The band is one of the few outfits still burning with the fire of punk, but managing to combine it with the ideals and knowledge of English folk music - a balancing act they've made into a fine art over the years. And they have deep roots in the U.K. folk scene, emerging from both the Whitstable Oyster Co. Ceilidh Band, which formed in 1975, and Fiddler's Dram, a group put together in 1973 by Dave Arbus, whose fiddle work had graced releases by East of Eden and the Who.
Prosser, Telfer, and Taylor were also in Fiddler's Dram, whose moment of fame arrived in 1979 with the British hit single "Day Trip to Bangor" - released after they'd split up. They reconvened for a last album when Kearey joined them. He also became part of the band's alter ego, the roots-oriented Oyster Ceilidh Band, as they'd now become. With Fiddler's Dram no longer extant, the members put their energies in the newly renamed Oyster Band in 1981, playing gigs around England and self-releasing albums on their own Pukka label.
The band returned in 2003 after the longest recording layoff of its career with Rise Above, which included eight originals and two English traditional numbers, and featured the work of Irish piper James O'Grady throughout.
In 1990, the band collaborated with renowned folk singer June Tabor for the album Freedom and Rain and a tour.
Current Lineup:
Chopper - bass guitar, cello, vocals
John Jones - melodeon, lead vocals
Alan Prosser - guitars, viola, vocals
Ian Telfer - fiddle, English concertina, vocals
Dil Davies - drums
http://www.oysterband.co.uk/
Bells of Rhymney
Oysterband Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Say the brown bells of Merthyr.
Who made the mine owners?
Say the black bells of Rhondda.
And who killed the miners?
Say the grim bells of Blaina.
They will plunder willy-nilly,
They have fangs, they have teeth,
Shout the loud bells of Neath.
Even God is weary,
Say the moist bells of Swansea.
What will you give me?
Say the sad bells of Rhymney.
Throw the vandals in court,
Shout the loud bells of Newport.
All would be well if,
Say the green bells of Cardiff.
Why so worried, sisters, why?
Say the silver bells of Wye.
What will you give me?
Say the sad bells of Rhymney.
Oh what can you give me?
Say the sad bells of Rhymney.
Is there hope for the future?
Say the brown bells of Merthyr.
Who made the mine owners?
Say the black bells of Rhondda.
And who killed the miners?
Say the grim bells of Blaina.
Who killed the miners?
Who killed the miners?
Who killed the miners?
Who killed the miners?
The Bells of Rhymney by Oysterband is a song that captures the spirit of labor and the struggles of the miners in Wales. The lyrics seem to be directed towards a person or a group of people who hold the power and control over the miners' lives. The song mentions several mines, such as Merthyr, Rhondda, Blaina among others, where the working conditions for the miners were harsh, and their lives were always at risk.
The chorus of the song, "What will you give me? Say the sad bells of Rhymney," appears to be a plea from the miners themselves, asking the powerful to consider the sacrifices they make in their daily lives.
The song also mentions the violence towards laborers and the constant plundering, which highlights the grim reality that the miners and their families faced daily. The lyrics hint at the deep sense of despair and hopelessness that the miners felt, as they faced oppression from those in power.
Overall, The Bells of Rhymney is a tribute to the working class and their struggles. The song highlights the importance of recognizing the dignity and value of human life, which is often ignored in the business of profits and politics.
Line by Line Meaning
Is there hope for the future?
The brown bells of Merthyr inquire if there is optimism for what is yet to come.
Say the brown bells of Merthyr.
These bells, known for their brown color, are the ones asking the question about the future.
Who made the mine owners?
The black bells of Rhondda ask about the origin of the individuals who own the mines.
Say the black bells of Rhondda.
These bells, known for their dark or black hue, ask the question about the mine owners.
And who killed the miners?
The grim bells of Blaina inquire about the responsible parties for the death of the miners.
Say the grim bells of Blaina.
