Songs
A few Songs
The Severn Beach train (C)
T'was in the year of '89 on that First Great Western line,
When the winter wind was blowin' shrill,
The rails were froze, the wheels were cold, then the air brakes wouldn't hold,
And the train came roaring straight through Lawrence Hill -- oh!
The Severn Beach train came down the track and she blew x2
The Severn Beach train came down the track, her whistle wide and her throttle back,
And she blew, blew, blew, blew, blew.
The engineer said the train must halt and she blew x2
The engineer said the train must halt -- he said it was all the fireman's fault,
And she blew, blew, blew, blew, blew.
The fireman said he rang the bell and she blew, x2
The fireman said he rang the bell -- the engineer said "You did like h***!"
And she blew, blew, blew, blew, blew.
The porter got an awful fright and she blew x2
The porter got an awful fright -- he got so scared he near turned white,
And she blew, blew, blew, blew, blew.
A donkey was standing in the way and she blew x2
A donkey was standing in the way and all they found was just his bray,
And she blew, blew, blew, blew, blew.
The conductor said there'd be a wreck and she blew, x2
The conductor said there'd be a wreck and he felt the chills run up his neck,
And she blew, blew, blew, blew, blew.
The Severn Beach train went over the hill and she blew,x2
The Severn Beach train went over the hill and the last we heard she was going still,
And she blew, blew, blew, blew, blew.
Last Train To Clifton (A)
Tune Last Train to Clarkesville by the Monkees
Take the last train to Clifton
And I'll meet you at the station,
You can be here by four-thirty,
'Cause I've made your reservation, don't be slow,
Oh, no, no, no, Oh, no, no, no.
'Cause I'm leaving in the morning
And I must see you again,
We'll have one more night together
'Til the morning brings my train and I must go,
Oh, no, no, no, Oh, no, no, no,
And I don't know if I'm ever coming home.
Take the last train to Clifton,
I'll be waiting at the station,
We'll have time for coffee-flavored kisses,
And a bit of conversation, oh,
Oh, no, no, no, Oh, no, no, no.
Da-da-da-da-da-da, etc...
Take the last train to Clifton,
Now I must hang up the phone,
I can't hear you in this noisy railroad station,
All alone, I'm feeling low.
Oh, no, no, no, Oh, no, no, no,
And I don't know if I'm ever coming home. Oh...
Take the last train to Clifton,
And I'll meet you at the station,
You can be here by four-thirty,
'Cause I've made your reservation, don't be slow,
Oh, no, no, no, Oh, no, no, no,
And I don't know if I'm ever coming home.
Take the last train to Clifton,
Take the last train to Clifton,
fade out...
Gospel train (D)
The gospel train is coming
I hear it just at hand
I hear the car wheel moving
And rumbling through the land
Oh Get on board little children
Get on board little children
Get on board little children
There's room for many and more 2x
I hear the bell and whistle
She's coming round a curve
She's loosened all her steam and power
And straining every nerve
The fare is cheap and all can go
The rich and poor are there
No second class on board this train
No difference in the fare
It's nearing down the station
Oh sinner don't be vain
But come and get your ticket
And be ready for this train
Tune Morning Town Ride (The Seekers)
Train whistle blowin', makes a sleepy noise
Underneath their blankets go all the girls and boys
Rockin', Rollin', Ridin', via Montpelier
All bound for Severn Beach, not so far a-way
Driver at the engine, Fireman rings the bell
Sandman swings the lantern to say that all is well
Rockin', Rollin', Ridin', via Montpelier
All bound for Severn Beach, not so far a-way
Maybe it is raining where our train will ride
All the little trave'lers are warm and snug in-side
Rockin', Rollin', Ridin', via Montpelier
All bound for Severn Beach, not so far a-way
Somewhere there is sunshine, somewhere there is day
Somewhere there is Severn Beach, not so far a-way
Rockin', Rollin', Ridin', via Montpelier
All bound for Severn Beach, not so far a-way
All bound for Severn Beach, not so far` a-way
Choo Choo Ch'Boogie (D)
Headin' for the station with a pack on my back
I'm tired of transportation in the back of my hack
I love to hear the rhythm of the clickety clack
And hear the lonesome whistle see the smoke from the stack
to pal around with democratic fellows named mac
So take me right back to the track, jack
Choo-choo, choo-choo, ch'boogie, woo-woo
Woo-woo, ch'boogie, choo-choo, choo-choo, ch'boogie
Take me right back to the track, jack
You reach your destination but you don't go back
You need some compensation to get back in the black
You take a morning paper from the top of the stack
And read the situations from the front to the back
But the only job that's open needs a man with a knack
So put it right back in the rack, jack
Choo-choo, choo-choo, ch'boogie, woo-woo
Woo-woo, ch'boogie, choo-choo, choo-choo, ch'boogie
Take me right back to the track, jack
Gonna settle down by the railroad track
Live the life o'riley in the beaten down shack
When i hear a whistle i can peep thru the crack
Watch the train rollin' when it's ballin' the jack
Love to hear the rhythm of the clickety clack
So take me right back to the track, jack
Choo-choo, choo-choo, ch'boogie, woo-woo
Woo-woo, ch'boogie, choo-choo, choo-choo, ch'boogie
Take me right back to the track, jack (bis)
The Ros Rap
This quaint little branch line needs our support,
So why not organise a creative group outing I thought?
Lawrence Hill, Stapleton Road, Montpelier, Redland, Clifton Down
Hop on for a day trip taking you right out of town
Come on board! Join Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways
For 8th August, next Wednesday is the day,
of raising the profile of the Severn Beach line
Creating verse that rhyme….. sometimes.
A GREAT DAY OUT WAS HAD BY ALL
An ambitious idea but wholly achieved
We bought new travellers on Board
The Severn Beach Branch line hooray!
3 visitors from Spain
Travelled with us that day
Identified through FOSW stickers
Julie Boston did bring with her
The sun came out and shone for us
O yes it did!
18 of us in all assembled
4 sadly missing their connection
could not be with us to their dismay
The next train being 2 hours away
Note 1st Great Western this is not good enough!
Children attentively drew
One or two of us wrote.
Arriving at the beach we found a spot
for a group picnic we had got
Finished off pieces,
Chilled out and explored the mudflats
That needed detangling from the children
Returning happily mud bound
On the home bound 15.54 train.
Dominic volunteered,
his brilliant creation to perform
on train on the route back home again
All declared we will in deed come here again
Ros Martin
Our outing on trains
All packed for a day at the Beach
Food to share, winter and summer wear.
Ros and friends on board
greet the Montpelier huddle bubble hoard
Carers and kids with bright yellow stickers
Heads down
clutching pencils
As we clunk through Sea Mills
I want to shout out look
This is magic for Thomas Cook.
Ruth smiles at thought of
Walking the blackberry route
For cake at Kingsweston House
We reach the Beach
Adults settle on a concrete arena
Spread out food and drinks in the sun
gazing at the River Severn
relaxed that the children are having faraway fun.
Then it hits me with a thud
My name will always be mud.
Julie Boston 06 August 2008