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whitechapel ladies

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Oh won’t you come down with me Whitechapel ladies

Oh won’t you come down with me Whitechapel girls

It’s for Mary and Annie and Long Liz and Catherine

Mary Jane Kelly and all of their woes.

 

Oh when you go down to the streets of old London

The alleys, the rookeries, doss houses too

Remember us ladies who did it for pennies

And never no never for the love of you.

 

For gin or for crack, it really don’t matter

For gin or for crack we go out on the street

Then you come along and our lives are a splatter

Of blood and of gore as the nightmare’s complete.

It’s for Tania and Gemma, for Annette and Paula

For Anneli and all of their woes.

 

You ripped me apart like I was the Grand Canyon

You tore out my eyes and you pulled out my heart

You shoved my innards over my left shoulder

Then wading through my blood you had to depart.

It’s for Wilma and Emily, Irene, Patricia,

Jayne, Jean and Yvonne, Jacqueline, Josephine,

Barbara, Helen, Vera, Marguerite.

 

We sing for the pure girls the innocent maidens

The strong young women, noble and proud

The ones who are lost, oh the ones who were taken

They stand there behind you, all ghosts in a crowd.

It’s for Milly and Jessica, Holly and Suzy

And Rachel and Jill.

 

It’s all for your lust and its all for your cruelty

Cowards the lot of you, torturing maids.

You think you have the power to destroy their beauty

The wives and the harlots, the virgins, the babes.

 

Oh won’t you come down with me Whitechapel ladies

Oh won’t you come down with me Whitechapel girls

It’s for Jacqueline, Yvonne and Helen and Vera

For Jayne and Patricia and Jean.

 

You say you’re in hell and I hope you burn brightly

You say you’re in hell and I hope it takes time

So you’ll never forget us, the Whitechapel ladies,

And all of our sisters who rage in a line.

 

It’s for Tania and Gemma, for Annette and Paula

Anneli, Wilma, Emily, Irene,

Patricia, Jayne, Jean and Yvonne, Jacqueline, Josephine,

Barbara, Helen,

Vera, Marguerite, Milly and Jessica, Holly and Suzy

And Rachel and Jill. Mary and Annie and Long Liz and Catherine

Mary Jane Kelly and all of their woes.

 

 

◄ wind in the chimney

white knights ►

Comments

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Ann Foxglove

Mon 25th Jul 2011 11:08

The first part is a bit like the old folk tune Adeiu Spanish Ladies, which just popped into my head. The chorus is just a bit of a mess trying to fit in all the names. I wanted to pay tribute to some of the women murdered over the years, from Jack the Ripper victims, Yorkshire Ripper victims, the Soham girls, Suffolk Strangler victims, Milly Dowler, Jill Dando and Suzy Lamplugh. Thanks for your comment.

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John Embley

Mon 25th Jul 2011 10:54

This is a modern folk classic, Ann! I just had to pick up the ould twang box and pick along -- is it your tune?

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John Coopey

Mon 18th Jul 2011 23:01

A voice that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end (inter alia).

<Deleted User> (6895)

Mon 18th Jul 2011 20:18

have tweaked me woofers...all is fine now on the re-listen to your songbirding-except for the chorus I would have added

#and its no nay neverrrr
no nay neverrr no more#

#will I play the kerb crawler
no neverrr nay morrrrrre!

<Deleted User> (6895)

Mon 18th Jul 2011 12:29

bugger all wrong with the voice Ann-not sure about ground control to major Tom in the background-and dont you dare blame my taiwanese speakers! do you think an accompaniment on a washboard would have enhanced the recording? love from a relentless rainy Rossendale-Stef(with one eff!)..thanks AAnnn...xx

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Ann Foxglove

Mon 18th Jul 2011 08:41

Just did another audio, not quite so flat!!

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Ann Foxglove

Sun 17th Jul 2011 23:41

I wrote another poem on this theme ages ago but too felt it a bit ott to post. But John, I will if you will! Maybe!

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John Coopey

Sun 17th Jul 2011 22:21

I like this Ann. A difficult subject to write about.
I did one from the viewpoint of the Ripper which is a bit strong and I haven't had the courage to submit it.
Good on yer!

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Ann Foxglove

Sun 17th Jul 2011 21:15

Thanks Steff - first couple of lines of the audio are flat as a pancake! Such a long song to get ALL of it as best as I could. After the fifth take, I couldn't bear to do another one! It was inspired by going on a Jack the Ripper walk when I was up in London recently. They are such atmospheric back streets and alleys!

<Deleted User> (6895)

Sun 17th Jul 2011 20:10

Love everything about this poem Ann especially the fourth verse-lovely to see you back on form(as though you have ever been off it-(form I mean!)bestestest to you-Mr.W.x

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Ann Foxglove

Sun 17th Jul 2011 17:26

(sorry I murdered the song too!)

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