These bells, characterized as grim, ask about the killing of the miners.
They will plunder willy-nilly,
The bells of Caerphilly indicate that a group of people will loot indiscriminately.
Say the bells of Caerphilly.
These bells represent the town of Caerphilly and warn of the mentioned plundering.
They have fangs, they have teeth,
The loud bells of Neath emphasize the dangerous nature of those who are committing the plundering.
Shout the loud bells of Neath.
These bells, known for their volume, warn of the dangerous attributes of the people responsible for the plundering.
Even God is weary,
The moist bells of Swansea imply that even the divine Creator is exhausted.
Say the moist bells of Swansea.
These bells, referred to as moist, suggest the presence of moisture or humidity in the air and signify divine fatigue.
What will you give me?
The sad bells of Rhymney request to know what someone will offer in return.
Say the sad bells of Rhymney.
These bells, described as sad, express the sentiment of despair and ask the mentioned question.
Throw the vandals in court,
The loud bells of Newport demand that the perpetrators of the crime be brought to trial.
All would be well if,
The green bells of Cardiff suggest that everything would be alright if a certain condition were met.
Say the green bells of Cardiff.
These bells, identified by their green color, mention the hypothetical scenario.
Why so worried, sisters, why?
The silver bells of Wye question why there is so much distress among them.
Say the silver bells of Wye.
These bells, designated as silver, ask the aforementioned question.
Oh what can you give me?
The sad bells of Rhymney again ask what someone can offer in return.
Who killed the miners?
The song ends with a repetition of the question posed by the grim bells of Blaina, asking who is responsible for the miners' deaths.
Who killed the miners?
Another repetition of the question, reinforcing its importance and leaving it to linger in the listener's mind.
Who killed the miners?
A final repetition of the question, underscoring the song's theme and its relevance to modern times.
Contributed by Dominic I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Gareth Owen
It's pronounced Rum knee not Romney or Rimni. I am from the town and Idris Davies is an ancestor of mine. Fantastic song though from a great poem. Pete Seeger really put Rhymney on the map. There is a town called Rumney in Cardiff but Rhymney is 25 miles away from Cardiff and the river Rhymney passes through it to Cardiff (coming out in Rumney, Cardiff, hence the sames).
Derek Saxton
@Gareth Owen Thanks for the insight, a favourite song of mine, My Dad's family were miners in Chesterfield for generations.
buttership
A musical masterpiece of righteous anger and soul filled passion
David Thornton
Hands down, THE best version of this song by anyone.
Howard Cherniack
When my wife and I visited Caerphilly in 1968, we were approached by a couple of secondary-school-aged kids who had been hired by the municipality to survey tourists. There were a bunch of questions, like Did you park in our new municipal car park?, Did you, or will you, visit the Castle, and so on; one of the questions was, Have you ever heard of Caerphilly before? We said something like, Well, there's the cheese, and the mention in the poem by Idris Davies put to music by Pete Seeger. The kids looked at each other and one said, "That's the third American just today..."
latitudeCheck
Welsh miner turned poet Idris Davies native son of Rhymney, Wales, left school at 14 & later self educated, earned his teaching credentials & wrote poetry after the mine closed. Idris Davis' haunting Gwalia Deserta XV published in 1938 memorializes Welsh churches' tradition of tolling the bells in tribute to lives lost in Welsh mining disasters in Welsh cities named throughout the poem. Seeger added the melody to Idris Davies' poem.
Derek Saxton
I think maybe those who are so critical of the pronuciation should maybe just take a moment and think about the meaning of the song and reflect on the plight of miners all over the world. Just my humble opinion, that's all :)
Dagworth
it is indeed Bastards... Tory Bastards
Mehefinheulog1
@Derek Saxton ... so what is that final word shouted out by Oysterband? To me it sounds an awful lot like "BASTARDS!!!"
ceeandy
This montage and song say it all about the toll coal mining has taken, especially in Wales.