> Danny Spooner > Songs > Man of the Earth
Man of the Earth
[Bernie Parry]
Bernie Parry sang his own song Man of the Earth in 1977 on his Free Reed album Sailing to the Moon. It was also included in 2002 on the Free Reed anthology This Label Is Not Removable. This video shows him singing it in about 2011:
Pat Ryan sang Man of the Earth on her 1977 Folk Heritage album Leaboy's Lassie.
Vin Garbutt sang Man of the Earth in 1978 on his Topic album Tossin' a Wobbler. He noted:
Written by fellow Clevelander Bernie Parry. It’s a song about the plight of an old age pensioner.
Danny Spooner and Duncan Brown sang A Man of the Earth on their 2016 CD of songs of the working life, Labour and Toil. The album's liner notes commented:
The song was written by Bernie Parry in the mid 1970s and is a reminder to us all of the attitudes of many bosses to the workers when they have served their purpose—and why we still need trade unions. Pensioners beware—don't tell too many people that you grow your own food, or you know what may happen!
The Teacups sang Man of the Earth in 2020 on their third and final album, In Which…. They noted:
A Bernie Parry song that Will [Finn] arranged for his final recital at Newcastle University. We trimmed out the original instrumentation but we think it sounds just as nice.
Lyrics
Bernie Parry sings Man of the Earth | Danny Spooner and Duncan Brown sing A Man of the Earth |
---|---|
Every day as I go through the old shanty town |
As I went down through the old shanty town |
Chorus (after each verse): |
Chorus (after each verse): |
Fifty years in the ironworks broke his will |
Forty years in the ironworks broke his will, |
Every Saturday evening he's down at the pub |
Every Saturday night he's down at the pub |
Every day as I go through the old shanty town |
So as I go down through the old shanty town |