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about

Alice (Elsie) Marley (c. 1713 - 1768) was an alewife from County Durham. She was found drowned in a coal mine near Vigo Lane.

Music and lyrics by © David Banks 2018; with final verse taken from the traditional song “Byker Hill (and Walker Shore)”
ISRC UK-DVB-19-00007

lyrics

Down about Birtley town
Under the sign o’the Swan
Lives a gentle barwoman
By the name of Alice Marley

From noon till late at night
By day and by lantern-light
Glass of ale and scran to bite
From the hand of Alice Marley

As the Swan does love the water clear
And man does love good ale and beer
All did love this woman dear
The lovely Elsie Marley

Marleys’ Inn was a handsome sight
Till the roving Dutch passed by to fight
And to subdue the Jacobite
And shot the Swan to pieces

But Ralph and Elsie respect no fate;
They kept the Swan with their children eight
Till the year of 1768
When Elsie Marley sickened.

As the Swan does love the water clear
That flows from the fells in the Tyne and the Wear
As man does love the amber beer
All loved Elsie Marley

Ah, tell the news and tell it plain
She’s been found dead down by Vigo Lane
She’s in a coal pit fallen down
Into the ochre water

Ah, tell the news to Geordie and Jane
The fearful news from Vigo Lane
Elsie Marley – she is slain
Drowned in the ochre water

As the Swan does love the water clear
That fills the pits down by the Wear
As man does love the ochre beer
All loved Elsie Marley

Now Elsie drinks the blood red water
For the coal has taken Harrison’s daughter
Drink ochre ale and coal black porter
In a toast to Elsie Marley

(traditional verse)

From Byker Hill to Walker Shore
We’re collier lads for ever more
We’ll dance a jig; we’ll rant and roar
To the tune of Elsie Marley

Music and lyrics © Dave Banks 2018, with verse from traditional song "Byker Hill"

credits

from Govanhill Moonshine, released March 1, 2019
Vocal: Kev McInally
Guitars, backing vocals and acoustic bass: Dave Banks
Music and lyrics by © David Banks 2018; with final verse taken from the traditional song “Byker Hill (and Walker Shore)”
Recorded by Dave Banks and mixed/mastered by Steve Swallow

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all rights reserved

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Poke O'Swedgers Chesterfield, UK

Poke O'Swedgers are Kev and Dave. Kev sings beautifully. Dave fumbles around with guitar. They write their own rhapsodies - delicate folk tales of impossible romance, computer programming and quantum physics. Their songs have a slight Scottish tang.

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