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The
Fivepenny Piece Songs K-O
The
Fivepenny Piece Songs pages list in alphabetical
order all the known songs* (not forgetting the monologues!)
recorded or written by The Fivepenny Piece,
and give brief notes about each. This is the index
page, which gives a complete alphabetical index of
all the songs. Further information about the individual
songs is given in these pages:
Part
1 (A-C) |
Part 2 (D-F) |
Part 3 (G-J) |
Part 4 (K-O) |
Part 5 (P-S) |
Part 6 (T-Z)
or just click on the song title below to go
to the appropriate page. If anyone knows of any other
songs not in the list, then please let us know.
*
songs from the CD 57 Fivepenny Favourites have
not been included in this list, as these are all medleys
of extracts of songs made famous by others, and are
not really typical The Fivepenny Piece material.
Song
Title & Composer(s)
|
Track
info / Notes |
Lady Lovely Lady
(John Meeks - Colin Radcliffe) |
Love song with John on lead vocals.
LP:
Peddlers Of Songs |
Lancashire Lyne, The
(John Meeks - Colin Radcliffe) |
Humorous song sung in appropriately gormless
style by Eddie, about a shy lad and his struggles
to attract a lass. With sterling vocal support
on the chorus from John and Lynda.
LP:
The Fivepenny Piece On Stage; LP:
Lancashire My Lancashire |
Lancashire My Lancashire
(John Meeks - Colin Radcliffe) |
Anthem for God's Own County, recorded live at
the Broadoak and originally issued on the band's
first live LP, then used as the title track
for an LP of Lancashire songs.
LP:
The Fivepenny Piece On Stage Again; LP:
Lancashire My Lancashire |
Land Of Half Past Nine, The
(John Meeks - Colin Radcliffe) |
The B-side of the band's very first single.
A folky arrangement with string backing, it
now sounds untypical of The Fivepenny Piece's
later material.
single:
Running Free |
Land Of The Musical Telephone
(John Meeks - Colin Radcliffe) |
Is this a children's nonsense song? Or perhaps
this song, with its lyrics reminiscent of the
Sgt. Pepper era, represents The Fivepenny Piece
in their psychedelic phase! In any case it has
a lovely melody in 3/4 time, and is beautifully
sung, with vocals mainly by Lynda. In hindsight,
perhaps a musical telephone isn't such a strange
idea in this age of mobile ringtones!
LP:
Makin' Tracks; LP:
This Is The Fivepenny Piece |
Left-Handed Thread
(John Meeks - Colin Radcliffe) |
Song that seems to be about the troubles of
getting up in the morning! Strange lyric, difficult
to interpret.
LP:
Songs We Like To Sing |
Let Me Down Easy
(John Meeks - Colin Radcliffe) |
Pop song with a country tinge, with Lynda on
lead vocals and good harmonies from the lads.
LP:
Life Is A Game Of Chance |
Life Is A Game Of Chance
(John Meeks - Colin Radcliffe) |
Title track of the band's first album for Philips,
with Lynda on lead vocals. The title says it
all...
LP:
Life Is A Game Of Chance |
Little Boy Little Girl
(John Meeks - Colin Radcliffe) |
The B-side of the band's second single. Not
a particularly strong or memorable song, but
interesting as it shows the band at an early
stage of development. A rather folky arrangement
similar to those of the first single, in contrast
to the more commercial pop sound of the A-side.
single:
Hang The Flag Out Mrs Jones |
Liverpool Lullaby
(Stan Kelly) |
The most famous song from the pen of the multi-talented
Scouser, recorded by many other artists over
the years. The poignant lyrics are sung by a
mother (here sung by Lynda) to her young scallywag
of a son, and tell of her hardships bringing
up a family in difficult circumstances.
LP:
An Evening With The Fivepenny Piece |
Long Long Time Has Gone, A
(John Meeks - Colin Radcliffe) |
Yet another song with a lovely melody, sung
beautifully with Lynda on lead vocals. And another
missed opportunity for EMI to issue a hit single!
LP:
Wish You Were Here |
Look Into My Eyes
(John Meeks - Colin Radcliffe) |
Tender love song, sung beautifully by Lynda
on the band's first LP. Re-recorded by the later
incarnation of the band on the Better Than
Ever album.
LP:
The Fivepenny Piece; LP:
This Is The Fivepenny Piece; CD:
Better Than Ever |
Lord Of The Dance
(Sydney Carter) |
Song with Christian overtones that has become
a folk standard and recorded by just about everyone
from Abba to ZZ Top - well, the Houghton Weavers
to the Spinners, anyroad. Re-recorded for the
band's 2008 Christmas album.
