The Holworth Line , Graeme Allwright

[Jean Pierre]

I'm continuing my little series of simple recordings, just guitar and Uke bass.
This is a song by Graeme Alwright

About Graeme Alwright

Graeme Alwright was the artist who introduced teenagers in the 60s to such folk monuments as Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger... it was thanks to his songs that several generations of young people took up the guitar - From his native New Zealand he arrived in Paris in the early 1950s and was one of the founding pioneers of the folk movement in France.

Along with the previous song (don't think twice, it's all right) it was through this song that I learned my first finguer picking.

about the HOLWORTH Line

The Holworth line is about a man who runs a shipping company specialising in transporting convicts from England to Australia.
Nearly 166,000 men, women and children were sent to Australia over a period of more than 80 years, between 1787 and 1868, condemned by British justice to deportation to the penal colonies.
108,000 of the 140,000 new arrivals in Australia between 1841 and 1850 were free settlers, most of whom had fled poverty and unemployment in the British Isles,

It's far from old-fashioned in this world that calls itself modern, where the arrogance of the well-to-do is equalled only by the distress of the poorest. Poor people who are always exiling themselves to richer lands of promise, and who always have to deal with the same profiteers of misery. The lyrics are superb, and the melody, very folk, interesting.

here the lyrics in french and translation

Ted Holworth était un notable
Dont l'argent venait de la mer
Tous les paroissiens respectables
Admiraient sa piété de fer
Admiraient sa piété de fer
Sans doute il ne confondait guère
Les affaires et les sentiments
Mais sa parole était sincère
C'est du moins c'que disaient les gens
C'est du moins c'que disaient les gens
Il avait tout d'un homme honnête
Mais il faut vous dire la vérité
Il était noir sous l'étiquette
Et ses bateaux étaient damnés
Ses bateaux étaient damnés
Ils transportaient aux antipodes
Des hommes attachés par le pied
Bagnards de sang ou de maraude
Et criminels de majesté
Criminels de majesté
Ils avaient offensé la Reine
Ou bien massacré pour voler
Mais ils tiraient à la même chaîne
Que des innocents humiliés
Des innocents humiliés
Ceux-là s'en allaient vers l'enfer
Pour un crime abominé
Ils n'avaient pas voulu se taire
Par amour de la vérité
Amour de la vérité
La coque était puante et noire
Les gardiens comme des loups
Tant de misère de désespoir
Avait de quoi vous rendre fou
Avait de quoi vous rendre fou
Depuis le monde a bien changé
La ligne Holworth a fait peau neuve
Elle est très bien considérée
(Sa réussite est un chef d'oeuvre
Sa réussite est un chef d'oeuvre
Il n'y a plus de bagnards dans les cales
Mais les marins crient comme avant
Sous son pavillon triomphal
Elle transporte des émigrants
Elle transporte des émigrants

traduction
Ted Holworth was a notable
Whose money came from the sea
All the respectable parishioners
Admired his iron piety
Admired his iron piety
No doubt he never confused
Business and sentiment
But his word was sincere
At least that's what people said
At least that's what people said
He had all the makings of an honest man
But you must know the truth
He was black under the label
And his boats were damned
His boats were damned
They carried to the antipodes
Men tied by the foot
Blood convicts or marauders
And criminals of majesty
Criminals of majesty
They had offended the Queen
Or slaughtered to steal
But they pulled the same chain
As humiliated innocents
Humiliated innocents
They were on their way to hell
For an abominable crime
They would not be silent
For the love of truth
For the love of truth
The hull was stinking and black
The guards like wolves
So much misery and despair
Was enough to drive you mad
It was enough to drive you mad
Since then the world has changed
The Holworth line has been revamped
It is highly regarded
(Its success is a masterpiece
Its success is a masterpiece
There are no more convicts in the holds
But the sailors shout as before
Under her triumphant flag
It carries emigrants
It carries emigrants

[Pipes]

Hi there,

Love the simplicity of things..and it shines through in musical compositions and youv'e captured it nicely.

Loving the accent and phrasing ...


Touching
Nick