Listen & tracks
3 of 84 tracks have a preview · 42 works · 76:33
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1 When I needed a neighbour Sydney Carter 2:07
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2 Socialism in our time Sydney Carter 1:37
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3 Eros Sydney Carter 2:05
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4 Dr Spock Sydney Carter :24
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5 The white buck of Epping Sydney Carter 2:53
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6 The devil wore a crucifix Sydney Carter 1:52
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7 The holy mountain Sydney Carter :38
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8 The holy horses Sydney Carter 2:28
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9 George Fox Sydney Carter 2:44
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10 Never can tell Sydney Carter 2:10
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11 Port Mahon Sydney Carter 3:07
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12 Glass of water Sydney Carter 2:01
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13 Putting out the dustbin Sydney Carter 2:28
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14 British Museum waltz Sydney Carter 1:26
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15 Last exit to Brooklyn Sydney Carter :41
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16 Better take a book to bed Sydney Carter 1:23
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17 Silver in the stubble Sydney Carter 2:32
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18 Green like the leaves Sydney Carter 3:32
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19 Mixed up old man Sydney Carter 1:33
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20 Landlord and tenant Sydney Carter 1:49
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21 Carol Sydney Carter :30
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22 Come love carolling Sydney Carter 2:14
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23 Lord of the dance Sydney Carter 2:10
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24 Judas and Mary Sydney Carter 3:03
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25 Friday morning Sydney Carter 2:41
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26 The danger Sydney Carter :39
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27 Bitter was the night Sydney Carter 1:44
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28 Son of man Sydney Carter 1:28
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29 Look no hands Sydney Carter :36
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30 Shake and shiver Sydney Carter 1:38
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31 Like the snow Sydney Carter 2:16
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32 To my heart Sydney Carter 1:02
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33 When were you really living Sydney Carter 1:14
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34 Well Mr Barber Sydney Carter :38
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35 Before we drive away Sydney Carter 2:04
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36 My last cigarette Sydney Carter 1:56
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37 Man with the microphone Sydney Carter 1:41
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38 Words love music Sydney Carter :32
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39 Say who you are love Sydney Carter 1:49
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40 Coming or going away Sydney Carter 3:50
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41 The candlelight Sydney Carter 1:49
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42 Run the film backwards Sydney Carter 1:29
The songs and poems on this compilation were written in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. They covered social and religious themes and were originally heard in concert, on television in a series entitled ‘Hallelujah’, and on record. This album was originally released at the time he toured Australia in 1972.
Some of the lyrics, with commentary, and other articles and quotes, are included in the comprehensive digital booklet which can be viewed or downloaded on this page.
This film was made in 1972 at the time of Sydney Carter’s Australian tour.
In the artist’s words
You write a song and you sing a song and people stick the labels on afterwards saying it’s ‘religious’ or it’s ‘anti-religious’ or it’s a ‘carol’ or it’s ‘folk’ or ‘pop’ or something. When you write a song and think a song and feel a song, you don’t care what it is.
There are two kinds of song: those after which you say ‘Amen’ and those after which you don’t. The ‘Amen’ kind of song, whether it is a hymn, a national anthem or whatever, has to unite people who are singing it. Any song in dialogue which presents two or more points of view without indicating clearly which is ‘right’ has to be disqualified. Any irony, any ambiguity, is dangerous. There must be no doubt about what you have said ‘Amen’ to.
This rules out nearly all the songs I write, including those upon this record. But that does not mean that they are not religious.
Most religious songs are hymns — even though you call them psalms or anthems — and therefore they are Amen songs. That does not make them worse or better than any other kind of song. It merely means that they have a special function, like a work-song or a lullaby. The function of a hymn is to unite the singers in an act of worship.
What kind of song (it may be asked) can be religious, which does not do this? The kind of song which I would call ‘dramatic’. And drama is essentially ambiguous in that it presents more than a single point of view. The audience can take sides and identify with one view-point or another. But the drama — as drama — cannot say ‘this is right, and that is wrong’. That must be left to the audience.
When songs by people like myself are sung in church some ministers have taken the precaution to provide a prologue or an epilogue. Friday Morning is an extreme example of what I call ‘dramatic’. It is really a dialogue, a one-sided dialogue, for Jesus does not answer. The listener must provide the other half — in silence while the song is sung, or vocally when it is over. As it stands, you could never say ‘Amen’ to this: not in church, at any rate. Yet it has been used in a religious service, to pose a question. The context has provided the reply.
Another song which could never be used as a hymn is The Vicar is a Beatnik. In fact, I wonder if any song on this record could command a safe ‘Amen’. They need a context — and this, perhaps, is true of hymns as well — for it is the time and place, the tone of voice, the singer, the listener — the total context — which can make a performance religious or otherwise: not what is printed on a piece of paper.
Artists
Sydney Carter
vocals
Sydney Carter (1915–2004) was an English poet, folk singer and songwriter. He is often called a hymn-writer for Lord of the Dance, though his songs range across faith, protest, doubt and ordinary life.
Digital booklet
Digital booklet Notes, texts and credits — read online or download the PDF Download the PDFPerformers
- Sydney Carter · vocals · all except tracks 8, 11, 12, 18, 20, 22, 24, 30, 33, 35, 40 and 41
- Sheila Hancock · vocals · tracks 16 and 20
- Jeremy Taylor · guitar · track 5
- Franciscus Henri · vocals · tracks 18, 40 and 41
- Bob Pegg · vocals · track 8
- Carole Pegg · vocals · tracks 11, 22 and 30
- Nadia Cattouse · vocals · tracks 12, 24 and 33
- Jim Minchin · vocals · track 35
Details
- List price
- $25.00 AUD
- Total playing time
- 76 minutes 33 seconds
- Release date
- 1972
- Categories
- Spoken word, Vocal
- Genres
- Folk, Vocal & Opera
- Musical work copyright
- © 1972 Move Records
- Sound recording copyright
- ℗ 1972 Move Records
- Catalogue
- MD 3003
- EAN
- 9314574300321
More to explore
Sydney Carter In Concert
Poet and songwriter Sydney Carter visited Australia in 1972 for concerts and workshops across the country. This recording captures one of those live events in full, preserving his wry, questioning songs as they were heard on the tour.
The Present Tense: Songs of Sydney Carter
The songs of Sydney Carter are an enigma. Folk, religious, satire and protest never quite fit. They have depth and integrity, and they press us to face and question our innermost thoughts and conflicts.
Seven Whole Days: Music for the Contemporary Church
Seven Whole Days is Jim Minchin’s second Move album of contemporary church song, recorded across Melbourne and Singapore in 1969 with singers and instrumentalists from both places.
Move Two Mix: Music for the Contemporary Church
Move Two Mix gathers religious songs and hymns with music by Jim Minchin, marrying familiar sacred texts to jazz- and folk-inflected settings. First issued in 1968, this pioneering Melbourne recording brought contemporary idioms into church worship.
The World is a Beautiful Place
The Australian Rosny Children’s Choir presents A Dozen of Dennis, Peter Davies’s settings of twelve poems from C. J. Dennis’s A Book for Kids, with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.
Gabriel's Mother's Highway
Franciscus Henri presents songs by Sydney Carter, Elton John and Arlo Guthrie alongside three of his own. Produced by Brian Cadd, the album settles into a gentle folk-rock style with clear acoustic colour.