Clifford T. Ward typified the early 70s bedsitter singer-songwriter with a series of albums that were at best delightful and at worst mawkish. Ward left grammar school before A-levels to work as a clerk, but by 1962 was fronting local beat group Cliff Ward and the Cruisers. The group changed their name to Martin Raynor and the Secrets and made their recording debut for EMI Records in 1965, before recording several more tracks as the Secrets for CBS Records.
In 1967 Ward enrolled at Worcester teacher training college to study English and divinity, after which he taught at Bromsgrove high school. His debut album appeared on disc jockey John Peel's brave-but-doomed Dandelion Records label in 1972. His second album and his first release for Charisma Records, Home Thoughts, proved to be his finest work and gave him wider recognition. Ward constructed each song as a complete story sometimes with great success.
The beautiful "Gaye" became a UK Top 10 hit but surprisingly the stronger "Home Thoughts From Abroad" and the infectious and lyrically excellent "Wherewithal" failed to chart. Mantle Pieces and Escalator contained a similar recipe of more harmless tales like the minor hit "Scullery" with affecting lyrics like; "You're my picture by Picasso, you'd brighten up any gallery'.
Ward's refusal to tour and promote his songs did not help endear the singer to his record company, however, and he switched to the Phonogram Records label for 1975"s No More Rock 'N' Roll. In later years although still recording the occasional album and still reluctant to perform live, Ward received kudos as a songwriter with his material being recorded by artists such as Cliff Richard, Art Garfunkel and Justin Hayward.
He was struck down with multiple sclerosis in 1987 and his health rapidly deteriorated. He managed to record 1991's vinyl-only album Laugh It Off, and friends and colleagues pieced together two more albums of new songs, out-takes and demos to give the ailing Ward some financial assistance. He finally succumbed to pneumonia December 18th 2001.
Prams
Clifford T. Ward Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I got married 'cause we needed a pram
We were so young
So foolish, just bread and no jam
Since then I notice prams
Everywhere I seem to go
In every shape and size
No matter how disguised.
I've seen 'em dyin'
Stripped of the wheels for a cart
An' I've seen 'em tryin'
Carryin' coal from the yard
I used to see one sweat
Pullin' on a rag and bone
Cardigans and coats and dresses
Overflowin' in a mess.
Prams, some big and some small
Takin' little children out for a walk
Prams, some light and some dark
Showin' all the babies out in the park.
I've seen 'em glide
Leading ladies in blue motif
An' I've seen 'em stride
Kids on top and underneath
I've even watched 'em bite
Leapin' out at motor cars
Crazy how those drivers drive
Amazin' how those prams survive.
In Dublin town
In a cafe window leant
A sign that read
'No prams' and I wondered what it meant
Right outside Switzers, down
In Grafton Street an old pram stood
Better times he'd long forgot
Waitin' there for God knows what.
Prams, some big and some small
Takin' little children out for a walk
Prams, some light and some dark
Showin' all the babies out in the park.
Prams, some smart and some dumb
Teachin' little children how it's all done
Prams, some rich and some poor
Showin' little babies all that's in store.
Prams, some good and some bad
Teachin' all the children not to be sad
Prams, some fat and some thin
Showin' little babies how they can win.
Prams, some walk and some run
Takin' all the children out in the sun
Prams, some light and some dark
Showin' all the babies how to get smart.
Prams, some rich and some poor
Teachin' little children . . . . (fade).
Clifford T. Ward's song "Prams" reflects on parenthood, the societal pressures that come along with it, and the different ways prams are used and perceived in society. The opening lines of the song indicate that the singer got married young because they needed a pram, highlighting the idea that societal expectations and norms influenced their decision to start a family. They also suggest that their marriage lacked sweetness, comparing it to bread without jam.
The song then goes on to describe different ways in which prams are used and perceived in society. Some prams are stripped of their wheels and used as carts, while others carry coal from the yard. The singer sees prams everywhere they go, in all shapes and sizes, and often overflowing with clothes and other items. They describe prams being used for leisurely walks in the park, but also in chaotic situations where they are dodging motorcars.
The song closes with a series of lines that suggest prams are tools for teaching children important lessons such as not to be sad, and how to win and get smart. The repetition of the phrase "teaching little children" suggests that the whole song is a rumination on parenthood, and the various societal expectations and pressures surrounding it.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was young
In my youth
I got married 'cause we needed a pram
I got married because we needed a baby carriage
We were so young
We were inexperienced
So foolish, just bread and no jam
We were naive and had limited means
Since then I notice prams
Ever since then, I've become aware of baby carriages
Everywhere I seem to go
No matter where I go
In every shape and size
In countless variations
No matter how disguised.
