Can anyone help me with a query on a Welsh folksong? It is
called "Farewell to the Rhondda", and the version I have is
sung by Paddy Reilly.
I would like to be able to sing this song but cannot
adequately distinguish some of the words in Paddy Reilly's
rendering of it, nor do I understand all of the references.
The song deals with the consequences of the closure of the
coal mines in the Rhondda Valley. Can someone tell me the
names of the towns mentioned in the fourth stanza below. I
can identify Treherbert, Treorchy, and Tonypandy on a map,
but the scale is not sufficiently detailed to identify
(Tinolin ?), (Dustedrhondda ?) or (Timpentra ?). Can
someone help?
Also, what is the significance of "the muffler and the cap"
in the chorus?
Can someone give me a short history of the mining closures
in the Rhondda? In particular, what is (Grogan's ?) axe in
the second stanza?
And finally, has anyone any information on the song itself?
On the disk it is referenced to: F. Hennessy of "Land of
Song Music", which means little to me.
Thanks for any help you may be able to give.
The words of the song are as follows:
Farewell to the Rhondda.
Chorus.
Farewell you colliery workers, the muffler and the cap,
Farewell you Rhondda Valley girls, we never will come back.
The mines they are a closing, the valleys they're all
doomed,
There's no work in the Rhondda boys, we'll be in London
soon.
End chorus.
My father was a miner, and his father was before him,
They always had been proud to work below,
Since they fell 'neath (Grogan's) axe
All the lads have had the sack,
So away to work in England we must go.
Chorus.
No more the chapel singing that long ago has left us,
In the public house no more the miners' song,
For the pit-wheels they are stopping,
And the population's dropping
And I can't afford to stay here very long.
Chorus.
Treherbert and Treorchy, Tonypandy and (Tinolin),
(Dustedrhondda), (Timpentra) all adieu,
For I can no longer wait, while Parliament debates,
So a fond farewell I'll bid all of you.
Chorus.
Repeat Chorus.
[Two CD Collection: The Very Best of Paddy Reilly - 30 of
his finest performances; Dolphin Traders Ltd., 56 Moore
Street Dublin 1; Phone: + 353 1 872 9364].
Tony Dermody.
Spark: http://www.iol.ie/~tdermody/index.html
(Unfortunately, now somewhat out of date).
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