Boatmen
by Eric Payne
Recorded by Eric and Eileen Payne
I’m treading the towpath, ‘tis early in spring,
Passing a ‘roving bridge’ wall;
Where the stonework and guarding bear cotton rope scars,
From thousands of horses in haul.
Green woodbine is sprouting, the linnet’s in song,
A light breeze is waving through reeds,
And I’m mindful of watermen, men of the ‘cut’,
That vanishing, folk hero breed.
Chorus :
And I hear the boatmen call, I can hear the boatmen call,
Yes I hear the boatmen calling to me.
‘Twas Brindley’s grand vision and navvy’s hard sweat,
Created the waterway course,
Taking heavy bulk loads from inadequate roads,
To watercraft drawn by a horse.
“Back, Queenie!”, “Hold, Major!”, “On, Robin....move on”,
“You bugger, young Sally!”, “Whoa Gill!”,
The oaths, the beguiling, the urging, chastising,
And boatmens’ shouts echo here still.
Chorus
The smell of a woodstove, the lap of a wake,
The creak of a new hauling rope;
As it takes up the strain and is pulling again,
Till the horse steadies short of a ‘lope’.
And there, at the tiller, the boatman’s good wife,
Plaits a fender while steering the craft,
One eye on her child running ruddy and wild,
On the brick piles that bear fore and aft.
Chorus
For 200 years canals carried the freight,
Men, women and children set locks,
They were proud to survive in their watery lives,
‘Twixt cuttings and cities and docks.
Look there, see the strapping post, waisted with wear,
That answered each prayer and behest,
To ‘slow’ a full load, too far overtowed,
And bring the boat safely to rest.
Chorus
But sadly, no horses now stable at night,
Near the lockside behind an old inn,
For the carrier’s gone, the age has moved on,
And pleasure craft keep floating in.
But I’m drawn to the towpath for there I can hear,
An old waterman, still known by some,
From our hard living days on these old waterways,
When we traded as father and son.
Chorus x 2
I am indebted to Eric and Eileen Payne for providing the lyrics and recordings. Eric and Eileen’s website contains
more information about their folk music activities and Eric’s songs. CDs and a song book are available for purchase.
Boatmen
by Eric Payne
Recorded by Eric and Eileen Payne
I’m treading the towpath, ‘tis early in spring,
Passing a ‘roving bridge’ wall;
Where the stonework and guarding bear cotton rope scars,
From thousands of horses in haul.
Green woodbine is sprouting, the linnet’s in song,
A light breeze is waving through reeds,
And I’m mindful of watermen, men of the ‘cut’,
That vanishing, folk hero breed.
Chorus :
And I hear the boatmen call, I can hear the boatmen call,
Yes I hear the boatmen calling to me.
‘Twas Brindley’s grand vision and navvy’s hard sweat,
Created the waterway course,
Taking heavy bulk loads from inadequate roads,
To watercraft drawn by a horse.
“Back, Queenie!”, “Hold, Major!”, “On, Robin....move on”,
“You bugger, young Sally!”, “Whoa Gill!”,
The oaths, the beguiling, the urging, chastising,
And boatmens’ shouts echo here still.
Chorus
The smell of a woodstove, the lap of a wake,
The creak of a new hauling rope;
As it takes up the strain and is pulling again,
Till the horse steadies short of a ‘lope’.
And there, at the tiller, the boatman’s good wife,
Plaits a fender while steering the craft,
One eye on her child running ruddy and wild,
On the brick piles that bear fore and aft.
Chorus
For 200 years canals carried the freight,
Men, women and children set locks,
They were proud to survive in their watery lives,
‘Twixt cuttings and cities and docks.
Look there, see the strapping post, waisted with wear,
That answered each prayer and behest,
To ‘slow’ a full load, too far overtowed,
And bring the boat safely to rest.
Chorus
But sadly, no horses now stable at night,
Near the lockside behind an old inn,
For the carrier’s gone, the age has moved on,
And pleasure craft keep floating in.
But I’m drawn to the towpath for there I can hear,
An old waterman, still known by some,
From our hard living days on these old waterways,
When we traded as father and son.
Chorus x 2
I am indebted to Eric and Eileen Payne for providing the lyrics
and recordings. Eric and Eileen’s website contains more information
about their folk music activities and Eric’s songs. CDs and a song
book are available for purchase.
