Halfpenny Strike, The (Radio Edit)
I spoke with Dave Burns from The Hennessy's who first sang this song wroitten by Ray Smith. The oroginal version had a lot of swearing in it and they explained to Ray that if they wanted to get the song on the radio they'd need to alter the words a little.
I'll tell you boys of nineteen ten
When the ha'penny strike began
We stormed the cops on Pandy Square
Oh how the blue coats ran
We chased them up to Llwynypia
Oh how the blue coats ran
You should have seen the old square clear
When the ha'penny strike began
Not a ha'penny more the owners said
When the ha'penny strike began
We spat on our hands and swore then
Oh how the blue coats ran
Old Mabon was asleep in bed
When those big old coppers ran
By brave and hard sons we were led
When the ha'penny strike began
Call in the troops Churchill cried
That cowardly bloody man
And by their guns one of us died
When the ha'penny strike began
We faught them in Dunraven Street
We faught them man to man
I'll tell you boys we had them beat
When the ha'penny strike began
But the sun was strong all summer long
And the kids had nothing to eat
So we went back in the end, boys
'Cause the hunger had us beat
When we needed bread for the kids, boys
The owners knew they'd won
And we didn't have the strength we'd had
When the ha'penny strike began
Repeat first verse
(C) Land Of Song Music