CD:
Better Than Ever, CD:
A Special Child
|
Lou-Lay-Lye
(John Meeks - Colin Radcliffe) |
Minor-key song that opens the Makin' Tracks album
- perhaps an unusual choice. Another one with
lyrics difficult to interpret.
LP:
Makin' Tracks |
Lucky Lot, The
(John Meeks, Moirano) |
A
new song recorded in 2007 for the It All
Began album.
CD:
Where It All Began |
Lunatic Song
(Trad. arr. The Fivepenny Piece) |
Short humorous song on the live LP An Evening
With The Fivepenny Piece, with the chorus
"Come inside yer silly b*gg*r, come inside!".
Re-recorded in 2007 for the It All Began
album.
LP:
An Evening With The Fivepenny Piece; CD:
Where It All Began |
Song
Title & Composer(s)
|
Track
info / Notes |
Manchester Rambler
(Ewan MacColl) |
Salford-born Ewan MacColl's famous and much-recorded
song written in the 1930s to support the fight
to open up the countryside to ramblers.
CD:
Better Than Ever |
| Mary's
Boy Child |
Modern
Christmas song recorded and released on the
band's 2008 Christmas album.
CD:
A Special Child
|
Matchstalk Men & Matchstalk Cats & Dogs
(Bryan Burke - Michael Coleman) |
Song dedicated to painter L.S. Lowry that was
a massive UK chart hit for its composers Bryan
& Michael in 1978. Eddie on lead vocals.
LP:
Life Is A Game Of Chance |
Mermaid, The
(Trad.) |
Old folk song with a rip-roaring chorus, about
seafarers and the mermaid "with a comb
and a glass in her hand".
CD:
Better Than Ever |
Mi Grandfather's Day
(John Meeks - George Radcliffe) |
Unusually, Colin's brother George Radcliffe
collaborated with John Meeks on this evocative
song about an old man telling his grandson how
things were in his day. A great song - it's
a pity George didn't write a few more like this!
A new version of the song was released in 2004
on John Meeks' first solo CD.
LP:
Songs We Like To Sing; CD:
Very Best Of The Fivepenny Piece; CD:
Just Me And Some Of Mi Songs |
Mi Gronny
(Samuel Laycock - John Meeks) |
Another song based on an old Lancashire dialect
poem by Sam Laycock, set to music by John Meeks
and sung by Lynda. On the King Cotton
album.
LP:
King Cotton; LP:
This Is The Fivepenny Piece |
Miners' Life
(John Meeks) |
A new song released in 2004 on John Meeks' first
solo CD.
CD:
Just Me And Some Of Mi Songs |
Minstrel, The
(Alan Bell) |
Lovely song from the pen of Fylde folk singer
Alan Bell, about a "peddler of songs".
Has a wonderful sing-along chorus and always
goes down well with audiences. Appeared as a
track on one of the group's later albums Better
Than Ever.
CD:
Better Than Ever |
Miss Nightingale
(John Meeks - Colin Radcliffe) |
Lovely song with another great vocal performance
from Lynda, about a retired schoolteacher held
in great esteem by her ex-pupils. There are
two recorded versions, one live at the Broadoak
and one in the studio.
LP:
Telling Tales; LP:
The Fivepenny Piece On Stage Again; LP:
This Is The Fivepenny Piece |
Miss Prim & Proper
(John Meeks - Colin Radcliffe) |
From the Life Is A Game Of Chance album,
this song about a lass who's changed as she's
grown up is sung by John.
LP:
Life Is A Game Of Chance |
Mistaken Identity
(Eddie Crotty) |
Lancashire tale written and sung by Eddie about
an absent minded old weaver. Re-recorded in
2007 for the It All Began album.
LP:
The Fivepenny Piece; CD:
Where It All Began |
Molly Kershaw
(Bernard Wrigley) |
Love song by the Bolton Bullfrog, sung by Eddie
Crotty.
LP:
Both Sides Of The Fivepenny Piece; CD:
Very Best Of The Fivepenny Piece |
Mon Like Thee, A
(Trad. arr. J. Meeks - L. Meeks - E. Crotty -
C. Radcliffe - G. Radcliffe) |
A favourite old Lancashire folk-song about Lancashire
hospitality, recorded by many artists including
the Houghton Weavers and the Oldham Tinkers.
LP:
Both Sides Of The Fivepenny Piece; LP:
Very Best Of The Fivepenny Piece; CD:
Better Than Ever |
Mountain Climber
(John Meeks - Colin Radcliffe) |
Opening track on The Fivepenny Piece's first
album, and one of the band's most enduringly
popular songs. A rather sad song about an old
man who is no longer able to enjoy life as he
once did. Lynda on lead vocals with harmony
from the band.
