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Fair Skinned Mary

from Some Folk by Pete Robinson

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about

I love history! And not least because it provides so many sources of inspiration for me as a songwriter. This is one such song. A member of a local history group on Facebook recently posted a black & white photo taken at the end of the nineteenth century of a ninety-odd year old widow sat in her doorway, holding a long clay pipe. She had spent her life mostly in service but as a child she worked (like so many other unfortunate children of the time) in a Salford coal mine. Being black and white the photo had gone through several stages of reprocessing to get to FB and is consequently rather bleached out. The FB entry named her as Betty Brookes. I took the liberty of renaming her Mary and out came the rest of the song.

lyrics

Come and pull the board my fair skinned Mary
Come and pull the board for me
I will work the load my fair skinned Mary
You will work for free

It’s black as tar a mile below, so dark and cold as charity
But your fair skin I’ll see though dimly. Light the way – I’ll watch you grimly
Come and pull the board my fair skinned Mary…

No school for you my bonny child, no summer sun to brown your skin
I need you as white as snow to better spy you down below so…
Come and pull the board my fair skinned Mary…

If I could I’d dress you like a queen. I’d place you on a velvet throne
But no more dreams of frills or lace - I need you here in this foul place so…
Come and pull the board my fair skinned Mary…

Don’t think that I don’t feel your fear, I hear you cry and tremble so
You must put out all fright and dread if we’re to earn our daily bread
Come and pull the board my fair skinned Mary…

credits

from Some Folk, released April 6, 2021

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The Mather Robinson Band Salford, UK

Dave Mather and Pete Robinson grew up together in the north of England in the nineteen sixties and have been writing and performing music individually and as a team ever since. From Opera to rock to pop and now back to their roots in folk music. Mather & Robinson entertain audiences in the north west of England but if you ask them - they will hummmm. ... more

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