who are you to decide? ofc he can.
@@ianlindsay4134 Brexit is here
i didnt no billy bragg had a band! when did that happen?
I've been trying to work out the lyric in the second verse, he sings: when tescos turned up all the ?????? have gone can someonre help meout here? Thanks Hammer
'Tescos turned up all of that had to stop'
Not sure what Jools has to do with it apart from getting him on the show. Give the band all the credit they are due and hope that someone like Amy Whinehouse doesn't try to hijack the idea!
Is it weird that I know the lyrics to this song and I'm not even British?
Ya man me 2. Jools for a Knighthood services for music.
killyrboyfriend - what about great big sea or the songs of stan rogers
I am killyrboyfriend and I just saw this now. I listen to Stan Rogers often x
Perhaps it the phrase is intended to be ironic?
@Maddy4Me your mad
To clear up Labour's mess :0D
To clear up Labour's mess :0)
That's as maybe, but whatever Steeleye Span touches turns to gold and should under no circumstances be altered! :D
Classic? Shoving a 3/4 beat up the behind of a traditional song does not a classic make. 'Hard Times' was the worst track on Steeleye's worst album.
Imagined Village brings the song back into the world of mature music and makes it relevant again.
I'm a fan of some of these musicians, and I have the album (it's okay, not outstanding), but this thing makes me cringe and I usually bypass it. Not to belittle the concerns in this update of the song (I do sympathise) but come on, they are pretty small fry in the grand scheme of things, the local post office closing etc, for a chorus that suggests we've got it so very very bad. Now we need an Iraqi band to parody it with Hard Times In Old Iraq.
It's good...but it's not Tull
Good, but Billy looks like a fish out of water. Cronge. Not nice to watch.
And what Maddy said about Steeleye.
Cool music, and very clever words, but a hard-core Spanner like me cannot forgive the bastardization of a Steeleye classic.
Nauseating. Billy (Mansion by the Sea) Bragg singing about hard times. Hypocritical fraud. He's less qualified than David Cameron to sing about such things.
Graham S : I agree that the hypocrisy is a bit grating. Glad I wasn’t the only person to think so. But it’s a great version, and unlike most of Mr Bragg’s stuff, i actually enjoy his singing on this.
Malcy50 50 another labour Luvvie singing about hard times if you want the real thing listen to country life by show of hands
Yeh, i hate a successful socialist :-P
Plastic socialist
To clear up Labour's mess :0D