Regardless of how they appear
I've seen 'em dyin'
I've seen them in disrepair
Stripped off the wheels for a cart
With the wheels removed, used for transportation
An' I've seen 'em tryin'
I've seen them being put to the test
Carryin' coal from the yard
Used for carrying heavy loads
I used to see one sweat
I've seen one being used heavily
Pullin' on a rag and bone
Used for carrying scrap materials
Cardigans and coats and dresses
Filled with items of clothing
Overflowin' in a mess.
Overfilled and disorganized
Prams, some big and some small
Baby carriages, both large and small
Takin' little children out for a walk
Used for taking young children on a stroll
Prams, some light and some dark
Baby carriages in varying colors and shades
Showin' all the babies out in the park.
Used to display babies in the park
I've seen 'em glide
I've seen them move gracefully
Leading ladies in blue motif
Used for transporting women wearing blue patterns
An' I've seen 'em stride
I've seen them move purposefully
Kids on top and underneath
Children sitting both on top and underneath the carriage
I've even watched 'em bite
I've seen them collide with
Leapin' out at motor cars
Motor vehicles that were driving recklessly
Crazy how those drivers drive
It's unbelievable how some people operate their vehicles
Amazin' how those prams survive.
It's incredible how sturdy baby carriages are
In Dublin town
In Dublin, Ireland
In a cafe window leant
Leaning against a cafe window
A sign that read
A sign that said
'No prams' and I wondered what it meant
A sign prohibiting the use of baby carriages, which I found perplexing
Right outside Switzers, down
Outside Switzers, a department store
In Grafton Street an old pram stood
On Grafton Street, an abandoned baby carriage remained
Better times he'd long forgot
It was long past its prime
Waitin' there for God knows what.
Waiting for an unknown reason
Prams, some smart and some dumb
Baby carriages in various states of elegance
Teachin' little children how it's all done
Teaching young children how to move around safely
Prams, some rich and some poor
Baby carriages in varying degrees of luxury
Showin' little babies all that's in store.
Exposing babies to all of life's offerings
Prams, some good and some bad
Baby carriages that vary in quality
Teachin' all the children not to be sad
Helping children experience joy
Prams, some fat and some thin
Baby carriages of different widths
Showin' little babies how they can win.
Encouraging babies to embrace victory
Prams, some walk and some run
Baby carriages that move fast or slow
Takin' all the children out in the sun
Bringing children outside in the daylight
Prams, some light and some dark
Baby carriages that vary in color
Showin' all the babies how to get smart.
Encouraging babies to develop intelligence
Prams, some rich and some poor
Baby carriages of varying economic status
Teachin' little children . . . . (fade).
Teaching young ones the ways of the world
Contributed by Christian I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Yeldah
Aaah memories , memories, memories.......!
dreamerinalowprofile
@Tourz He was heralded as the next Paul McCartney and when I heard Wherewithal I agreed. At the time I was unaware of his unease about touring and didn't understand why he never became a massive star. Only in later years did I rediscover his music, 21 singles, 10 vinyl albums plus many more songs. You can thank your dad for his great taste in music! 😃
Yeldah
How long have you got ?
For someone like me who was and still is today, a big fan , the frustrating thing that I found was there was so little news in the media about him or his new releases, as there was no internet which meant no social media for example.The only way I knew anything about him was through radio and listening for his songs to be played with any relevant information given by the dj. The very fact Cliff hated publicity and avoided tv and doing concerts to promote his music didn't help the situation , and the only way I found out about any new releases was visiting record shops and sifting through dozens of albums on show, hoping to find anything to add to my collection. The excitement of finding a new album was fantastic and in this case Sometime Next Year , totally unexpected as things had gone very quiet , which as later reported, is around the time he was diagnosed with MS if I recall correctly. As for memories , I have such a connection to many of his songs that relate to parts of my life , some happy and some not so....and that connection is everlasting .
Apologies if that went on a bit ha !
Tourz
REAL memories? As then, back THEN? Tell me! What was it like! Lol I’m a young Clifford fan, 27. I got introduced through my dad, but, what was it like back ‘then’? Did cliff hold a lot weight in the music scene back then?
roflized
I like this catchy tune