Formed i… Read Full Bio ↴Malinky is a Scottish folk band specialising in Scots song.
Formed in autumn 1998, the original members were Karine Polwart from Banknock, Stirlingshire (vocals, guitar, bouzouki), Steve Byrne from Arbroath (vocals, guitar, bouzouki, mandolin), Mark Dunlop from Garryduff, Co. Antrim (bodhrán, whistles, vocals) and English fiddler Kit Patterson.
First meeting to rehearse in early October that year, the band was largely formed to help Polwart fulfil a support slot at Edinburgh Folk Club some ten days later, supporting harpist and storyteller Robin Williamson, formerly of the Incredible String Band. The members had previously encountered each other around the lively pub session scene in Edinburgh in venues such as Sandy Bell's and the Royal Oak bars. Polwart was a social worker, Byrne a student of Scottish Studies, Dunlop a town planner with the city council, and Patterson a computer programmer from Plymouth.
The band's first album 'Last Leaves' was recorded in 1999 and released at Celtic Connections 2000, with the late Davy Steele as producer. In early 2001, Edinburgh-born Jon Bews, formerly of Burach, replaced Patterson on fiddle, and later that year Tyrone button box and whistle player Leo McCann was asked to join to expand the band's largely string-driven sound.
In September 2004 the band announced a major change of personnel. Polwart left to pursue a solo career and McCann's imminent fatherhood prompted him to return to his previous career in social work. Polwart and McCann worked their notice until February 2005, coincidentally the same month as Polwart swept the boards at the Radio 2 Folk Awards, catapulting her re-released 2003 solo album 'Faultlines' to greater heights.
Byrne, Dunlop and Bews continued the band with new members Fiona Hunter from Glasgow (vocals, cello) and Liverpool-born Ewan MacPherson (guitar, mandolin, mandola, tenor banjo, jew's harp, vocals), and a series of crossover concerts in January and February 2005 took place, featuring both old and new lineups, including a sellout show at Celtic Connections in Glasgow.
In June 2005 the band recorded their third album 'The Unseen Hours' at Watercolour Studios in Ardgour, Lochaber in the Scottish Highlands, and the album was released in November 2005, surprising many critics with its continuity from the band's previous work, and earning rave reviews with its strong commitment to traditional Scots ballads.
The Unseen Hours lineup toured Germany and the Netherlands in 2006 to great acclaim and in 2007 performed with Swedish ballad band Ranarim at the Celtic Connections festival as well as making their first sojourn to the USA and Canada.
In December 2007 MacPherson left the band to pursue other projects to be replaced by guitar and bouzouki player David Wood from Grindleford in Derbyshire, formerly of CrossCurrent.
Fiddler Mike Vass joined the band in 2008, previously best known for performing in a duo with his sister Ali Vass.
The Shipyard Apprentice
Malinky Lyrics
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Was the very first sound that reached my ears on the morning I was born
I lay and I listened tae the shipyard sound coming out of the unknown
And was lulled to sleep by the mother tongue that was to be my own
But before I grew tae be one year old, I heard the sirens scream
As a city watched in the blacked-out night, a wandering searchlight beam
And then at last I awoke and rose tae my first day of peace
I sat and I listened tae my father tell of the days that he once knew
When ye either sweated for a measly wage or ye joined the parish queue
As times grew harder day by day along the riverside
I ofttimes heard my mother say, "It was tears that made the Clyde"
Now I've sat in the school frae nine tae four and I've dreamed of the world outside
Where the riveters and the platers watch their ships slip tae the Clyde
I've served ma time behind the shipyard gates and I've sometimes mourned my lot
But if any man tries tae mess me about, I will fight like my father fought
The Shipyard Apprentice by Malinky is a poignant tribute to the shipyards of Glasgow, Scotland, and the generations of workers who toiled there. The lyrics articulate the pride and resilience of the shipyard workers whose labor shaped Glasgow's economy and identity, as well as the harsh realities of life in the shadow of industry. In the first verse, the singer describes his birth and upbringing in the shadow of the Fairfield crane, a prominent feature of the Glasgow skyline. He speaks of the shipyard sounds that lulled him to sleep as a child, and the mother tongue that was to be his own. However, the second verse reveals the darker side of life in the shipyards. The singer recounts the terror of the Clydebank Blitz, when the German Luftwaffe bombed and destroyed the shipyards and surrounding areas. He notes that this early experience of war and destruction instilled in him a sense of the struggle to "stay alive" that would shape his life.
The third verse shifts to the singer's own experiences as a shipyard apprentice. He reflects on the stories his father told him of life in the shipyards, where workers faced difficult choices between low wages and unemployment. He speaks of the hardships of life along the riverside, where people struggled to make ends meet. However, he also expresses a sense of pride in his own work as an apprentice, serving his time behind the shipyard gates. He notes that he has "sometimes mourned [his] lot," but also proclaims his determination to fight for his rights, just as his father did.
Overall, The Shipyard Apprentice is a powerful and evocative tribute to the legacy of Glasgow's shipyards, capturing both the pride and hardship experienced by those who labored there.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born in the shadow of the Fairfield crane where the blast o' a freighter's horn
I was born near the Fairfield crane and the sound of a ship's horn was the first thing I heard.
Was the very first sound that reached my ears on the morning I was born
This sound was the first thing I heard when I was born.
I lay and I listened tae the shipyard sound coming out of the unknown
I listened to the shipyard sounds coming from an unfamiliar place.
And was lulled to sleep by the mother tongue that was to be my own
I fell asleep to the dialect of my birthplace.
But before I grew tae be one year old, I heard the sirens scream
Before I turned one, I heard the sirens scream.
As a city watched in the blacked-out night, a wandering searchlight beam
During a blackout night, the city watched a wandering searchlight beam.
And then at last I awoke and rose tae my first day of peace
After that, I woke up to a new day of peace.
For I'd learned that the battle to stay alive was never going tae cease
I understood that the fight to survive never ends.
I sat and I listened tae my father tell of the days that he once knew
I sat and listened to my father talk about his past.
When ye either sweated for a measly wage or ye joined the parish queue
Back then, you either worked hard for a low wage or joined the line for government aid.
As times grew harder day by day along the riverside
As time passed, the area around the river became more difficult to live in.
I ofttimes heard my mother say, "It was tears that made the Clyde"
My mother often said, "It was the hard work and struggles that built the Clyde".
Now I've sat in the school frae nine tae four and I've dreamed of the world outside
I've spent hours in school and dreamed of life outside the shipyards.
Where the riveters and the platers watch their ships slip tae the Clyde
Where experienced workers watch their ships come into the Clyde River.
I've served ma time behind the shipyard gates and I've sometimes mourned my lot
I've worked in the shipyard for a while and sometimes felt unhappy with my life.
But if any man tries tae mess me about, I will fight like my father fought
But if anyone tries to harm me, I will fight back like my father did.
Contributed by Elena A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.