| [00:08.28] |
The Folk Society meet on Thursday nights |
| [00:12.84] |
Clear their throats and put their coughs to flight |
| [00:17.47] |
To sing the dusty cobwebs from the room |
| [00:21.90] |
A repertoire both in and out of tune |
| [00:26.78] |
Don't assume a singalong, or worse |
| [00:31.21] |
This history in song and countless verse |
| [00:35.93] |
Pays homage to the man who, long ago |
| [00:40.58] |
Collected all the songs the singers know |
| [00:45.22] |
Collected all the songs the singers know |
| [00:50.11] |
|
| [00:55.18] |
Edward Alexander, man of action |
| [00:59.22] |
Armed only with his reel-to-reel contraption |
| [01:03.59] |
One hundred years ago in mac and boots |
| [01:07.57] |
Set out to faithfully preserve the region's roots |
| [01:11.93] |
And every night in some small village inn |
| [01:16.40] |
Fortified with fortitude and gin |
| [01:20.70] |
Mr Alexander, for a shilling |
| [01:25.12] |
Would thus record your song, if you were willing |
| [01:29.53] |
Would thus record your song, if you were willing |
| [01:33.81] |
|
| [01:34.30] |
So word got round, and soon there formed a queue |
| [01:38.05] |
And the line of willing singers grew and grew |
| [01:42.61] |
Brass for oohs and aahs? You can't go wrong |
| [01:47.01] |
When there's someone paying a shilling for a song |
| [01:51.26] |
When all his tapes are filled up, Edward leaves |
| [01:55.82] |
There's a history preserved, so he believes |
| [02:00.18] |
But all the so-called singers back inside |
| [02:04.37] |
They know they took a city scholar for a ride |
| [02:08.78] |
They know they took a city scholar for a ride |
| [02:13.60] |
For they shook the man for every coin he'd got |
| [02:17.37] |
With words and tunes all made up on the spot |
| [02:21.76] |
Invented tales not twenty minutes old |
| [02:26.47] |
So history, like ale, is bought and sold. |
| [02:30.69] |
The old contraption's packed away and boxed |
| [02:35.09] |
And a century is marked upon the clock |
| [02:39.42] |
So tradition holds that Edward's great collection |
| [02:43.89] |
Is honoured with a weekly resurrection |
| [02:48.40] |
Honoured with a weekly resurrection |
| [02:52.70] |
|
| [02:57.66] |
And now the old Society sing the songs |
| [03:02.12] |
Word for word, and kept where they belong |
| [03:06.48] |
As once again, they eulogise the past |
| [03:11.15] |
You can hear the ghosts of history laughing last |
| [03:15.60] |
You can hear the ghosts of history laughing last |
| [03:22.28] |
|
