BCN Song Words : Phil Clayton Tune : The Happy Wanderer (F-W Moller) Recorded by The Light Side I love to go a wandering, around the BCN And as I cruise, I oft peruse, what’s round my prop again Chorus : Plastic bags, barbed wire, lengths of rope, shopping trolleys, old bike wheels, assorted tat, that tends to wrap, around the BCN. From Primrose Bridge to Ocker Hill, Hay Head to Horseley Heath, Such lovely names around the cut, I wonder what lies beneath? Chorus You cruise along quite smoothly, then up in the air you go, Don’t worry, It’ll only be a Black Country hippo. and……. Chorus We sailed along the New Main Line twixt Brum and Dudley Port “Mr Telford built exceedingly straight canals ….” And then turned off for Netherton through a tunnel that sure ain’t short of Chorus As I was down the weed hatch one day, I heard an old boatman declare “Oi, mate, that’s mi rope you’ve got, is mi ‘oss still down there?” With .. Chorus In 2019, on the 250th anniversary of the opening of the original Birmingham Canal into the town, Phil Clayton put together a musical, Birmingham Lads .... and Friends, telling something of the history of the canals in the Birmingham and Black Country area. Although focusing on the BCN itself, it started from a song he’d written for the 2012 Golden Anniversary of the ‘Battle of Stourbridge’, The Lions of Stourbridge. Over the years Phil added more songs, mixing contemporary songs, of which this is one, and more up to date canal standards to make an hour long show supported by much visual material. The group The Light Side performed the musical for the BCN Society’s celebratory cruise into Brum marking the anniversary at the Crescent Theatre’s Studio. The show is available on DVD and can be viewed on this website here.
As recorded by Ralph McTell
BCN Song Words : Phil Clayton Tune : The Happy Wanderer (F-W Moller) Recorded by The Light Side I love to go a wandering, around the BCN And as I cruise, I oft peruse, what’s round my prop again Chorus : Plastic bags, barbed wire, lengths of rope, shopping trolleys, old bike wheels, assorted tat, that tends to wrap, around the BCN. From Primrose Bridge to Ocker Hill, Hay Head to Horseley Heath, Such lovely names around the cut, I wonder what lies beneath? Chorus You cruise along quite smoothly, then up in the air you go, Don’t worry, It’ll only be a Black Country hippo. and……. Chorus We sailed along the New Main Line twixt Brum and Dudley Port “Mr Telford built exceedingly straight canals ….” And then turned off for Netherton through a tunnel that sure ain’t short of Chorus As I was down the weed hatch one day, I heard an old boatman declare “Oi, mate, that’s mi rope you’ve got, is mi ‘oss still down there?” With .. Chorus In 2019, on the 250th anniversary of the opening of the original Birmingham Canal into the town, Phil Clayton put together a musical, Birmingham Lads .... and Friends, telling something of the history of the canals in the Birmingham and Black Country area. Although focusing on the BCN itself, it started from a song he’d written for the 2012 Golden Anniversary of the ‘Battle of Stourbridge’, The Lions of Stourbridge. Over the years Phil added more songs, mixing contemporary songs, of which this is one, and more up to date canal standards to make an hour long show supported by much visual material. The group The Light Side performed the musical for the BCN Society’s celebratory cruise into Brum marking the anniversary at the Crescent Theatre’s Studio. The show is available on DVD and can be viewed on this website here.