LP:
The Fivepenny Piece; LP:
This Is The Fivepenny Piece; LP:
Here We Are Again; CD:
Here We Are Again; CD:
Very Best Of The Fivepenny Piece; LP:
Camera & Song |
My Brudda Sylvest
(Jesse Lasky - Fred Fisher - Sam Stern) |
Song originally published in New York in 1908
(with words by Jesse Lasky and music by Fred
Fischer), but modified over the years, and credited
to Lasky, Fisher (sic) and Stern. Has become
a popular club folk song, spawning many variants
recorded by many artists including Mike Harding
and the Yetties. Concerns a "big strong
man" and his exploits. On this occasion
George shares vocals with Eddie. A crowd-pleaser
if ever there was one!
LP:
The Fivepenny Piece On Stage; LP:
Very Best Of The Fivepenny Piece; CD:
Better Than Ever |
My Friend The Mirror
(John Meeks - Colin Radcliffe) |
Song on the Telling Tales album,
sung by Eddie. About a magic mirror that provides
its owner with a different face every day, and
the consequences...
LP:
Telling Tales |
My Little Town
(John Meeks) |
A
new song released in 2004 on John Meeks' first
solo CD.
CD:
Just Me And Some Of Mi Songs |
My Morning Friend
(John Meeks - Colin Radcliffe) |
A new song recorded
in 2007 for the It All Began album.
CD:
Where It All Began |
Song
Title & Composer(s)
|
Track
info / Notes |
Old Armchair, The
(Trad.) |
A
new song released on the 2007 where It All
Began album.
CD:
Where It All Began |
Old Brown Jacket
(John Meeks) |
A new song released in 2004 on John Meeks' first
solo CD.
CD:
Just Me And Some Of Mi Songs |
Old England
(John Meeks - Colin Radcliffe) |
Thought-provoking song at the end of the band's
magnificentKing Cotton album, with the
line "Will the last to leave Old England
please turn out the light". Another song
which some might say still has relevance today.
This was issued as the B-side of the Watercolour
Morning single in 1976.
45
rpm single; LP:
King Cotton |
Old Tom The Weaver
(John Meeks - Colin Radcliffe) |
From the Telling Tales album, a sad song
about the decline of the textile industry in
Lancashire.
LP:
Telling Tales |
Old Tyrant, The
(John Meeks - Eddie Crotty) |
The 'old tyrant' in question is the winter and
the bitter weather it brings to the north. This
song is a plea for it to be gone. John on lead
vocals.
LP:
Makin' Tracks |
|
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
(J. & L. Meeks - E. Crotty - C. & G.
Radcliffe)
Lyrics
here |
Humorous song to the tune of Villikins and
his Dinah (or The Threshing Machine).
On the live Fivepenny Piece On Stage album.
Credited to the whole group.
LP:
The Fivepenny Piece On Stage |
Onward
Onward Soldier
(John Meeks - Colin Radcliffe) |
A
new Meeks-Radcliffe composition recorded for
the band's 2008 Christmas album.
CD:
A Special Child |
Our Bill & The Concrete Mixer
(Bernard Wrigley) |
Cautionary tale from Bernard Wrigley involving
a an open-topped sports car, a concrete mixer,
and a chap who suspects his wife of having an
affair behind his back. Originally recorded
by Bernard himself on the classic 1970 LP Owdham
Edge.
LP:
The Fivepenny Piece On Stage Again |
Our Corner Shop's A Supermarket Now
(John Meeks - Stanley Ashton) |
Song firmly in the George Formby tradition,
on the album Life Is A Game Of Chance.
LP:
Life Is A Game Of Chance |
Our Dog Fred
(music: John Meeks, words: Colin & George
Radcliffe) |
On the band's second live album, this tells
the strange tale of a dog that walks on water.
John on lead vocals.
LP:
The Fivepenny Piece On Stage Again |
Our Sarah's Getten A Chap
(words: Sam Fitton, music: Eddie Crotty) |
Old Lancashire poem by dialect writer Sam Fitton
set to music and sung by Eddie Crotty. The singer
bemoans the fact that his sister has got herself
a new boyfriend, and the whole household has
to be on its best behaviour for his visits -
even the cat!
LP:
Both Sides Of The Fivepenny Piece |
'Ow Do, 'Ow Are You
(words: Stanley Ashton, music: John Meeks) |
Written by Stanley Ashton and set to music by
John Meeks, a Lancashire song with some good
vocal harmonies from the group.
LP:
Both Sides Of The Fivepenny Piece |
Owd Rimbant
(Eddie Crotty) |
Humorous song written and sung on the band's
first album by Eddie, about an incredibly mean
old weaver.
LP:
The Fivepenny Piece |
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