Innovative and inspiring, both collecting traditional songs, as well as writing new ones. He was, and remains, a very influential artist, writer and singer, committed to social issues. He travelled around the world collecting and recording songs.
Married to Peggy Seeger, he reportedly sang his most famous song - 'The first time ever I saw your face' - to her over the telephone during a transatlantic phone call.
His song 'Dirty Old Town' has been recorded hundreds of time, notably by The Spinners (the British folk group), Rod Stewart, The Pogues, Townes Van Zandt, The Specials, the Mudmen.
He was father to musicians Kirsty MacColl, Neill MacColl and Calum MacColl, and grandfather to Bombay Bicycle Club's Jamie MacColl.
MacColl and Seeger recorded several albums of political commentary songs. MacColl himself wrote over 300 songs, some of which have been recorded by as diverse as Roberta Flack, Planxty and Johnny Cash. In 2001, The Essential Ewan MacColl Songbook was published, which includes the words and music to 200 of his songs.
There is a plaque dedicated to MacColl in Russell Square in London. The inscription includes: "Presented by his communist friends 25.1.1990 ... Folk Laureate - Singer - Dramatist - Marxist ... in recognition of strength and singleness of purpose of this fighter for Peace and Socialism". In 1991 he was awarded a posthumous honorary degree by the University of Salford.
MacColl was very politically active and as well as political song he was a playwright and one of the founders of the Communist backed 'Edinburgh People's Festival' from 1951-54. The EPF was a victim of McCarthyism but provided the blueprint for today's Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The Manchester Rambler
Ewan MacColl Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've camped by the Waynestones as well
I've sunbathed on Kinder, been burned to a cinder
And many more things I can tell
My rucksack has oft been me pillow
The heather has oft been me bed
And sooner than part from the mountains
I think I would rather be dead
Ch: I'm a rambler, I'm a rambler from Manchester way
I get all me pleasure the hard moorland way
I may be a wageslave on Monday
But I am a free man on Sunday
The day was just ending and I was descending
Down Grinesbrook just by Upper Tor
When a voice cried "Hey you" in the way keepers do
He'd the worst face that ever I saw
The things that he said were unpleasant
In the teeth of his fury I said
"Sooner than part from the mountains
I think I would rather be dead"
He called me a louse and said "Think of the grouse"
Well i thought, but I still couldn't see
Why all Kinder Scout and the moors roundabout
Couldn't take both the poor grouse and me
He said "All this land is my master's"
At that I stood shaking my head
No man has the right to own mountains
Any more than the deep ocean bed
I once loved a maid, a spot welder by trade
She was fair as the Rowan in bloom
And the bloom of her eye watched the blue Moreland sky
I wooed her from April to June
On the day that we should have been married
I went for a ramble instead
For sooner than part from the mountains
I think I would rather be dead
So I'll walk where I will over mountain and hill
And I'll lie where the bracken is deep
I belong to the mountains, the clear running fountains
Where the grey rocks lie ragged and steep
I've seen the white hare in the gullys
And the curlew fly high overhead
And sooner than part from the mountains
I think I would rather be dead.
The Manchester Rambler by Ewan MacColl speaks to the deep love and connection between the singer and the mountains in the north of England. The singer lists the various places he has explored, camping and hiking along the way, and explains that he’d rather be dead than separate from those places. The chorus emphasizes the singer’s dedication to this way of life, where he may be a “wageslave” during the week, but he is a “free man on Sunday” when he can return to the mountains he adores.
The singer’s encounter with the way keeper demonstrates the conflict between the working class ramblers and the wealthy landowners who owned the moors. The way keeper accuses the singer of disturbing the grouse, which upsets the singer, who argues that he should have every right to be on the moors. He echoes a common sentiment among ramblers that no one has the right to own the mountains just like no one can own the ocean bed.
The song concludes with a bit of a love story, where the singer explains that he once loved a maid who he wooed from April to June but left to go on a ramble the day they should have been married. He finishes the song by stating that he’d rather die than leave the mountains – he belongs there, and nothing can change that.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been over Snowdon, I've slept upon Crowdon
I've climbed Snowdon and camped on Crowdon.
I've camped by the Waynestones as well
I've also camped by the Waynestones.
I've sunbathed on Kinder, been burned to a cinder
I've sunbathed on Kinder, and got badly sunburned.
And many more things I can tell
I've had many other adventures.
My rucksack has oft been me pillow
I've slept with my rucksack as my pillow.
The heather has oft been me bed
I've slept in the heather.
And sooner than part from the mountains
I'd rather die than leave the mountains.
I think I would rather be dead
I'd rather die than leave the mountains.
I'm a rambler, I'm a rambler from Manchester way
I'm a hiker from Manchester.
I get all me pleasure the hard moorland way
I enjoy hiking through the moors.
I may be a wageslave on Monday
I may have a regular job on weekdays.
But I am a free man on Sunday
But I am free to hike on Sundays.
The day was just ending and I was descending
It was getting late and I was coming down from the mountains.
Down Grinesbrook just by Upper Tor
I was coming down through Grinesbrook, near Upper Tor.
When a voice cried "Hey you" in the way keepers do
A guard called out to me.
He'd the worst face that ever I saw
He looked very angry.
The things that he said were unpleasant
He said nasty things to me.
In the teeth of his fury I said
Despite his anger, I replied.
"Sooner than part from the mountains
"I'd rather die than leave the mountains.
He called me a louse and said "Think of the grouse"
The guard insulted me and told me to think about the grouse (birds).
Well i thought, but I still couldn't see
I thought, but I didn't understand.
Why all Kinder Scout and the moors roundabout
Why couldn't the grouse and I share Kinder Scout and the surrounding moors?
