The lyrics of this song are a severely edited version of a poem by my wife, Sandra. It refers to a true incident, which resulted in the deaths of two gamekeepers and the hanging of two miners. Tanglewood TW73 guitar.
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Story behind the song
The poem by my wife Sandra was written 8 years ago and I've been meaning to work out a musical outlet for it for a long time. I regret having had to edit out a lot of great lines and several strands of the story, but the song would have been way too long.
Lyrics
Rosebery Murders
What evil intent in country games
Ensnared the hearts of simple men?
The colliers game has gone to pot
A bitter meal for man and bairn.
The cracks of their shots brought
The Keepers on their trail,
Crunching softly through the woods,
Only moonlight lit their path.
And they were not the hunters
But the hunted on that night,
And emerging in the clearing,
They were bathed in misty light.
Who called out from the undergrowth?
Was it Vicars, or was it Innes?
A shot rang out – then three shots more,
Two keepers slumped to the forest floor.
“You can dream of snaring rabbits,
You can dream of shooting pheasant,
You can dream of country dances,
But you can never hope to go there.”
............................................................
The third of the Keepers, James
Grosset, was the witness –
Ran for help to aid his partners,
Johns Fortune and McDermid.
It was but two hours to dawn –
William Innes rose for work
In the bleak and chilly morning
At the pit horn’s mournful calling.
As Vicars and Innes dug the
Coal and grim reflected
The Doctor at the farmhouse
Attended sharpish to the injured.
The police were in attendance
Took the statements, saw the victims
Despatched shortly to the village
Sought the homes of Vicars and Innes
“You can dream of snaring rabbits,
You can dream of shooting pheasant,
You will scramble in the coal mine,
You will choke on filthy powder.”
............................................................
The Court is charging murder
Wants the heads of the two poachers –
This fair game, the night’s adventure
Would prove costly in the long run.
They cried out and begged for mercy –
It was never meant to be murder –
They had never so intended –
Could Fifteen hundred reprieve them?
But the Authorities were hardened,
And resolved to take their vengeance
Both were hanged as was the custom
On the scaffold in the Prison
“You can dream of snaring rabbits
You can dream of shooting pheasant
In the quicklime you’ll dream forever
But you can never hope to go there!”
“You will scramble in the coal mine
You will choke on filthy powder
You can dream of country dances
You can never hope to go there!”
............................................................
From a poem by Sandra Patterson (28/11/06) edited for the purposes of this song.
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