Collected by Ralph Vaughan-Williams from ‘a fisherman’ in King’s Lynn.
Going back four generations my Adams forebears were to be found in and around Cambridge, and many of them worked in one or other of the half dozen small iron foundries in the town. Being somewhat removed from the industrial heartlands where much of the nation's iron work was cast, Cambridge had to be self-sufficient in producing its own.
lyrics
The Blacksmith
I am a blacksmith by my trade,
From London I came down;
I am an obstinate swaggering blade,
Not like some country clown.
For my anvil it so cheerfully rings,
My bellows do swiftly blow,
My fire shall beat my irons so hot,
And unto work we go, boys, go
And unto work we go
Our master is fair, but cross him who dares
He don’t like a lad who will shirk
And come pay-day we'll hear him say
Young man I am pleased with your work
We work the week by the strength of our arm
Come Saturday night we are free
To have some good cheer, our tobacco and beer
That's when we go out on the spree, boys, spree -
That's when we go out on the spree.
Sometimes I’ve got money inside of my purse,
Sometimes I am without,
But I am none the worse for that,
Can work for more, no doubt.
For my anvil it so cheerfully rings,
My bellows do swiftly blow,
My fire shall beat my irons so hot,
And unto work we go, boys, go-
And unto work we go.
credits
from Leaf On a Windy Day,
released January 2, 2019
Trad, arr. K Adams
KA: vocal, mandolin, shaky egg
Dave Makins: bagpipes, bodhran, bazouki, mandolin, anvil
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