David Littler and Tony Berry are both founder members of the band, whilst Steve Millington joined in 1996.
Previous members are Norman Prince (1975 to 1999, 6 string acoustic guitar, 12 string guitar, bass guitar and vocals), John Oliver (1975 to 1976 vocals), Denis Littler (1976 to 1984 bass guitar and vocals) and Jeff Hill (1984 to 1996 and 1999 to 2007 bass Guitar, 6 string acoustic guitar, 12 string guitar, electric guitar and vocals)
They sing mainly English folk music, much of it in Lancashire dialect, and demonstrate an eclectic range of song subjects including "The Blackpool Belle", "Uncle Joe’s Mintballs" and "Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs" (a biographical song about the painter L. S. Lowry).
They are best known for their BBC T.V. show "Sit Thi Deawn" (a Lancashire colloquial corruption of "Sit You Down"; referring to the supposed hospitality of Lancashire people). The programme ran for six series or seven years and was a mixture of easy listening music and comedy for a local audience[1]. The group also starred in six of their own series for BBC Radio 2.
Heart of Oak
The Houghton Weavers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To add something more to this wonderful year;
To honour we call you, as freemen not slaves,
For who are so free as the sons of the waves?
Heart of Oak are our ships,
Jolly Tars are our men,
We always are ready: Steady, boys, Steady!
We ne'er see our foes but we wish them to stay,
They never see us but they wish us away;
If they run, why we follow, and run them ashore,
For if they won't fight us, what can we do more?
Heart of Oak are our ships,
Jolly Tars are our men,
We always are ready: Steady, boys, Steady!
We′ll fight and we′ll conquer again and again.
They say they'll invade us these terrible foe,
They frighten our women, our children, our beaus,
But if should their flat-bottoms, in darkness set oar,
Still Britons they′ll find to receive them on shore.
Heart of Oak are our ships,
Jolly Tars are our men,
We always are ready: Steady, boys, Steady!
We'll fight and we′ll conquer again and again.
We still make them feel and we still make them flee,
And drub them ashore as we drub them at sea,
Then cheer up me lads with one heart let us sing,
Our soldiers and sailors, our statesmen and king.
Heart of Oak are our ships,
Jolly Tars are our men,
We always are ready: Steady, boys, Steady!
We'll fight and we′ll conquer again and again.
"Heart of Oak" is a traditional British song that celebrates the glory of British naval power. The lyrics are a rousing call to arms, encouraging men to join the navy and serve their country. The use of "heart of oak" as a metaphor speaks to the strength and durability of the British ships, and the "jolly tars" are the sailors who man them.
The first stanza of the song sets the tone, calling on men to join the navy and add to the glory of the nation. The second stanza speaks to the freedom of the sailors, who are not slaves but free men. The third stanza suggests that the navy welcomes a fight, and that its sailors are always ready for battle. The fourth stanza speaks to the bravery of British sailors in the face of invasion, and the fifth finishes with a call to cheer for soldiers, sailors, and leaders alike.
Line by Line Meaning
Come, cheer up, my lads, ′tis to glory we steer,
Let us have high spirits and motivation, my friends, as we are heading towards achieving something great.
To add something more to this wonderful year;
Let us accomplish something significant in this year as well.
To honour we call you, as freemen not slaves,
We are calling you to do something honorable, as free individuals and not as prisoners or slaves.
For who are so free as the sons of the waves?
As sailors and sons of the sea, who else can be as free as us?
Heart of Oak are our ships,
Our ships are strong and reliable, as if made of oak wood.
Jolly Tars are our men,
Our sailors are merry and courageous, always ready for a challenge.
We always are ready: Steady, boys, Steady!
We are always prepared and focused, steady and determined.
We'll fight and we′ll conquer again and again.
We will battle and emerge victorious, repeatedly.
We ne'er see our foes but we wish them to stay,
We rarely encounter our enemies, but when we do, we hope they stay for a fight.
They never see us but they wish us away;
Our foes always dread our presence and wish to avoid us.
If they run, why we follow, and run them ashore,
If our enemies flee, we pursue them and chase them to land.
For if they won't fight us, what can we do more?
If they refuse to engage in battle, we cannot do much else.
They say they'll invade us these terrible foe,
Our enemies threaten to invade us.
They frighten our women, our children, our beaus,
They cause fear among our loved ones and the general public.
But if should their flat-bottoms, in darkness set oar,
Even if they try to sneak up on us in flat boats under the cover of darkness,
Still Britons they′ll find to receive them on shore.
They will still find us, as British citizens, waiting on shore to confront them.
We still make them feel and we still make them flee,
We continue to intimidate and cause our enemies to flee.
And drub them ashore as we drub them at sea,
We defeat them with the same intensity on land as we do at sea.
Then cheer up me lads with one heart let us sing,
So, let us all rejoice together and sing with unity and enthusiasm.
Our soldiers and sailors, our statesmen and king.
Let us celebrate our military heroes, our sailors, our leaders, and our monarch.
Contributed by Daniel F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Timo Lohva
on Room In The Sky
2 more corrections: "on t' other side of town" & "they say he won't be suited".
Timo Lohva
on Room In The Sky
Also "There's no kinder people" - Not " "kind of ". + "But I've had a note from t' council".
Timo Lohva
on Room In The Sky
Also: "The only consolation, I'll say to be quite fair, I'm sure to get to Heaven, 'cos I'll be halfway there"?
Timo Lohva
on Room In The Sky
I think "winter suitcase" should be "there i'nt a suitcase large enough...."(local dialect for isn't)?