Couldn't take both the poor grouse and me
There was enough space for both me and the grouse.
He said "All this land is my master's"
The land belonged to his boss.
At that I stood shaking my head
I was shocked and disagreed.
No man has the right to own mountains
No one has the right to own mountains.
Any more than the deep ocean bed
Just like no one can own the deep ocean bed.
I once loved a maid, a spot welder by trade
I was in love with a woman who was a spot welder by occupation.
She was fair as the Rowan in bloom
She was as beautiful as the Rowan tree when it blooms.
And the bloom of her eye watched the blue Moreland sky
Her eyes sparkled as she looked at the sky.
I wooed her from April to June
I courted her from April to June.
On the day that we should have been married
On the day we were supposed to get married.
I went for a ramble instead
I went hiking instead of getting married.
So I'll walk where I will over mountain and hill
I'll hike wherever I want, over mountains and hills.
And I'll lie where the bracken is deep
I'll sleep in areas with thick bracken (ferns).
I belong to the mountains, the clear running fountains
I feel like I belong in the mountains, near the clear streams.
Where the grey rocks lie ragged and steep
Where the rough, steep rocks are.
I've seen the white hare in the gullys
I've seen white hares in the valleys.
And the curlew fly high overhead
I've seen the curlew birds fly high in the sky.
And sooner than part from the mountains
I'd rather die than leave the mountains.
I think I would rather be dead
I'd rather die than leave the mountains.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: EWAN MACCOLL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@yawooriful
The Manchester Rambler
I've been over Snowdon, I've slept upon Crowdon
I've camped by the Waynestones as well
I've sunbathed on Kinder, been burned to a cinder
And many more things I can tell
My rucksack has oft been me pillow
The heather has oft been me bed
And sooner than part from the mountains
I think I would rather be dead
Ch: I'm a rambler, I'm a rambler from Manchester way
I get all me pleasure the hard moorland way
I may be a wageslave on Monday
But I am a free man on Sunday
The day was just ending and I was descending
Down Grinesbrook just by Upper Tor
When a voice cried "Hey you" in the way keepers do
He'd the worst face that ever I saw
The things that he said were unpleasant
In the teeth of his fury I said
"Sooner than part from the mountains
I think I would rather be dead"
He called me a louse and said "Think of the grouse"
Well i thought, but I still couldn't see
Why all Kinder Scout and the moors roundabout
Couldn't take both the poor grouse and me
He said "All this land is my master's"
At that I stood shaking my head
No man has the right to own mountains
Any more than the deep ocean bed
I once loved a maid, a spot welder by trade
She was fair as the Rowan in bloom
And the bloom of her eye watched the blue Moreland sky
I wooed her from April to June
On the day that we should have been married
I went for a ramble instead
For sooner than part from the mountains
I think I would rather be dead
So I'll walk where I will over mountain and hill
And I'll lie where the bracken is deep
I belong to the mountains, the clear running fountains
Where the grey rocks lie ragged and steep
I've seen the white hare in the gullys
And the curlew fly high overhead
And sooner than part from the mountains
I think I would rather be dead.
@probono3284
I think what you meant was:
As I went walking I saw a sign there,
And on the sign it said "No Trespassing."
But on the other side it didn't say nothing.
That side was made for you and me.
Woody Guthrie, totally brilliant.
@jacobhenshaw6675
when my grandad took his life last year this and The Internationale were played at his funeral. Its a very moving song for me now. he died on a Sunday and knew this song is what he wanted at his funeral, so it became 10x more moving when I realised the link between the lyrics. beautiful song that embodies his personality
@StewartKirk55103
A wonderful song from a wonderful man. I once had the great pleasure of seeing him and Peggy Seeger give a great concert a couple of years before he died.
@sstone8662
Chose this for my father's funeral, so appropriate and moving. Brilliant.
@serigrapher2
So did I, twenty five years ago.
@bodsnvimto
i'm going to turn 60 a week from today. I was a kid when I first came across this song. i'm lucky in that we can go over and see both my parents on my Birthday next Sun. But both are in seriously bad condition to the extent that every time my phone rings my blood turns to ice water. I've already picked out a song a told my dad what it will be - The Kinks' 'Days' - but, given that we grew up in Hadfield, Glossop, and he was always a keen hiker and previous to that a climber (he was also a volunteer for Mountain Rescue, often getting out of bed at silly-o'clock to go out in the snow looking for idiots) after reading your two wonderful posts I've decided I'll add this also. It couldn't be more apt for the man he was in his younger days.
@sstone8662
That's uncanny... I also chose Days, but sung by Kirsty MacColl
@bodsnvimto
@@sstone8662 I re-listened, the only issue I have is that line "I think I would rather be dead" because, for all his ailments and other issues, my elderly, wonderful dad still has a passion for life. I just listened again to Ewan's lovely 'The Joy of Living' which I actually introduced to him but sums up, from what he has told me, his younger, single days before my mum and then me and my younger bro intruded on his previous life.
btw - Days is one wonderful song in general (by IMO the best band ever to not be called The Beatles) but such a fitting send-off for those who have looked after you your whole life. Uncanny to an extent but it might be one of the most frequently played songs at such sad occasions.
btbtw - My dad has requested to have his ashes spread on Kinder Scout.
@bodsnvimto
@@sstone8662 ...but I couldn't resist having one more listen to this tonight. Heartwarming.
@ktony
He wrote this song when he was 17. It was for the occasion of a mass civil disobedience, the "Mass trespass of Kinder Scout" in 1932, against the closure of lands to hikers (ramblers). They were met by a horde of police and game keepers. There were violent scuffles, and some were arrested. I like to think of those people as the Occupy of their day.
@annlawlor6803
Wonderful, rousing people power song. Thank you for posting