*LYRICS* Whenever you see a train go by Or hear an engine's whistle cry Think of the man on the old footplate Shoveling coal, the driver's mate A loco fireman is me' grade Boiling water is me' trade The driver thinks he runs this show But if I'm not there, the train won't go... Feeding coal to a hungry fire Sweating cobs to get steam higher With the colliers' harvest that I burn With sweat and toil and me' wage is earned A loco fireman is me' grade Boiling water is me' trade The driver thinks he runs this show But if I'm not there, the train won't go... Me' driver sits there like a god He's a decent mate, but an idle sod... Oh, I'll be shoveling on me' knees Still he'd sit there at his ease... A loco fireman is me' grade Boiling water is me' trade The driver thinks he runs this show But if I'm not there, the train won't go... A pick and a shovel are the tools of me' trade And two strong arms to swing the blade Hands with palms as hard as leather And nimble feet as light as a feather A loco fireman is me' grade Boiling water is me' trade The driver thinks he runs this show But if I'm not there, the train won't go... One day a driver I will be Of the pick and shovel I'll be free Until that day, I'll shift the coal Raising steam so the train can roll A loco fireman is me' grade Boiling water is me' trade The driver thinks he runs this show But if I'm not there, the train won't go...
As I said I did, if there are any other requests feel free to ask. In the meantime my hard drive has died and I've lost quite a few songs that I have to get a hold of again, so it might not be right away I can do it.
Is it weird I read certain themes into this? If we consider the locomotive as the economy, the driver as the managers and the fireman as the workers, then it fits
yes, but this is also just how steam locomotives were run, don bilston and dave goulder were railwaymen, and the songs they wrote reflected their experiences or stories from the past in their line of work, this one, the fireman's lament, eight freight blues, and night freight are some of my particular favorites
*LYRICS*
Whenever you see a train go by
Or hear an engine's whistle cry
Think of the man on the old footplate
Shoveling coal, the driver's mate
A loco fireman is me' grade
Boiling water is me' trade
The driver thinks he runs this show
But if I'm not there, the train won't go...
Feeding coal to a hungry fire
Sweating cobs to get steam higher
With the colliers' harvest that I burn
With sweat and toil and me' wage is earned
A loco fireman is me' grade
Boiling water is me' trade
The driver thinks he runs this show
But if I'm not there, the train won't go...
Me' driver sits there like a god
He's a decent mate, but an idle sod...
Oh, I'll be shoveling on me' knees
Still he'd sit there at his ease...
A loco fireman is me' grade
Boiling water is me' trade
The driver thinks he runs this show
But if I'm not there, the train won't go...
A pick and a shovel are the tools of me' trade
And two strong arms to swing the blade
Hands with palms as hard as leather
And nimble feet as light as a feather
A loco fireman is me' grade
Boiling water is me' trade
The driver thinks he runs this show
But if I'm not there, the train won't go...
One day a driver I will be
Of the pick and shovel I'll be free
Until that day, I'll shift the coal
Raising steam so the train can roll
A loco fireman is me' grade
Boiling water is me' trade
The driver thinks he runs this show
But if I'm not there, the train won't go...
Wooooo, I was waiting for this one! Absolutely brilliant!
As I said I did, if there are any other requests feel free to ask. In the meantime my hard drive has died and I've lost quite a few songs that I have to get a hold of again, so it might not be right away I can do it.
@@songsonguitars I know I’m late but please upload whatever railway music you have!
Is it weird I read certain themes into this? If we consider the locomotive as the economy, the driver as the managers and the fireman as the workers, then it fits
yes, but this is also just how steam locomotives were run, don bilston and dave goulder were railwaymen, and the songs they wrote reflected their experiences or stories from the past in their line of work, this one, the fireman's lament, eight freight blues, and night freight are some of my particular favorites